Evening star., 1901-12-28
Sessions of the American Association
Today.
PAPERS READ AND DISCUSSED
Meaning of Recent Expansion of
Our Foreign Trade.
P LICY OF EU ROP z

| LII. D., at 10 am, called the meeting to
order the hall was well filled with dele
gates and others interested in the discus
sion of economic questions. Many ladies
were in the audience.
The morning session was devoted to the
reading Of papers on. and general discus
sion Of international trade. Brooks Adams
| Of Quincy, Mass, was first introduced. and
read an interesting paper on the Meaning
Of Recent Expansion Of the Foreign Trade
| of the United States"
The speaker illustrated his theory by an
examination of the history of Nineveh,
| Phoenicia, Greece and Rome. His conclu-
sions were: First, at remote antiquity
the need Of metal stimulated men to ex-
| plore toward the west. In the west they
| found what they sought. Hence civiliza-
| ton has spread westward. Second, as the
| source Of metallic supply has receded the
| diameter of the economic system has en-
| larged, and as the diameter of the circle
has enlarged the center has been displaced
By such movements the stability Of the So
| cial equilibrium has been shaken. Third,
the social equilibrium has been disturbed
| because, as the center of the economic sys-
| tenn has moved, the trade routes have
| changed to correspond, and the ancient
| capitals have been thrown into eccen-
| tricity. This signifies ruin for the city and
| annihilation for the population. Lastly,
| war is as essentially an instrument of COM
| mercial competition as is trade ITSELF that
| indeed, war is only commercial competition
in it's intensest form. All the facts point
| to the conclusion that war is regularly kim
| died by the heat engendered by the impact
| upon an established economic system Of
| system which is consolidating Hence the
outbreak Of war at certain stages of de-
Velopment must be regarded as usual, If
| not an invariable, phenomenon.
LAS with Nineveh, SO with London As
the volume of American exports has grown
has the tide Of do
c1slVely against Great Britain, until her
people have literally eaten up the accumu-
| !at1ons they once possessed In America.
Her accumulations depleted, she now lives
by borrowing.
These symptoms of energy at home and
OF collapse abroad point to readjustment
or the social equilibrium on an unprece-
dented scale. Unless all experience is to
| be reversed the ferocity of the struggle for
survival must deepen until one of the two
competing economic systems is DESTROYED
were all other signs wanting We can see
the shadow of the approaching crisis in the
failure Of the purchasing power of Europe
which is reflected in our declining exports
ana In the threats of retaliation which we
daily hear
A Joint DfscussfOn
JOINT discussion followed on the sub
Ject OF international Trade" between
George E. Roberts, director of the mint
and Charles A Conant, WASHINGTON cor
respondent Of the New York Journal of
commerce. Both gentlemen showed by
.neir papers that they were thoroughly
Iatnlilar with the subject, and their treat
ment Of its various phases elected favora-
bic comment.
Mr.. Fcrd's Paper.
Inc commercial policy of Europe was
the subject of an interesting paper read
by Worthington c. Ford, chief Of the de-
partment OF statistics, Boston public IL
brary.
After comprehensive and exhaustive
discussion of the various treaties of con-
tinental Europe the speaker surprised his
.is.ehers .,sae Dy saving: There is no denying
that Russia is intent upon shutting out the
Wnole world commercially, and upon de-
stroying the German in it's western prov
lnces. one ukase follows the other, and
When another is proposed, for the most
part duties that must offend Germany
| more than any other state
Inc warning OF the German government
press is certainly well founded, but 1t must
De remembered that the German govern
ment was the first to recommend Russian
securities to the German public with a
view to showing Russia Its friendly feel
ings and neighborly good WILL the royal
Prussian Seehandlung took an active part
IN introducing the Russian laws of Ger
many. The Irritation of the German gov
ernment has not failed to produce an i'm
preston upon Russia"
In conclusion he said: 'Where mischief
may be done is in the isolated action of
eacn natlon or Europe against the trade of
the United States. The damage to our in
terests may be all the greater, because
OF the conscious imitation Of regulation by
more than one power. To conciliate oppo-
sitlon py wise concession is the part Of true
statesmanshfp; to offer better use of our
undeniably great resources is the true eco
nomic policy Of the United States, and this
betterment cannot be obtained by wiIIfIIlv
n
The tariff should not be an implement Of
o1ense, OF commercial war, but one Of rev.
enue and commercial peace. 1t is never
more dangerous than when raised to q
fetch and held to be the cause of economic
advancement"
c. Emery. professor of political ECONOMY.
Yale University, closed the morning ses-
sion.
The Afternoon Session.
The association held another session at
2:5o o'clock this afternoon, when the fol-
lowing arranged program was carried ont:
Economic theory-"Some Theoretical Pos
sibilfties OF a Protective Tariff Thomas N.
Carver. assistant professor of political econ
omy, Harvard University
Discussion-Guy s. Calender. professor of
economics and sociology, Bowdoin College;
Maurice II. Robinson, instructor In political
economy. Yale University
The Position Of the Workman in the
Tuttle, professor OF political economy, Wa
bash College.
Discussion David Kinley, professor of
economics, University Of Illinois; Samuel
M. Lindsay. assistant professor of sociol-
ogy. University of Pennsylvania.
Tondghts program is as follows: pm
Labor problems-'The Negro In the Yazoo-
Mississippi Delta,'' Alfred H. Stone, Green
vile, Miss.
Discussien-L. G. Powers, chief statts-
tician for agriculture, United States census
Cancellation and Arbitration Among
Miners" Herman Justi, commissioner ILL
nois Coal Operators Association.
Discussfon-CarroH D. Wright, commits
sioner United States department Of labor.
General Gossip.
The Washington Economic Society will
entertain the members Of the association at
luncheon at the Shoreham on Monday, De-
cember 80, at pm.
A special invitation has been extended the
delegates by the director OF the census 10
visit his department and examine It's opera
tions. Provision will be made for an ex-
PLANTATION Of the work Of the census and a
fine opportunity afforded to inspect the in
teresting processes Of census tabulation.
The members Of the association have also