The Washington times., 1901-11-01

Referring to Mr.. Sydney Brooks re-
cent statement that Continental Europe
dislikes America, the Chicago Tri-
bune" remarks:
The reasons for this isolation are many and
various. In the first place, of course there IS
Jealousy of Americas commercial success. II is
not easy TO love man who undersells you. and
as long as Americans persist in this practice they
must accept the resentment that goes with it,
This is rather significant statement,
in view of the manner in which the tar
iff question is now shaping itself in the
United States. The Tribune is a Re
publican journal and its utterances
upon questions of Republican policy
should carry some weight with the
members of its own party.
In the foregoing excerpt European
dislike of America is declared to rest
upon the fact that we are able to un-
dersell the manufacturers and pro-
ducers of Continental Europe. If this
is true, then every argument that has
been made in favor of protection since
the discussion began becomes wholly
inapplicable to existing conditions in
this country. The protective policy
was inaugurated on the ground that
we could not manufacture so cheaply rs
Europe could. The argument was that
We must interpose a tariff barrier
against the foreign manufacturer, so
that our goods might have an equal
chance in the American market. Now
We are told that we are underselling
Europeans in their own market. If
such is the case, ii is as clear as light
that no tariff is required to prevent
Europeans from swamping the Ameri-
can market with cheap goods The
statement is not true with reference to
all things, and probably was not in
tended to apply to our products in their
entirety. 1t certainly is true with re-
gard TO many things which We are now
producing, and the arguments of the
tariff reformers must be understood as
applying mainly to such things. II the
champions of protection will consent to
removal Of all protective duties from
such products as are now being sold by
Americans in European markets, and
to reduction of all such duties to a
point that will just offset the difference
in the cost Of production here and
abroad, it viii be the most important
and beneficial step that has yet been
taken by this country in the way OF
tariff reform.
1t would seem as If any person of av-
erage intelligence ought to be able to
see that If given article can be pro-
duced in this country more cheapIy
than 1t can elsewhere, a tariff upon that
article is unnecessary, and may enable
the American producers to charge more
than a legitimate price. That this has
been done has been conclusively proved
by the enormous fortunes that have
been amassed by manufacturers in this
country. The mystery is that so many
honest. well-meaning American people
fail 10 grasp so clear a proposition. The
truth is that tariff upon those articles
which no longer need protection is a
greater injury to the Americans them
selves than IL is to Europeans. The lat
ter could not get into our market with
such articles, anyway, and they lose
nothing on that score. 1t does not fol-
low, though, that they are not injured
at all, or that they have no just cause
for complaint. The fact is that the
American tariff enables the American
manufacturer to hurt the German or
the Australian producer in his own
home market. The American can set
the price SO high in this country that
he can afEerd to lower 1t considerably
abroad. In that way he may cut under
his foreign competitor. the American
consumers being compelled to help
bring up the profit on the goods export
ed. The domestic consumer and the
foreign producer are both hurt by the
operation.
Our Chicago contemporary suggests
other causes for European dislike Of
America, such as what is called the
American swagger," the brusqueness
and even rudeness of speech which is
assumed to be characteristic of the peo-
pie Of this country; but above all, the
cold commercialism which is believed to
peryade all classes OF our people. With
respect to these matters it may be
doubted whether European dislike rests
upon a sufficient basis Of fact 1t is
true that we have some swaggerers
among US. but we are not all of that
type; brusqueness of speech is a very
long way from being universal with
Americans. and 1t is by no means GER
tain that the foreigners who settle in
this country are not as keenly on the
alert for the almighty dollar" as are
the natives. Europeans have been
reared in a rnonarchicaI and aristocratic
atmosphere, and the social and political
inferioIity of the middle and lower
classes has. almost of necessity, given
a somewhat subdued touch To their
manners and modes Of expression.
Naturally enough, the free and easy
ways Of the Americans seem to be
"swagger" by comparison, but it is
noteworthy that Europeans who come
here to live very quickly drop their old
habits of demeanor and speech, and
adopt those OF this country, quite fire.
quenly with something of exaggera-
tion.
There is another thing in this connec-
ton that should not be lost sight Of.
The most Of the expressions indicating
European dislike come from what may
be called the upper or ruling classes
These are, generally speaking, monarch
ical in their ideas, and they deem it
pious duty to disparage everything re-
publican. 80 far as the masses Of the
Europeans are concerned, it is doubtful
whether they have any feeling OF the
kind. II they have, it is not strong
enough to keep them from coming here
in large numbers; and when they do
come, as a rule II does not take them
long 10 become pretty thoroughly Amer