New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-06
COMMENTS FROM OVERSEE.

British discussions of American affairs are
USUALLY Interesting. and sometimes intelligent.
The criticisms OF President McKinley's lnau-
cural Address thus far quoted form no excep-
lion TO the rule Their interest Is subjective
rather than objective. Their effect upon the
Presidents utterances. whether elucdatory or
obstructive. is nil They beautifully reveal,
however, as scarcely anything else could do.
the workings of the British mind and the man
ner In which 1t takes cognizance of things
American.
The foremost Conservative organ, "The Lon
don Standard for example. says: THE refrain
'of the discourse is not peace with all men, but
more Protection" Is peace. then, to be main
tanned only through Free Trade? Was peace
unknown to mankind before the advent of Rich
ard Golden? And has Great Britain been the
most peaceful Of all Powers since the repeal of
the Corn Laws? So far as can at this distance
be observed. the PrOtectiOniSt nations are en-
toying about as much peace and goodwill as
the one Free Trade nation. Certainly. PrOtcc-
ZIONIST America Is and has been no more Dell-
cosc than Free Trade Great Britain. 1t Is
curious delusiOD that regard for domestic IN
dustries and welfare must necessarily mean
hostility 10 the rest Of the world. Nor is "The
Standard" more happy in It's lamentation over
the expected elbows aimed mt the British wool
len industries" when representative organ or
those Industries has over and over again de-
cared the PrOtectiOnist policy to be the cor
rect one. which ought to prevail not only III the
United States but in the United Kingdom as
we'll And when II pities this country for prey
ing upon its own vitals" 1t provOkes more
smiles and mrth than anything else from those
who remember the world-envied prosperity and
progress this Nation has enjoyed under Protec-
ton.
While thus "The Standard" which as Con
servative organ accepted Free Trade with re-
luctance and is even now half-inclined to la
ment the impractcability Of restoring PrOtec-
ton in Great Britain. takes up the cudgels
against American Protection. THE Daily
News" the most ultra Free Trade OF all Free
Trade Liberals, magines that it sees i'm the
Presidents tariff utterances an attempt at n
compromise, and chershes hopes that he may
presently come out as good Free Trader as any
Coblcnite of them all. 1t oracularly remarks
that the United States twill never have an eX-
port trade TO speak Of while 1t deprives itself
"of cheap raw materials" blssfully Ignoring
the facts that this country already has, and
|
I'm the world; that In 1892. under Mckinley
ISM" 1t had the largest export trade 1t has ever
had. almost rivallng that Of Great Britain her
SELF that 1t Is the one great Nation whose cx-
ports habitualy exceed its imports: and that II
is itself the greatest producer Of cheap raw ma
tcrials" I'm the world. Against the remarks OF
The Daily News" il may be pertinent TO quote
the words Of another great British authority,
the commercial statstician OF "Whitaker's Al
manac." who says that England Is the best Gus
toner of the United States. that nearly all goods
exported from the United States TO England are
of native growth or manufacture. and that the
British trade Is therefore most satisfactory to
this country.
The somewhat JngOish Conservative Globe
observes that The Presidents address does
mot commend itself to British manufacturers
'and merchants; which may be entirely true
There is an old song OF which the refrain Is
Nobody asked you sir she said" The Amer
lean President can endure with equanimlty the
reproach Of not having consulted the British
Board Of Trade concerning his tariff policy. MOI
IS "'rhc st. Jamess GaZettcs' remark, that Mr.
Mckinley Is not an authority on the subject OF
! American merchant shipping because he comes
, from an inland State. more formidable. Ste
phen Decatur Robert Fulton and David G. Far
ragnt came from inland regions. yet they were
pretty good authorities ON matters pertaining
to ocean navigation.
Our British cousins naturally take British
views OF American things. as indeed they must
do and ought 10 do; inst as Americans take
American views OF British things. Probably
the former views are, on the whole, as intelli
gent and as Just as the latter. 1t must be con
fessed that American comments on British az
fairs have. some of thcm. beer. sometimes chiefly
characterised by misinformation and prejudice