Disposal of Export Surpluscs Should Not Overloolc Lumber, Says National Lumber Manufacturers Association

Washington, July l0.-Public discussion of ways and means under prospective world conditions for disposal of export surpluses of the W'estern Hemisphere should not overlook the fact that the United States has a surplus of timber in its forests and mill and labor facilities for production of large exportable surpluses of lumber, says the National Lumber Manufacturers Association.

Testimony of the Association in recent hearings on the bulk-export shipping bills, introduced by Representative Angell of Oregon and Representative Boykin of Alabama, called for the Maritime Commission .'to adjust its operations to take advantage of the large surpluses of timber now available for manufactured goods for export, in order to carry out its purpose to provide the greatest possible export cargo for American ships."

fn response to an official question as to making any assistance to bulk export shipping conditional on the public interest, the NLMA stated:

"It has from the first been presumed that aid to shipping for the purposes stated would carry reasonable conditions. This is indicated in the bills . . As regards forest products, we see no reason to set up separate export shipping 'policies. Rather, we think that the actions and policies of all Government agencies concerned with growing and utilizing forests, marketing and shipping forest products, should promptly be coordinated to effect forest conservation. Much greater consumption of forest products, to utilize vast surpluses of merchantable timber and potential growth surpluses, constitutes conservation in that it encourages improved forestry practices. Greater use means wider markets, for which greater export is essential for large quantities of products not salable at home. .Appropriate conditions' should not be considered piece-meal, but for the coordinated total of Government measures affecting forest industry."

A resolution introduced by Senator Holman, of Oregon, seeks further study by the Commission of measures to facilitate the exportation of bulk-cargo commodities. This resolution includes request for information in regard to the extent to which executive departments and other independent agencies of the Government concerned with foreign trade may under existing law cooperate with the Maritime Commission in developing complete utilization of the cargo capacities of American vessels in the exporta- tion of American bulk-cargo commodities.

Considerable attention is also being given by Government agencies to the problem of Latin-American export surpluses, particularly in respect to commodities of which the United States has surpluses over domestic demand. The Under Secretary of Commerce, Chairman of the fnterAmerican Development Commission, established to promote new industries in Latin America and increased trade between the countries of the Western Hemisphere, said recently: "Formation and approval of projects designed to develop industrial plans in Latin American countries will be discussed. The discussion of projects will be confined to the construction of plants manufacturing products that are non-competitive with those already made in the United States."

Assistant Secretary of State Berle, in a public address on economic defense of the Western Hemisphere declared: "ft is important to note that there is no need whatever of bringing surplus products from one American country, which may have too much of them, to another country, which already has too much of them.

"The principal effect, so far as we are concerned, of buying South American surpluses would be to increase the markets for United States goods. There is, of course, no need and no intent to dispose of these surpluses in countries which already have surpluses of like commodities." Without mention of any commodity, he addbd: "There are, however, deficiency areas which may have to be supplied."