The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-01-16
FOREIGN TRADE

(From Current Issue of America First, Monthly
Publication of Made in America Foundation, Inc)
IN these times of trbuatiOn it behOoVes us to
restate our philosophy with respect to foreign
trade. The Made In America Foundation is prim-
ary interested in developing and improving our
National Domestic Economy. Yet, we have always
taken the position that our foreign trade is
factor in our national economy. This does not
mean that the Foundation is "straddling' an issue
Welcome the development Of our foreign trade.
However, do not subscribe to the theory that
it is the most important factor in our American
way of Life. During periods OF our greatest pros
perity it has rarely exceeded ten per cent OF the
total turnover of our domestic business.
First, let us clear away the path for sane and
judcious handling of this subject without clutter
ing up the channels of thought with confused
thinking, ill-will, pride and prejudice.
Here in our country we should be more
careful about whom we call 'iso atonlst' or in
ternatiOnalist,' in the Subversive sense. The
Made In America Foundation is neither. If 1t
were it could not be an honestly American nstitu-
ton, for no true American foregn-trader can be
either the isolationst or the internationast. !
said true AMERICAN foreign-trader
Here is friendly hint to the so-caIed Ameri-
can isolationist Just as long as our nation is
totally dependent upon foreign sources of supply
for many of its basic raw materials needed for
national defense, such as TIN, rubber, manganese,
silk, nickel and chrome and to lesser degree
for other items such as ntrates mercury and
raw wool, just so long will foreign trade play an
important part in our national economic life.
For instance, the wool growers in our mountain
ranges in the West have not yet produced wool
that will supply American carpet and rug manu-
facturers with a raw material that has all the
toughness and fbrous qualities of the wool we i'm
port from China, India and other foreign sources
of supply. Some day American ingenuity and
chemical research may supply this deficiency, but
until it is supplied must buy our raw wool for
carpet and rug manufacturing abroad.
Now this also applies to such consumer items
as coffee, tea, spices, and many other prod
ucs. Substitutes have not been provided for these
items, and until they are provided we must I'M
port We cannot be Scf-Sutllclent and do With
out these products.
Yet, with One-third Of our population under
privileged we are not consuming our full capacity
or share Of these necessary foreign products
Think Of the potential customers for automobiles
among our millions of unemployed. Yes, even II
they would only buy used cars. Used cars also
consume gas oil, parts, pay taxes and the owners
spend their money in the good old u. S. A.
MORAL: car sold on the American market Is
worth more to our national economic welfare thal
two cars sold abroad.
And now friendly note Of warning to oul
friends whose minds have an international trend
They say, "We must buy in order to be able tC
sell" Well, let us look at the figures. Even before
take out our order books to sell single dollars
worth of American products abroad we have tC
buy abroad each year, under normal conditions
over billion dollars worth of these essential raw
materials and products listed above as being neccS
sary for our national defense, which do not
produce ourselves.
This does not include those other items known
as consumer products such as cane sugar anc
many chemicals which do produce, but not
in sufficient quantities to supply our domestic
consumptivc demands. SO YOU starting al
Scratch" on the buy and Scl' philosophy arc
committed to buy abroad each year nearly fftecr
hundred million dollars worth of essential foreign
products before we start selling our own products
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