New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-04

Sc per cent 1t Is interesting 10 compare this
with the corresponding figures in the case OF the
United States where England carried only 50
| ner cent of the total steam business Of 1892, in
comparison with IS per cont in 1880 Whatever
NAV no the reason of the decline in the latter
1t is admitted on all sides that the progress Of
Germany Is connected with her Keen and IN
creasngly successful competition In all COM
mercial and maritime business. Now this activ-
ity has been made practicable by autonomous
protection.
1t IS the further encouragement or the multi
farious industrial production which has thus
arisen that especially demands the present ex-
tension Of the protective policy In the direction
of reciprocity In the memorandum accompany
ing the new commercial treaties the present gov
eminent assures the Reichstag: Altogether me
new treaties open up 20 German trade ana m
dustry foreign markets worth over lOOOJoVoV
marks. with the prospect Of enjoying them TOT
a period which. 1t may be hoped VIII eh~nu
far beyond the term Of years now speclHed.
AS TO the agrarian opposition II Is but natural
from a branch Of production which mas been
| unable to accommodate itself to the changes
brought about by that very protection from
which it had originally profted. But this Is
owing a defective system or land proprletor-
ship which can be remedied by no economic
revolution. and is not properly connected WIN
national production as such. -
II would be as reasonable to confound the
autonomous protection Of Bismarck with State
Socialisrn-this was actually charged by free
trade member of the Reichstag-as to attribute
the present reciprocity of Capnvi TO free trade.
OF these two phases OF German taIlH Jaws, "
was the former which was chieily Tor revenue
and for the development Of National interests.
The latter while securing the revenue; Is con-
fessedly I'm the interest Of national production
which means protection. pure and simple STATE
Socialism also it is worth remarking implies
the active Intervention Of government IN the
business relations Of citizens or assoclauons OF
citizens among themselves. The protective
policy whether Of Bismarck or Of Caprivi. mas
done nothing Of the kind. II has simply dealt
with the interests Of the whole community as
organized into a State. distinct from other
states and hence obliged 10 hold It's own in con-
nectiOn with them.
on the contrary, to deny the right of govern
ment protection over home production Is TO
overthrow all ideas Of nationality, country pa
triotism. To speak more plainly. the theory OF
free trade in the experience or these recent years,
shows itself To be based on a Utopia that can De
directly analysed back-or fcrward-to the anu
patriotic inerna tionalsm OF the extreme Social
lists That England should have prohted Tor
time by her own peculiar advantages and by the
disadvantages Of other nations Is no reason why
the general theory Of Golden should nov pe
classed with that OF Karl Marx. II Is curious,
in this connection. to note that the reaction IN
favor Of protection has coinoided with inc p;rth
10 true national life Of such countries as Ku-
mania. with the nat!oral transportation 81 me
German States into a united Empire win .le
revival Of enlightened patriotism in France AFTER
the crushing defeat OF 1870 and. in the case OK
the United States with the growing CONSCIOUS
ness Of our true position as great nation OF tne
world This is doubtless the reason why AInet1-
can free traders. with their tariff for revenue
only, have always to seek their arsuiHeH's iroi"
before the war.
The case Of Rumania is particularly interest.
ing 4 complete economical transformation OK
this growing co Intry has been going on Tor sew
eral years. Her annual commerce with france
alone shows an increase Of more than 2o.WVOJO
francs since 1856. But the economic war waeed
against her by Hungary, with whom she mas q
serious rivalry Of race we'll as Of production
Ia her policy
but for It's present happy results, might nave
seemed extreme.
entity raised By from 10 70 20 per cent tntll 'hen
the German importation held the nrst RANK,
while the corresponding eXportauoh rom
Rumania into Germany amounted TO ohly L.
OOO 900 francs The cereals. which form the cnlet
wealth If the country. were left In me great
part To the tender mercies OF the Englsh mar
ket with all it's huctuation and competition.
It at this time that one OF the onlteo
States consular agents expressed the opinion
that the British merchant alone repress"..ea
the energy and Clear-sghtedness needed LOT
rcapng the golden harvest in these new neloS
of the Danubian principahties. rms seemed
incredible ana unnatural 10 travellers VINO
have observed closely the cautious but persistent
movements OF German commerce. Yet II was
by way of being realized. Rumania being as
unable to cope with the prohibiuVe tarin OF
Germany against her with the free trade mar
ket of England. which was neither safe nor
profitable. BY wise application OF the prin-
ciple Of autonomous protection she has con-
right OF choosing her own market.
IL is Germany that has come to terms under
rendering commercial treaty
with Rumania peculiarly distasteful TO he agra
rian opposition. The treaty with Rumania would
bring inevitable consequence, similar
concessions to Servia and Spain and, as was
put forward with unheard-of violence. even TO
Russia. In spite OF ALL thanks 20 protection,
the little nation has secured that measure or
with the German Empire which her
well-being demands.
Tine turn of affairs gwen by the new mOIuS
vivendi between two such strongly protection
list countries AS France and Spain needs sepa-
rate explanation But from the case OF Ger
many and Rumana II is already evident mat
the working Of autonomous protection, ana the
triumph of reciprocity. 10 which II direcIy
leads cannot but furnish useful lessons con-
corning the situation in the United states. IL
is not said that the principle of protection
is sufficient, by itself alone, TO reconcile all the
divergent interests of the various classes OF
producers. The same may be said or any era
every solution of the silver question. Good
government must always be based on the COM
promises OF expediency-the greater eood 81 the
greater ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS there is not a question
OF absolute right. Now the new commercial
treaties teach:
First-The society Of nations at large con-
siiers the protection OF the national producer
an undoubted right of every government.
standardization is not considered merely
as a tax levied for the sake of revenue, though
II Is an easy and safe solution Of many
fiscal problem
Thlrd-Protecton is not limited to infant or
growing industries.
Fourth Protection is the chief means OF fos-
tering the economic life of the Nation as nation,
and the only present means II preserving such
life unimpaired in the struggle against IoreiSa