WEBB BILL MUST PASSJNGRESS United States Must Be Prepared Pre-pared to Meet World Competition Com-petition in Trade. FIGHT FOR SUPREMACY Manufacturers and Merchants Must Be Allowed to Combine Com-bine Against for Foreign Business. Chicago, Aug. 14. At the close of the present European war "the United States must have the same size guns for competing In fore;Vn markets that our battleships are ntv equipped with," according to E. N. Hurley, chairman of tho federal trade commission in a published statement here today. Ho declared that while congress has ipaased many bills which will bo helpful to business after af-ter the world war Is over, they will bo for nought unless the Webb bill, now pending, is passed. "For years," says Mr. Hurley's statement, "the nations at war have allowed tholr manufacturers and merchants to comJblne, forming cartels car-tels and syndicates to compete in the markets of tho world, not only combining com-bining In their respective industries in ihe different countries, but nations na-tions aro now combining to protect tholr Interests. Battle for Supremacy. "With these conditions existing and this great commercial war at hand and we must nil admit that it Is a battle for supremacy in the world's markets our' preparedness must be on tho lines of not only preparing for battle but for commercial warfare. Our manufacturers and merchants must have the samo size guns as our foreign rivals possess. "If tho Webb bill is not passed and some Immediate relief given to manufacturers manu-facturers and merchants of this country, nothing can prevent our foreign for-eign competitors from getting more than their share of foreign buslnoss. It is not a question of clarifying the Sherman law; it is not a question of changing this law so that it will affect our business in any -way or allowing combines In this country; It is a question ques-tion of creating markets for our surplus sur-plus products which mean that every man, woman and child in tnis country will be materially benefitted. "Congress has passed" many bills helpful to business. They will all be for naught unless the Webb bill is passed." Bill Favorably Reported. Washington, Aug. 15. Chairman Webb, of tho house judiciary committee, commit-tee, today filed a favorable report on the bill to promoto export trade by permitting organization of co-operative selling agencies and producers in the United States foreign trade. The object of tho bill is to enable American exporters to combine to meet foreign competition on equal terms.