The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-21

would have a bounty fed gram export
forced on her In order to kill the i'm
port certificates, the Russian govern
ment has laid a biz before the Duma
which imposes a heavy duty on grain,
and a second bill imposing a duty on
grain imported to Finland. The Duma
majority favors both bills Russia is
bound by a treaty OF 1904 not to en-
force the Finnish duty for two years. but
she says she will enforce both Finnish
and Russian duty at once This will be-
gin the tariff war Germany's grain ex-
port faced by a heavy duty on the Rus
sian frontier, must come to a full stop.
The immediate losers will be the Prus-
sian landlords who as the grain pro-
ducers, draw in import certificates
bounties of $35, 100000 year from the
imperial treasury. Their one way of re-
coupling themselves is to increase the
duty on Russian grain. Russia's ag-
gressive move, therefore, makes it i'm
possible for the German government to
adhere to its intention to keep to the
present commercial treaties.
For fighting a general tariff war Ger
many is worse off than Russia and Aus
tria. The Russian Duma in economical
matters is entirely subservient to the
government; and the Austrian and Hun
garian parliaments are thirsting for a
tariff fight. The Reichstag is doubtful
OF the 1877 members, about 20O including
the conservatives and center, would sup
port higher duties; and about $50, count
ing socialists and peoples party, stand
for low duties or not duties at ALL Be-
tween these groups stand A national lib
erals who are the deciding force. BY
voting against the conservatives and
center they could defeat the attempt to
raise tariffs and to fight tariff war.
The national liberals are protested pro-
tectionists, but their leader, Herr Basser-
mann, declared himself emphatically
against raising the food duties.
The party. however, wobbles; and it
contains two factions. AS champion Of
the 'Schwerindustrie"t great coal
and iron producers-it tends towards high
duties The ''Schwerindustrfe' wants
more and more protection for its prod
ucts, and in the past it has attained this
by making pact with the agrarians
on the basas: we back your demand for
higher food duties if you back our de-
mand for higher iron duties. Herr Bas-
sermann's party, if 1t is to be faithful to
its "Schwerindustrie" friends, must also
support the agrarian food tariff party
and in the end it will probably stand for
a higher tariff all round. That would
give the high tariff coalition $50 Reich
stag members; and make it impossible
for the imperial government to maintain
the present commercial treaties.
Even If government and Reichstag do
agree to maintain the treaties. Russia
and Austria-Hunga will not let them.
Russa's industrial and financial circles
are in confident mood. They proclaim
it to be their policy to break Germany's
economic domination. M. Gre:zcSS. pres
ident of the Central Russian Manufactu-
rer's union, says: TN the tariff war
which Is coming, and which will be the
greatest in history. Russia will annihi-
late Germany. She has got behind her
the economic and financial resources of
France and Great Britain. BY closing
her frontier she will in three months
bring Germany to her knees" The weak
side of this calculation is that Russia
must sell her grain abroad in order to
gay the interest on her $4,000 0OO.000 debt;
and that Germany is her biggest GUS
toner This fact makes Germany's high
protectionists as confident as are Rus
sia's. An equally confident mood OBJ
tains on both sides in the Austro-German
tariff war Thus, each armed with child
like faith in overwhelming victory, Eu-
ropes three most populous empires are
preparing for an Armageddon Of tariffs.