Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-09-05
AN ENTHUSIASTIC RALLY is HELD
BY REPUBLICANS FRIDAYNICHT
WTHC0v. GUILD and REV. MATHEWS

is InlS wise!
Should you encourage it by your votese
1t is lamentable that such an attitude
should be taken by any American. 1t is
inhuman. 1t is even short-sighted. APP
peals to strike a rival when he is down
and cannot defend himself are not con-
snant with American notions of fair play
or even of good manners. Exultation
over the misfortunes of friendly nations
and violent appeals to deprive them of
their markets at time when they are
too busy to fight us for them are not
merely indecent but worse than folly.
1t is a melancholy trait of the Amer
lean character that his foresight is
usually only for tomorrow. Too fire.
quently he forgets day after tomor-
row.
This is to be a short war. Few Of
the pessimists set further bounds for
it than year. During that year the
demand for American goods of course
will be temporarily stimulated, but
only temporarily. Where are the i'm
poverished nations of Europe to find
the money to pay for permanently in
creased exports of American goods
War means temporarily a feverish
prosperity to a few people and for
short time. Ultimately it means a loss
for all the world,
Previous to our own Civil War the
South was a splendid customer. The
great commission houses for New
England mills moved their headquar-
tiers from Boston to New York, and
some of them established headquar-
tiers even in Philadelphia to secure
this Southern trade. During the war
the South of course was a huge buyer
of goods especially from England and
the neutral powers of blockade run
ners made fortunes. After the war not
only did that stimulus disappear but
the South was found to have gone far
backwards as d customer for Euro
pean or American goods. Her pathetic
homes no longer needed the rich tex
tiles of Europe nor the humber pro-
ducts of New England mills. The pur-
chasing power of those states was re-
duced to the minimum, and only now,
after the passage of half century
has that stricken section with won
derful energy dragged itself from pow
erty to prosperity.
The Thirty Years War in Germany
though it took place 300 years ago,
has left traces still visible, for ex-
ample, in Augsburg, once the CONNER
cial metropolis of Central Europe, now
merely a beautiful town, living in the
past and with the grass literally grow
ing in its streets.
When this terrible clash of nations
is over, how will Europe with peace
restored regard the nation that shrieks
with delight over such contest, and
uses the opportunity to stab in the
back the commercial prosperity of
those who are unable to defend them
selves, since warfare holds arms and
face against the foe in front.
England's action in booming her bus
mess at the expense of the loyal North
and proionging our conflict created a
flood of hate and bitter rivalry in
America that subsidized only after Eng
lands changed and friendly attitude
in the Spanish War.
Do we want the hate of Europe?
There are such things as boycotts.
We have just overcome in Europe the
prejudice against American goods.
heT markets of Europe are more
important than those of any other part
CT the world. The markets of Russia,
alone, as the statistics of population
show, are of more Importance to US
than those of all of both Americas
south Of the Rio Grande.
Russia alone has a population of
over 100, 900, 900. The 20 nations between
here and Cape Horn have together less
than 100000 and most of these having
few needs individually purchase little.
People who live in the open do not buy
builders hardware. Snowless countries
are poor markets for overshoes.
To take another test. Argentina is
cur best customer in South America,
Brazil coming second. England buys
from us more than 10 times as much
as Argentina, