TRADE AND THE WAR.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15121, 10 November 1914, Page 8

TRADE AND THE WAR.

THE POSITION AT HOME AND ABEOAD.

(rEOir ora. own coiuuspondent.) LONDON, September 30. HOW BERLIN STOLE BRAINS. When it. comes to tho final settling of accounts with Germany, writes Professor Felix * Leconte, from Ostend, thrrre will bo found business men who "will bo inclined to take pity on industrial Germany, and who might hesitate. }«-foro destroying it. lost they should deprive bmn;tnity of tho advantages which at present accrue from its industry and technical organisation. That -.vonld be a mistake.

"Tim success of German industry is <!nr> to the cleverness of its salesmen. You b'jy an article from 5 v> 10 per >o!'.<. cheaper, but you receive an arti<!o which in from o to 10 per cent.

inferior in quality if it k a-tool, or 5 t-o 10 ]>ci ''•out. doGcient in power if it is a much inc. Tiio power of German irdnstry is l«irn of theft. Alizarine, or artificial hlue, invented by an Englishman, was refused German patents by ihe Pat out Amt (office). Enormous profits have consequently been mado by fraudulent means by Germany's, formidablo ciiemical industries. The power o: tho German electrical industry is bijsod on a similar refusal by tho Patent -\mt to grant a patent to Gramme for tho invtmtion of his dynamo. 'These two examples will eufiico to '-bow that the Patent Amt wvie an official organisation existing to steal ideas. HUGE DEMAND FOR BOOTS. A firm of boot manufacturers has reason for believing that the JJritrsh Government has placed, or is alvout to place, ordeivi for something like ] .600,000 pairs of boots for Regular*, for the now Army and for Territorials. France is placing orders for two million pairs, and the Belgian.- - , iSerbs, and Greeks uro. making omjiiirjcs. I>r. J. G. Barker, of Kerrnon.i.sey, says that tho difficulties experienced at the beginning ot the war have been overcome. For the first Jorlijigrit thero was almost a panic, owing to the shortage of tanning material, which mostly comes from France and Hungary. Tho supply is now being mado good from America, Spain, Sweden, South Africa, Argentina, India, and now a limited supply is coming from Franco. The. supply of hides is more than sufficient, ns the cargoes which formerly -went to France, Germany, n.i*d Belgium, are largely diverted to England. Oar Army is better shod than many of the armies now fighting in Europe, and in this respect it is leagues ahead of tho Gorman Army. JAPAN AND SOUTH SEAS. Of lato the Japanese steamship companies havo been giving increasing attention to tho development of trade with tho South Seas, particularly since Commander Hosaka, of the Imperial Navy, visited tho islands on behalf of the Government, and in a report to Tokio stated that they wore most suitable- for settlement, and had great resources still unexploitcd. Hβ also said that ho interviewed many of tho Chinese merchants there, and that # they jTully realised tho necessity of. co-opera-tion -with. Japanese traders "with a view to tho further development of commerce in tho Pacific.

.Some time ago the Department of Communications sanctioned a service to several of the more important islands, and it is now understood that ■when the agreement expires at the end of this year it will not only be rohewed, but. will also be. enlarged in it* scope. Vessels are- to bo replaced by up-ttf-tlate ships, and the subsidy will most probably bo largely increased. At preeentcoal forms a largo proportion of "the Japan to the South Seas, but other branches of trade are not' being overlooked. France,. too, has been more active in that quarter of the world, and so also have the United States, and Holland, while there are now indications of moro Australasian shipping enterprise.

OPPORTUNITIES IN BRAZIL. British firms in Brazil have now an excellent opportunity of securing much of the business hitherto handled by German houses.in that city. The numerous Gorman import firms there aro absolutely debarred from receiving goods of any kind.from Germany, and they can only rely upon such stocks as they happen to have on hand. The"y are quite unable to execute any orders for German goods. In these circumstances it VS clear that British firms have an exceptionally good opportunity to secure for themselves those orders.which, . under normal conditions, would have gone to Germany; and once having secured- such trade they certainly ought io bo able to retain it. Among the' principal articles of German import in Rio do Janeiro havo been iron and steel for . constructional purposes, cement, locomotives, and machinery of various kinds, including agricultural implements, gas engines,' cutlery,, and hardware of various kinds, paper for ; printing, - and other kinds, electrical plant and fittings of every description. V "SHEFFIELD BUSY.

