New-York tribune., 1903-06-02
AEGL0-4MERICAN TRADE,

If Mr.. Chamberlain's tariff plans shall be
adopted by the British Government-but that Is
n large and important 'if'-Americon interest
of q nra acticaI nature will be chiefly centred III
their effect UPON American trade with the
Tinted Kingdom. If-again large and I'M
rortant "f''-their effect shall prove detrimental
To our trade il does not appear that we snail
have any logical ground for complaint SEEING
for one thing that we are now and nave long
been selling to the United klngdom lhree Vi
four times as much as we purchase rom IT,
and. for another, that in levying tarlf upon
our merchandise the United Kingdom Will De
doing to US nothing more than we nave peen
doing to it for many years. America Is surely
able TO take IFS own medicine without making
wry face.
It is not at all sure that we should De lncon-
solable if we should lose some OF our BRUSH
trade. True that trade is the largest ana most
profitable we have But then, it is a declining
trade while our trade with other countries IS
increasing 1t is declining at least relatively IN
both directions Thus our sales to the United
Kingdom in 1856 were nearly S345O0oO0o O.
81 70 per cent of our total exports while IN 19UI
they were lit more than S631 900, 600. or only
~ 42 per cent of the whole While their actual
amount increased therefore, their proporuonate
amount considera bly, decreased. AS. for our
imports from the United Kingdom, they de-
creased both actually and relatively, belng
S154 900, or 24.2S per cent III 1886 ana
opIv S143 $50 000 or 17.42 per cent IN l9ol
Naturally, the markets we2should most look to
and most cultivate are those which give the
best promise Of future increase.
Let us make still more significant compari-
son. Our exports to the United Kingdom were
S472, ,e64, ,565 in 1892 and 1923. ,397 in 1902
an increase of only 8 little more than IL per
cent Now. look at our trade at the same time
with other parts Of the empire With Canada, a
protectionist country actually discriminating
against US, it was S39 564 4O7 in 1892 and SILL
1873 O35 in 1902 an increase of more than 1S1 per
cent Our exports to British Australasia chiefly
nrotectionist were S9,072,470 in 1892 and
SOS 1oI 7S4 in 1902 an increase of more than 212
per cent We sent to British Africa IN 1892
goods worth S3, ,224, o52 and in 1902 goods wo-th
S31, $50. .S59, an increase Of more than 500 per
cent While thus our sales to the United King
dom increased less than II per cent, our sales TO
those three chief portions Of the British Empire
outside Of the United Kingdom increased more
than go per cent. Really, it does not seem that
we need greatly fear the placing of the United
Kingdom on the same tariff basis with the rest
of the empire.
Yet once more let US compare our trade with
tectionist countries some OF which have been
more or less unjustiy discriminating against US.
From 1892 to 1902, we have seen, our sales
to the United Kingdom increased less than IL
per cent. In the same period our sales to pro-
tectionist France increased more than Is per
cent Our sales to protectionist and somewhat
anti-American Germany increased more than 76
per cent. Our sales to protectionist and CONNER
calIy anti-American Russia. despite her unjust
tariff determinations against us, Increased more
than 211 per cent. Our sales to Austria Hungary,
strongly protectionist country and one in which
there has been much talk of organization
against sthe American invasion" Increased
more than 407 per cent. Finally. it may be
added that our sales TO China and Japan at the
same time increased respectively 334 and 554
per cent II thus our exports to protectionist
countries are growing so much more rapidly
than to the one great free trade country, why
should we be so much afraid Of the latters also
becoming protectonist?
Mr.. Gladstone used to say that while he
would like TO see America abandon protection
and adopt free trade, because he believed it
would thus be turning from vice to virtue and
from folly to wisdom, he realized that it would
be disastrous to Great Britain for America to
do so, for he believed free trade America would
quickly destroy Great Britain's supremacy in
manufactures and commerce, With certainly
as much discretion, and perhaps with more sin
ceTity, Americans may now say that they would
not regret TO see the United Kingdom adopt
judicious tariff system and abandon the fetch
Of free trade. because, while such a course
would probably greatly benefit the United King
dom. it would probably not injure America in
the least but would rather be to its advantage
We know not which is the most Illogical. to
say that because free trade Great Britain is be-
ing beaten by her protectionist competitors she
should stick to free trade, or to say that while
our exports to protecti0nist Countries are grow
ing far more rapidly than to a free trade coun-
try it would be detrimental to US for that free
trade country to become protectionist or vet
to say that British tariff viii have to be paid
by the British consumer and therefore will be
tax upon the American exporter Yet these
three amazing contentious seem to be the chief
Stock-in-trade of some American critics of Mr.
Chamberlain's scheme and Of American proph-
cts of evil from its consummation