The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-24
Senator Hale's Warming.

There is some truth, no doubt, in Sen
ator HALE's statement that German
manufacturers are engaged in a syste-
matte attack upon the manufactures Of
the United States, by which Mr.. HALE
means that the Germans are trying
to undersell US in the home market.
That is their right, Is it il right
to compete in Germany with the local
manufacturers. This amazing Gov
eminent Of Germany Mr.. HALE ex-
claims, means to predominant not
only in a military and a sentimental
way. but also in the commercial way
and he declares that the Germans re-
gard the United States as the promising
field for the operations of their cam
paign. And quite naturally, seeing that
this is the richest and most wasteful
country in the world. 1t requires no
great acumen to select the United
States as the land to exploit. 1t is a
question Of cost Of manufacture, freight
and tariff rates.
From a poor agricultural country
sixty years ago Germany has risen to
be q great industrial and shipping
country, a powerful rival OF free trade
England and protectionist United States.
Free trade is the weapon Of the strong
est, said BISMARCK. Germany. recog-
nizing her inability to compete with
England, even in the home market,
decided to protect her manufacturers
by q high tariff and command the market
which England had invaded and domi.
mated. Her inspiration came from
FRIEDRICH LIST. a political economist
and ardent proteotionist, whose work
THE National System of Political
Economy is still a standard in Ger
many, although LIST. discouraged by
his failure to interest the Government
in his plans, committed suicide in ls4e.
In the day when England had no indus
trial rival and bestrode the, world like
a Colossus FRIEDRICH LIST wrote:
How comes 1t that In these days one million
Of English operatives can perform the WORK OF
hundreds OF millions! 1t comes from the great
urlbtHa " BSoib WhiNu ny Xxi
wise and energetic policy ENGLAND has created
In foreign lands, and especially In her colonies;
from the ~ise and owerful protectlsa extended
10 her home Industries; from the great rewards
which by means Of her patent laws she has offered
to every usw discovery; and from the sxtraor.
binary facility for inland transport Afforded BY her
public rosda. canals and rsilwaya"
LIST urged his countrymen to develop
their protective system, declaring that
the existence, independence and the
future OF Germany's nationality de-
pended upon it, That is precisely
what Germany has done. Unity and a
wise pa%ternal Government suited to
the needs Of peoples welded together by
statecraft combined with the protective
system to place Germany in the front
rank. OF industrial nations. England
abandoned protection for free trade
and has been growing weaker as Ger
many waaed strong and prosperous.
Mr.. O. ELTzBAcHER in Modern Ger.
many usoS) observes:
"Germany's progress under protection ha, been
steady, continuous and rapid. Between is,o and
1000 her production Of iron has rt,eh sixty fold.
her consum p,ion Of cotton twenty fold. and her
awnings bank dspo,I,, sixty told"
German wages have risen four fold
in many trades In lss1-9S German
investments abroad were officially esti.
mated al FL 900. 900 900. In 1850 Ger
many was a debtor country. II was
her hourishing condition long before he
died that moved BtsMARcK to say that
free trnde 20 4 most excellent thing
j. "rm''y, Atthe time