The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-11
Free Trade in England.

III z tlAS tEl 4LSiNt AAtcla4AAS-A FA AA-t
merce, in England. was a rather sug-
gesTive utterance- Making due allow
ance for his position as a guest and q
natural desire on his part to say pleas
ar things To his entertainers. we must
at the same time assume that in the
main ne fully meant what he said. If
so. it would appear that Afr. Porter's
views upon the tariff mustahave under
gone some modification
This gentleman has for many years
been one of the apostles of extreme pro-
lection Probably no man has done
more than he to build up and strength
en- the protective sentiment in this
country. He has travelled extensively
abroad. studying industrial conditions,
and his reports have invariably painted
( the results of free trade in the gloomiest
/ coIors II that policy which has so
/ long prevailed in England has a single
redeeming feature. or means anything
less than ruin to the country adopting
it. the fact would never be suspected
from Mr.. Porter's discussions of the
tariff in this country. Some Of his pen
pictures Of the conditions existing in
parts Of England as a result of free
trade were particularly distressing.
Now he is quoted as saying that Eng
lands long established policy Of free
trade, while it had perhaps injured
home industry, had strengthened her
foreign trade, and entitled her to
first consideration abroad.
We may be sure that neither Mr.. Por-
I ter nor any other Republican Of prom
inence would make such a statement
as that in the United States during q
political campaign It viii be observed
/ that he does not intimate that free
/ trade has ruined the home industries OF
/ England He merely INDUCES the mild
suggestion that perhaps it has
s injured her home industry but he
! couples 1t with the direct statement
that it had given her unquestioned
I commercial supremacy. This Is in the
! highest degree significant in its bearing
upon general conditions in England.
out and out free trade in this country
/ is scarcely a remote possibility Com
parativaly few people favor it, and
what we now say is not in advocacy of
such a policy. We are dealing simply
with Mr.. Porter's statement as to the
effect Of free trade in England We
now find him admitting that it has
strengthened her foreign trade and en-
titles her unquestionabIy to first con
sideration abroad. How does that com
pare with the oft-repeated declaration
that free trade has brought wholesale
misery to the homes Of EngIand's toll
ers and made the land one Of palaces,
novels, and poorhouses?
In order to determine whether a coun-
/ try IS prosperous or not, we must con
siGer all the conditions which exist.
/ Surely it would be Illogical and narrow
/ to look merely at the interior Of some
/ little hand smithy where nails are
made and shut our eyes to a tTemen-
dous foreign commerce which has given
a country first consideration abroad -
It may very well be under Mr.. Porter
! statement that upon the whole Eng
( lands policy has been the very best
/ she could have adopted. Certain is II
] that, considering the small size Of the
/ country, its progress and present stand
I ing among Nations is nothing short Of
marvellous.
Il is not to be expected that under
any policy England can permanently
| keep abreast of the American Republic.
which in extent is equal TO the whole
Of Europe, and in natural resources
probably greater. But even as IL IS, the
United Kingdom stands next to the
United States in wealth and manufac-
lures. and at the head Of the worlds
great nations in the matter Of foreign
commerce Surely this is not q bad
showing for a country the total area
Of which is only about two and half
times that Of New York It looks very
much as if the devotees Of a virtually
prohibitive tariff viii hereafter be
obliged to 90 elsewhere than TO England
in their search for horrible examples
Of the effects of free trade
It is worthy Of note that speaking with
reference to the stimulation Of British
trade in China, Lord CradbUrue Under
Secretary fer Foreign Affairs, gives no
suggestion Of direct Government aid in
the way Of subsidies. He says that En-
gland must rely upon the enterprise and
El--LSE VI lAt-E lIdQEFS. promising Simply
that the Government viii do all in its
power to secure them a fair opportunity
50 far as the fiscal policy Of the country
viii perTait. This Is little obscure, but
it seems TO rather negative the idea Of
financial aid Probably the British Gov
eminent thinks that with war expenses
staggering the country. this is not q good
time 10 talk about subsidies.
Il is said that the conservative members
OF the Cuban Constitutional Convention
are confident Of sufficient gains 10 max.
the adoption Of the Plat amendment a
certainty. It Is 10 be hoped that their
confidence IS vel founded. and that such
action VIII speedily be taken The indi-
cations are that the opposition IS simply
playing for political effect with the popu-
lace Something may possibly be gained
by ambitious individuals IL this way. but
nothing can come ont Of If that VIII be to
the advantage OF the Cuban people as a
whole The convention should deal with
the question in a practical. common
sense way-nOt in a spirit Of demagogy.
which never yet benefited an country or
any. people
4 Gigantic Problem.
(Fron the It. Louis Globe-Democrat.)