Evening star., 1901-11-09
AUSTRIA'S FEAR.
The Peril of American Competition
Discussed ut Vienna.

Vienna Correspondence London Times.
An important meeting has been held
| in Vienna under the joint auspices
| of the authorized representatives OF
industry and agriculture. to consider
| the most effective means of averting
| the danger of American competition in all
branches of production letter was read
from the prime minister, DR.. Won Korber.
| expressing the deep interest which he felt
in the proceedings. Not only the Austrian
but the common ministry were represented
Z by leading technical officials.
1t is impossible to conceive more striking
| evidence of the Importance attached in this
| country to what is described as the Ameri-
can peril than the universal attention
| which it attracts at a moment like the
| present In the very midst of the growing
| economic differences between the dual mon
| archy and it's German and Italian allies, the
| discussion of the best means of defense
| against American competition is capable of
| driving all other questions into the back
ground. This is not due to any novelty In
| the subject, as both the text and the moral
| of the discussions on the platform and in
| the press are old. 1t is the result of a
widespread and deepening apprehension.
combined with a resolve to adopt such
| measures of defense promise any chance
| of success. The consciousness of a COM
mon impending peril has done much to pro-
| mote combination between the industrial
desire for joint action by the European
states.
At the meeting the refrain of all the
speeches was the urgent necessity of an
effective barrier against the inundation of
American goods and the recognition that
this could only be erected by the joint ef-
forts of industry and agriculture. DR..
PeeZ, an influential representative of the
industrial interest, attributed the present
agrarian movement in favor of high pro-
tectionist tariffs exclusively to the Ameri-
can competition, which had ousted conti-
nental agriculture from the English mar
ket. He foresaw a similar development in
the industrial sphere, in which American
production had made enormous progress.
It was obvious to him that the United
States was aiming at universal economic
supremacy. Turning to the measures of
defense, DIR. PeeZ considered that for Aus
tria-Hungary in particular the main object
was in all circumstances to secure the home
market for native industry and agriculture,
while maintaining as far as possible the
openings for export trade.
Other well-known speakers dwelt upon
various aspects Of the formidable poss-
bilities OF American competition, political
as well as economic, indicated by the ac-
QUESTION Of new international steamship
lines and the growth of agricultural and in
duStrlal production in the United States.
Count Buquoy eargued that the problem
should be considered under these different
aspects, as the United States was a great
power-first, a center of produRtion; |
and, thirdly, on account of the bruteforce |
at its disposal A survey of the ma pula- !
tion Of its trusts and its corners ingram, |
ETC., revealed "a series of crimeS&Svhich |
were associated with an unparalleled ruth |
lessness in the conduct of business |
A resolution which unanimously !
adopted contained the following recommen- /
dations: ID That there should be a COM |
plete revision Of the Austro-Hungarian Gus
toms tariff on the lines laid down by Ger
many in order to afford equal effective |
and permanent protection to industry and |
agriculture. (2) That a reciprocity ar
rangement should be substituted for the
general application of the most-favored- /
nation clause in future commercial treaties
90 That while treaties for longer periods
may be concluded with other countries
when they afford adequate protection to
native production and export trade those
with the United States and the Argentine
confederation should only be for short
terms. 4) That the central European states
should enter into agreement for mutual
protection against tranSoceanic competition.
The Pan-American congress in Mexico
would also appear to excite the apprehen-
sion and jealousy of this country, to Judge
by some leading articles on the subject in
this mornings papers. The semi-oficaI
Fremdenblatt is of opinion that Europe |
and particularly Austria-Hungary have a |
interest in the development of af-
fairs on the American continent Although
the political effects of an increase Of the
power of the United States would probably |