The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1885-05-07
REPUBLICAN JOURNAL.
BELFAST, THURSDAY, MAY !. 1885.
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY MORNING BY THE
Republican Journal Publishing Co.
CHARLES A. PILSBURY.. EDITOR.
The Effect of a FOREIGN War.

!
The Effect of Foreign War.
There is much discussion, both in and out of
the newspapers, as to the effect upon this coun-
try of a war between England and Russia
The general opinion seems to be that 1t must
necessarily stimulate many branches of bust
ness and manufactures, and that it would af-
ford an opportunity of regaining our lost pres
tige upon the ocean by enabling us to secure
and retain the lions share of the carrying trade.
There are those, however. who argue that we
shall lose in some directions what we gain in
others, and that the best interests of all would
be subserved by The maintenance of peace be-
tween these two great powers. If war does
result it can hardly be confined TO England
and Russia. Other European nations will al
most inevitably be drawn into the struggle, the
end of which no one can foresee even
should the struggle be confined to the two
empires at present at ISSUE" says financial
circular, ''yet the feeling of hostility between
them is SO deep and bitter and the interests
mutually involved are so vast and vital. that
peace could be won only by the exhaustion of
one or the other. 1t is therefore no ordinary
disturbance that now confronts the commerce
of this and other countries, and the magnitude
Of its possible consequences to any one nation
cannot now be estimated"
The American Protectionist takes sanguine
view of the situation 1t saws that ''in agricul-
ture well as in manufactures we are in Il
sound condition to reap the advantages of Eu-
ropean disturbance. This is so because of the
solid benefits of the protective system. We
have factories and skilful labor equal TO any
demand. Without the protective system we
would not have them, and great opportunities
would pas. US by UNDECIDED. If there be a
European war, thanks to the great mechanical
plant protection has given to US, this country
will profit by II as she never has profited before
and all trace of hard times will swiftly vanish'
Representative Curtin, of Pennsylvania for
merry Minister to Russia, is of substantially the
same opinion. When asked a. TO the effect
upon our commerce of war between England
and Russia he replied:
Well, war between England and Russia will
agitate the whole world. II will naturally ex-
cite US in this country. II the war lasts some
tlme-and there is every reason to believe II
will be Il protracted one-it will create de-
after war shall have been declared we can't
sell arms and munitions legitimately, but it
Will be done. 1t will be done clandestinelv, on
doubt, to very great extent. But we can sell
legltimately the raw materials which go 10
make up the material. of war, and that will IN
crease trade. Then, in the event of a protract-
ed war. our breadstutfs and kindred products
will be IN demand 1t will be war which will
shake all Europe.
Henry Clews & Co., of New York bankers
in their monthly financial circular, give an ella
borate review of the outlook. They say: 1--WE
take from the United Kingdom about $500, 0O0,-
900 of merchandise per annum and we export
thther S425 600 or the better half of our
eXportahle surplus. In the event of war, we
should be likely to get our imports from that
source for lower prices; for depression in the
! home trade and the interference of hostilities
with some of the foreign markets would tend
to lower the price of British manufactures,
and the surplus of goods would naturally seek
a market large and so well able to buy as
that of the United States. Here would be an
undeniable advantage to our consumers at
large: not, however, without some disadvan-
tage to our manufacturers. who would have to
meet the reduction in the prices of competing
| foreign products" Our export trade with
Great Britain consists chiefly in cotton, bread
stutfs, animal food and petroleum. The cotton
growers of this country would not. it is thought
be benefited if ''the nation that runs nearly 60
per cent. of the worlds spindles was suffering
from a great and Frustrating struggle But if
England does not take the cotton her produc-
ton of cotton goods must be curtaied, and
that would tend to increased manufactures
here for our own and foreign markets. There
is certain. however, to be demand for wheat
and this, says the circular, with the prospect
of deficient harvest in the United States. sug-
gests the possibility of very important adj
vance in price; which would enrich the West
ern States, with manifest advantage to our in
terror commerce. Our animal food products
would be subject to special war demand, not
| only directly for England, but also indirectly
| for Russia, which would be another factor
benetiting directly the West, and indirectly
those sections from which the West draws sup
plies of goods Our trade with Russia Is such
a small affair that it cannot amount 10 much as
factor In this question:
| As to shipping 1t is said: at is to be ex-
| pected that for a time at least there would be
sufficient danger to British ships TO create very
embarrassing insurance premiums on them and
their cargoes. And, in that case. there would
be a demand for the vessels of neutral nations.
which would act benefcially upon our shipping
trade and contribute towards the recovery of
our suffering ocean marine
III.