The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-15
TIE WORLD POLICY OF. MIGHT
AND RIGHT.

"
To THE EpIToR OF THE SUN-Sir' TO the
March number OF the Nineteenth century
Lord Avebury contributed a paper entitieo
"The Future Of Europe" which as a plea ioF
universal peace, for the furtheranoe Vi ~
spirit Of international brotherhood lanS
little short Of being an inspired utteranco.
An appeal to the loftlest Ideals. the higneSV
aspirations, we recall nothing more impress,
I've since Tolstoi's powerful arra'gnment ol
the spirit Of conflict. which was orighaly
printed in the London Times during the Russo
Japanese war. and which has since oeeh TO-
published In many countries.
A paper Of such marked distinction as
Lord Avebury's could not go unchalehseu.
especially In view OF the fact that IN ureme
the disarmament of Europe he failed 10 TAKE
into consideration one element OF human
nature which twenty centuries OF onrlstlan
teaching has failed to eradicate-the elemeht
Of selfshness, the overmasterlng desire LOT
acquisition Of power and wealth. the eartn
hun ger" for greater possessions, territoriat
or other, which Is so deeply Implanted ~
individuals, tribes. nations, races. hInsen
O firm believer in the theory OF universal iree
trade, consequently a conscientious ahtas-
opist OF the principle OF Industrial protection
on the part Of any Power, Lord Avebury stin
looks forward to the day when all Govern
ments will do away with customs parriers'
and forgetting. apparently. that to the OVER
whelminR majority OF human beings lne ID
q struggle for very subsistence ne urges
further, the abandonment OF means LOT mlii-
tary protection and aggression; the suosti-
tuition Of international arbitration Tor war; III
short, the beginning OF a millennium.
That Lord Avebury's suggestion ID the
dream OF an idealist-a dream whioh all sooo
men profoundly hope may some day come
true-but that 1t Is the reverse OF a statesman
like proposition, applicable to worldly anairs
from the dawn of human history down 10
the present time. is the unqualified opinion
NJ Mr.. !. Ellis Barker. who In the April num-
Der Of the Nineteenth Century replies to Lore
Ayebury in a vigorous statement OF actual
conditions and draws deductions thereirom
which may well give England's peace party
good reason to pause and ponder, Brleny'
Mr.. Barker tells what has happened overseas
since England. about sixty years ago, tnfe"
down her customs walls and invited oil the
world to help itself freely to the fruit In her
garden which the industry OF centuries mao
made the object Of universal envy. Inc
result of this brilliant idea. Mr.. Barker AYERS
ia that free trade has depopulated the coun-
try districts and ruined English agriculture,
and that 1t has driven 100000 British work.
ers and thousands Of millions Of British cap
Ital out Of Great Britain into protectionist
countries. Consequently all protectionist
countries are enthusiastic supporters Oh
free trade-ln Great Britain
The reverse of this picture is shown In
Germany's experience under the general
policy Of protection. industrial as we'll as
military. While Great Britain adds every
year only 400, 900 people. mostly paupers
and unemployed" to her population. Ger
many adds TO hers nearly 100000 prosperous
workers. England ships away her surplus"
population like so much surplus STOCK or
refuse, but Germany strives either to keep
her population at home or to send 1t to Ger"
man colonies in a temperate zone. Two
centuries age the Hohenzollerns ruled over
no more than 1000, 900 people. Berlin was a
town Of 10000 inhabitants and Prussia ocou-
pied a position in the world not dissimilar to
that held at present by Servia or Rumania.
Under a policy Of protection-national sell
protection, be it noted-the German Emperor
to-day rules over &C. 0O0.o 900 people and
Prusso-Germany has become the foremost
Power on the continent. Excepting for our
own experience here in the United States.
this marvellous growth from insignihcance
to greatness Ia unprecedented in the history
of nations. How has II been Accomplishment
Mr.. Barker declares that the cause may be
summed up In a single word. Mdchtpolfik.
which In English means the policy OF
force" BY fostering all her industries.
including agriculture. Germany thus far has
not had to complain OF overpopulation. but
II her energy. fruitfulness. prosperity con-
tlnue the day must come when she will
resort to emigration. And In what direction
will she have an outlet? With the exception
Of a scattered handful belonging to other
nations Great Britain has practically all the
colonies In the world. while has
none"
Mr.. Barker realizes, Of course. that the
United States will never permit Germany to
establish colonies In the Western Hemisphere:
Germany would have to conquer all the other
continental Powers before she could secure
for herself as many colonies as she could
obtain by a single victorious war with Great
Britain: she Is constantly and cons silently
increasing her military and naval strength.
the increase being practically useless under
present world conditions. What Is all this
leading tor The writer In the Nineteenth
Century thinks 1t Will lead inevitably to war
with Britain. He can see no other pos
sible reason for the enormous German feet,
which is not needed to defend the coasts of
Germany, because their conlguration and
constantly shifting sands render them I'M
approachable by large ships-practlcally self
protective. Besides. there are no important
towns on those unapproachsble coasts. and
the great seaports. Hamburg, Bremen and
the like, still lie far Inland on rivers. Great
Britain. France and many other countries
have so much to protect that they are able
TO strike with only a part Of their naval forces.
On the other hand. Germany has practically
nothing to proteot-her merchant ships
would have to look after themselves in time
OF war, as her leading naval men have not
hesitated to declare: and the opinion Is de-
duced that the German feet has been created
solely for attack. And against which Power
is the German fleet likely to be used2 Not
against France. which has an open frontier
toward Germany: nor need Germany fear
the Russian feet. Therefore. Mr.. Barker
declares, unless the great German fleet Il
meant to be used against the United States
1T can have only one conceivable antagonist
Great Britain" As an example Of the
growth Of the German feet he cites that while
England has lately f1oated the Dreadnought
tho largest and most powerful battleshir
afoat-yet Germany In a few years will,
have about twenty battleshlps. each larger
and more heavily armed than the Dread
nought and each costing almost SIC, ooo, 900.
He takes 1t for granted that such preparations
for war. with the expense attached, are not
made as a pastlme. but for serious work. II
may be remarked by those In favor Of free
trade that mllitarism is an inevitable accom-.
paniment Of a high protective tariff, and this
in spite Of the history Of the United States
but Mr.. Barker seems to think that because
she abolished customs duties England's In.
dustrles have been crippled and her prosperity