Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-01-11
LEAGUE OK TRADE
Is What the League of Peace is
About to Develop Into.
What is Expected of the New
Commercial Treaties.

ITlDune correspondent says lne league
of peace is now to be also league of
trade. The new commercial treaties
effect this. They form the most i'm
portant customs league in modern his
tory. They cover territory extending
from the Baltic to the Mediterranean,
with more than 140, 100000 inhabitants.
These countries comprise much of the
most productive territory of Europe,
both agricultural and manufacturing
Indeed, they dominate industrial Europe.
The treaties are 10 go into force on Feb,
/, 1892 and are to continue positively
until Dec. 81, 1908; and indefinitely
thereafter, unless one years notice of
their termination be given. Their
ultimate effect will assuredly be to
divide the continent into two countries.
1t is evident, therefore, that the political
significance of the treaties is scarcely
less than their commercial
An Interesting Paper.
A memorandum accompanied the bills
relating to these treaties when presented
in the reichstag and, as Germany is the
chief factor III the combination, this pa
the motives and hopes of the German
government in concluding the treaties.
The policy of Europe in commercial mat
ters for the past ten years, it says, has
been largely founded on system of COM
prehensive conventional tariffs on the
basis of the commercial and customs
treaties of France with Belgium, Portu-
gal, Scandinavia. Spain, Switzerland and
Holland i'll the first half of the last
decade, to which other treaties with
Italy, Austria-Hungary etc, were added.
These treaties to large extent fixed
the customs duties of most of the Eu-
rOpean states for many years in matter
which conferred considerable advant-
ages as comp"red with the autonomous
general CnstCns tariffs of those coun-
tries. Germany had adopted this sys-
tenn only to comparatively small eX-
tent, and concluded commercial treaties
fixing or reducing certain duties in re-
turn for corresponding concessions only
with Italy, Spain, Greece and Swit2er-
land. Germany merely reciprocated
the "most favored nation" treatment
with most European and several non
European states. The treaty of Frank
fort determined the commercial rela-
tions between Germany and France.
Germany, therefore. had kept her hands
essentially free, but freely participated
in the advantages of the European con-
ventional tariffs, as one Of the most
favored nations.
a Revolution About to Begin.
This state of things, (which secured to
Germany mPuy impol. AN. benefits, will
cease ON Feb /. 1899, when a complete
revolution Of Eurmpean commercial pol
icy threatens tt tvse place, owing to the
marked growth Of protectionist tenden-
cies in France, Russia and the United
States. GeT any's exports to Russia
fell from %" 100000 marks in 1880 to
131 600. 600 in 1887 and have increased
very slightly since then, owing to the
rise in rouhle notes, which, however.
was instantly counterbalanced by the
raising of the Russian duties As re-
CARDS the United States, the Mckinley
act greatly injured the trade from Eu-
rope, in which Germany is largely in
terested. The nearer the expiration of
the European commercial treaties,
which afford I'd Germany numerous ad-
vantages, approached, the more urgent
was il for her to decide whether she
would adopt the protection policy of the
above states, which considerably favors
mutual isolation. or secure for herself a
decisive infu ence over the approaching
changes of the European customs tariffs
by international agreement, She could
not but choose the latter alternative.
Germany a Great Importer.
After giving some account of Ger
many's commercial policy since 1879
the memorandum goes on to declare
Germany's development into an indus
trial state of the first class, the increase
of her population, and the fact that the
products of her soil do not quite meet
the demands of home consumption, com
pei her TO import large quantities of for
eign raw materials for food, for which
she mus: export, first and foremost,
manufactured goods. The average i'm
port of raw materials from 1880 to 1880
was 2,2O6,0 900, 900 marks, ,357 600, 600
after deducting the export Of raw mate
rails In 1869 on the other hand, the
figures We're 2,SlS,0 900, 600
and 2,033, ,000,0 900, and in 1890 even
2 ,966 OO0, 900 and 2,120,000, 900. The ex-
port of manufactured goods did not keen
step with this large increase in the i'm
port of raw materials. The average
from 1880 to 1890 was 2260. 600 600
marks, and 81 10000 after deducting
imported manufactured goods, but the
figures in 1889 We're 2, ,3S2,-
900. 900 and 1856, 600, 900, and in 1890 O.
482. 900, 600 and 1856, 600, 600 Still, these
figures sufficiently show what large in
terests are bound up within the German
export trade how deeply the working
classes are concerned in it, and what an
important factor it is in the prosperity
of German industry and of German ma
tional economy at large. The total of
the German exports in 1887 was 3,l90,-
OOO. 900 marks; in 1883, 1859 600, 600; in
1888. ,25G 900. 900; and in 1890, 3, 3,409.-
900. 600. This shows convincingly that
the Germans are not all-sufficient for
themselves, despite the increasing capac-
ity of consumption.
Must Give and Take.
The conclusion of new international
treaties ON the most favored nation basis
only. without fixed duties, would make
it possible for Germany to secure the
home market for home products, ypro-
tectiye duties at discretion. but would
not afford the slightest guarantee that
foreign markets, which are indispensa-
bic to the German export trade. would
remain accessible. Considering the com
petition among ali progressive states,
which is becoming more and more keen
with the increase Of production and the
means of production. lasting commercial
intercourse between them Is conceivable
only on the basis of the rational ex-
change of goods, which again. presup- j