Sheffield is in the fortunate position ■ of supplying many requirements of tho ."War Office and the Admiralty, and the result is that week by week tho number of unemployed decreases. So busy are tho workk that tho armament firms a week ago had bigger bills than for some years past. There is still a little anxiety about the sources of supply of tho non-ferreous alloys required in the making of crucible steel and light armour, and the best is being done to overcome the disability which resulted when tho war stopped all,supplies of tungsten from Germany, which preliously had been the chief source. Steps are being taken to manufacture tungsten in this country. Razor makers havo not been so busy for many years. Old stocks which had been written off in balance-sheets have been re-ground and despatched for the use of the soldiers, and Government buyers have cleared out practically all suitable supplies. Further big orders have been placed, and others are pending, and it has been necessary to institute overtime working and Sunday work. Surgical instrument makers are very busy, and there is no end to tho work in the cutlery trades on knives for soldiers in the field and for officers' cutlery. DUTCH TEA MYSTERY. It is said that since tho outbreak of war Dutch merchants have been buying and importing tea in unprecedented quantities. The Tea Buyers' Association have noticed this activity, and havo asked the Hoard of Trade what courso tea wholesalers should follow. Although no announcement has been made, it is understood thai; the Government is watching tho matter closely. London is the great tea market of Europe, and practically all tho tea cousuined on the Continent passes through uur warehouses. The Germans are not great tea-driukors, but the greater part of their 1 supply has come through England 'in the past. London tea merchants believe- that, at tho outbreak of war tho Dutch sold their stocks of tea to Germany and that their present fttgerness is duo to a desire to replenish those stocks. .IVOOL DEALERS , SUSPICIONS.' There is also more than a suspicion that Germany has been, and is now buying wool in this country for makiii" fabrics for her army . f} lo idea has been strengthened by considerable'pur-

chases in Yorkshire by firms residing in neutral countries, which are known to do a good business with Germany. Persistent enquiry coming from Continental neutral countries, notably Holland, Sweden, and Denmark, makes one think it possiblo that Germany is executing orders in this way. Seeing that we havo arrived at the time of tho year when stocks of wool are light, and that under present conditions all our crossbred wools will be wanted for military cloths, it is suggested to tho'Board of I Trado that, in conjunction with tho I War Office, the exportation of crossbred j and all wools suitable for Army goods, i especially those adapted for khaki mixture, screes, blankets, rugs, etc., should Ibo prohibited. THE COTION TRADE. According to report, the masters and operatives in tho cotton trade had their losses seriously aggravated during this timn of war in consequence of the- inflated price of the raw material on the* Liverpool cotton market. The, urgent mcd of Lancashire- in tho present industrial crisis is that tho cotton industry shall be freed from all restrictions and encumbrances, and to this end manufacturers an'l ofjiers aro appealing t-o the Government to ensure an adonnnt«» supply of cheap raw cotton. The Liverpool Cotton Arroeiation have suspended tho open market, and aro maintaining a fictitious value for the cotton owned by tnoir irtp-mber*. Sir Charles Mac.ira advocates tho establishment by the Government of a large cotton reserve which may bo drawn upon in lime of short crons. Tie estimator that a Government" scheme would involve a Sim ! of .si.vtv millions sterlinr, but. bo main- j tnins that thero would bo little risk nt tho at. vhich their cotton conld bo purchased and Government, infervention might sa-vo a groat industrial rlisn*or. e a> , ; well ns prevent :itiv ri-ble distress in tho cotton districts during the time of the war.

BRITISH DOLLS. Although efforts aro being mado to capturo tho German and Austrian toy and doll trade, it i.s a mistake to supnose that the toys and dolls which will be exhibited in the shons at Christmas will be all-British. A" manager of a wholesale depot says:—"One British manufacturer to whom wo have given a large order has got tho necessary plant, and ho has got some Germans who are interested in the toy trade to show him how to go about it. Wo havo a difficulty in getting tho heads for the dolls, but there is a firm in tho Midlands working hard at it, and if wo cannot mako tho heads of clay, it can bo done by means of a composition. Wo can always make tho eyes and the squeakers in England. But as to there' being an all-British supply of dolls this coming Christmas, that must not bo expected. A great deal of our stock is already secured. We have to get it in during Juno and July on account of our colonial'exports, and our contracts aro mado as early as January. There will bo no scarcity of dolls or toys, and there will be a good supply of British manufacture, hut not until next year shall wo know how far this movement is going to succeed."