What was described by a high government official as “an important conference” was held this afternoon at the State Department, presumably to consider how Germany is to settle a bill of $51,263,000 due Saturday for costs of the United States Army of Occupation and awards of the Mixed Claims Commission. William E. Dodd, American Ambassador to Germany, attended the conference.
The conference may lead to the opening of negotiations for a more liberal exchange of trade between the United States and Germany, in view of Germany’s indebtedness to this country and her own international economic distress, it was indicated today in several quarters. For the last few days, since Ambassador Dodd has returned from Germany, closed conferences have been held in the State Department and the German Ambassador, Dr. Hans Luther, has been a frequent visitor there.
From another quarter it was learned that George N. Peek, head of the newly organized Federal Import and Export Bank, has under serious consideration a trade agreement between the United States and Germany. The United States is very anxious to recapture the German pork and lard market and at the same time Germany is anxious to cast off her economic paralysis.
In order to meet her obligations to the United States and make gains for her international recovery Germany would have to be given a favorable balance of trade in any agreement with the United States.
During the last year German goods have been boycotted in the United States by such organizations as the powerful American Federation of Labor and other groups because of Germany’s persecution of the Jews and the destruction of the labor movement.
This boycott has rasulted in a serious decline in her trade with the United States. It is generally recognized by these interested in furthering trade with Germany that the boycott of her goods in this country must stop. The only way for the boycott to cease, they say, will be for Germany to do away with persecutions and permit labor the right to organize.
Government officials in Washington recognize this and it is likely that before any trade agreement is reached, one of the requests will be for an agreement to make possible the functioning of the trade agreement, and that is for Germany to halt her persecutions so that her goods may be sold more freely in this country. Such a request, it has been indicated, would be the saving grace for Germany on which she could withdraw with dignity from her policy of persecutions.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
