From France -or Germany?

Hokitika Guardian, 7 June 1921, Page 3

From France -or Germany?

THE NEW BUSINESS PROBLEM

(Bv Lindsay Bashford). j Many British business men working in a big wav are confronted to-day with an entirely new problem. Certain very important factors in

industry, essential to prosperity m , many directions, were, formerly coil--1 trolled by Germany. Owing to the changes in the map of Europe since the war these factors are now partially controlled by France. British business 'men want to work with the 1* rench and not 1 with the Germans. But before they can do so certain arrangements have to be put through. I One of these industrial factors is potash. There are others, but potash will | serve as an example. I Tbe chief areas where potash can he ! got at profitably arc only two: &tassfurt in Germany and Mulhouse in Alsace. Before the war, therefore, the Germans had a virtual monopoly of the entire potash industry of the world. ! They had the raw stuff which everybody had' to buy and they could charge exactly what they pleased for it. Now Alsace belongs to France and so the German monopoly is torn. France cait provide her Allies with a very great deal of crude potash. But I France has not yet got factories in full swing to transmute the crude potash ■ into the commodity required in so many industries, Meanwhile the Germans are busily reopening their factories, alK i the lmv value of the mark enables them profitably to dump potash into this country to-day at a iower figure than before the war. *****

During the war, with German supplies ruled out, British business men had to got oil as best they could, and a great deal of very serviceable plant was set up for handling potash. The Government helped.

It was realised that potash o "*ib immensely important to farmers as a fertiliser, to chemists for many drugs and disinfectants, to engineers for photo-prints and blue prints* to manufacturers of optical glass, to dyers, to a host of other trades. So to-day the British have plant for handling the raw material and the French have the raw material. Is it to be wondered at that British business men are asking for a trade alliance with France under which crude potash shal reach them without duty, and a stern embargo he put upoli (jGnilitit efforts to flood this country with potash manufacturers, stifling the new British industry and restoring the old dangerous Boclie predominance ?