The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-04-02
TRYING TO REGULATE TRADE /
Beauty of the Protectionist Theory
Portrayed.
SOME OFFICIAL FIGURES GIVEN
FallacY of Attempting to Sell More to
Foreigners and Buying Less.
Trade Seeks the Lines of Least
Resistance. The Rivals Of
American Wheat.

An official report concerning Cor
many's imports of wheat in recent years
affords one among many examples of
the effect of attempts to regulate foreign
trade by statute The statistics of this
trade serye 10 illustrate the beauty of
tho protectionist theory of selling more
TO Foreigners and buying less from them.
In 1892, 1898 and 1894 Germany i'm
ported the following quantities of wheat
in tons:
1902. 1903. 1871.
United States...... ESQ.,, 1870 9,4ig.2s2 3,O5i6Go
Argentina. 6jl,G97 l,5l3.g6l 3.lej, i.u
Russia. ............. 2,572,99l 2lO.9j2 23Ji 80
India ............... 5J9,Csl 2S,Gel s1i92
Tho table shows decline of Amer.
lean exports of wheat to Germany of
more than 90 per cent and an increase
of about 800 per cent in the exports of
wheat from the Argentine Republic TO
that country. A remarkable fiuctuation
is also witnessed in tho wheat exports
Of Russia to Germany. The year 1913
was period of bittor luminosity between
Germany and Russia, and tho feeling
manifested itself in all the relations Of
tho two countries. 1t twas tho year when
Russian loans were prescribed III the
German money markets, when tho late
car listened with oomplacency to the
sailors of republican Franco singing
the Marseillaise hymn III the harbor of
Cronstadt, and when tho Russian bear
danced along tho boulovards of Paris
But since then the attitude of Germany
and Russia toward each other has vast
1y changed. They have both lowered
their protective tariff barriers, and 1nu-
tual trade has resumed its accustomed
channels
But most remarkable is tho increase
of German imports of wheat from tho
Argentine Republic. 1t is not pretended
that the wheat of Argentina makes any
better bread than tho hard wheat OF tho
great northwest of this country. But it
can be put down in tho European mar
kets for less than tho wheat of Mime.
Gotta, and that is what mainly accounts
Tor the increase III this trade. OF course
the Mckinley tariff and the diiferential
duty on German sugar have been by 10
means calculated to promote friendly
commercial relations between the Unit
ed States and Germany, and the STUPID
obstruction to the repeal of this duty by a
partisan minority in the senate is likely
to cost much to the trade of this conn
try. But tho main fact remains that tho
Argentine wheat could be delivered in
Hamburg OIL better terms than tho
wheat of Minnesota. Besides this. Ger.
man merchants found III Argentina
more favorable markets for many of
their wares than III the United States.
The upshot of the business is that in
international trade, as we'll as in other
trade, people will not buy where they
cannot sell. Under the protectionist mol.
icy of selling rs much rs possible to for.
eigners, and buying from them rs little
as possible, commerce must languish.
Trade seeks the lines of least resistance
and when people cannot obtain their
supplies and dispose of their wares ad.
Nvantageously in one quarter they will
go to another. When the Germans found
their trade with this country further OBJ.
structed by tho Mckinley tariff, they
reached to Argentina for their hroad
supplies. There is no question that great
development of tho Argentinian wheat.
field is due to the stupid tariff policy of
this country more than to all other
causes. -Philadelphia Record.