New-York tribune., 1911-04-02
Anglo-American Memories
CXIII.
YuE STORY eEFELL RITsH THE NEW
HOUSE.
Copyright. 1911. George ". smailey.)

a British Ambassador had been held
become public? There are reporters in
New York, and some Of them are about
the docks when a big ship arrives with
passengers. The treatment of Lord
Pauncefote could not have been kept long
secret. The evening papers would
have had, and might even have en-
broidered. the facts. The story would
have gone to London by cable. and when
the Britich Secretary Of State for For
cign Affairs had read 1t next morning.
is it likely he would have sat still under
such a provocation? More than that-if
the hold-up had lasted much longer Lord
Pauncefote would have had no choice
but to report the fact himself to his chief
in London-wc should have had an In
ternational incident on our hands. There
is no point on which European foreign
offices are more precise than on points
OF diplomatic privilege. and since an am
bassador Is abe personal representative
of his sovereign an affront to sovereign
cannot be passed over. We should nave
apologized and done other things to put
ourselves right. But is tnat agreeao'e
to American pride?
And will ask whether 1t Is agreeapie
to American pride that Europe snou'u
regard the New York Custom House as
a refuge of barbarism? Wrongly. no
doubt: but they would have so regarued
it: and am not sure they do not no"
so regard 1t. Wrongly, OF course, L say
again. but whether rightly or wrongly
! matters less than might be supposed
from an International point of view.
When Mr.. Loeb began tightening the
screw the European papers were flleo
day after day with accounts Of searches,
Of ladies' cabins invaded while still oc-
cupied of ladies, innocent and guilty.
stripped and searched: of spies in Paris
in London and on outward bound ships;
of arrests on suspicion Of heavy fines
and conflscation Of property even III
doubtful cases and at last of the i'm
prisoning Of women. The accounts may
have been exaggerated, but they were
published all over Europe, read all over
Europe and believed all over Europe.
l assume that Mr.. Loeb was only
doing his duty as Collector as he saw 1t.
and executing the law as he understood
! it, But that only carries us back one
step further-to Mr. Dingley and his 500
! limit TO the personal acquisitions which
traveller may bring home free of duty,
and TO other provisions Of other statutes
which weigh heavily upon the honest
and the dishonest alike. European
opinion does not and cannot discrimi-
! nate. 1t judges by generalities. The
European does not even commonly know
that he is exempt from the harsher rules
to which the American is subject. Why
| should he suppose that an American law
favors foreigners. as it does. at the ex-
pense Of Americans? He looks upon the
New York Custom House as a barrier to
nation.
1t is no question OF free trade. | am
not writing as a free trader but as a
protectionist. ] was born q protectionist.
a Massachusetts Whig protectionist
which was the best kind ever known I
| have been a protectionist ever since I
! am protectionist now. of the Taft
variety. which / take to be the Massa-
chusetts Whig kind adapted to present
| circumstances. And it is because am
/ protectionist that dislike to see tariff
laws so framed and administered as to
bring reproach both upon protection and
upon the country. Protection Is wounded
in the house OF its friends and by its
| friends. That 1t is discredited by these
| proceedings is beyond dispute. needlessly
dscrediteG and a good cause has suf-
fered. and is suffering still. from the
mistaken policy Of its supporters To
avoid misunderstanding, / add that
have no personal grievance. The GUS
toms officers l have had TO deal with
have done their duty. but in an cbliging
way.
But IS il or is II not true that public
opinion is on the side Of the smugsler
when excessive duties are imposed?
knew banker in New York. now dead
he was president of an important bank
and a protectionist-Who did not scruple
TO say:
MY wife and daughters go every year
TO Europe and buy what they want in
Paris or London. When they return l
meet them. used to look on while GUS
toms officers, with dirty hands. rum
mayed among silks and laces or turned
them out on dock dirtier still Pres
emily found there was a way to avoid
that. And do you suppose | should suf-
fer these perquisitons and injuries
when | could stop them by paying 800
or $500? ] bribed the officers. and con-
| tinue to bribe them"
A perfectly indefensible attitude. but
the point is not that such man was
right or wrong. but that he deliberately
chose to do an indefensibis thing rather
than submit to what he thought an op-
preston and a legal extortion. That Is
side of human nature OF which law
makers and even law agents in high
| places will have to take notice. An unin-
structed public opinion looks upon SNUG
CLING anywhere and in times both past
and present, as n venial offence To in
struct Il otherwise Is a very considerable
undertaking. And To persuade Europe
to approve our proceedings in New York
will be found not less difficult task.
eo,en rAD 1oeo NNi n nNiIAo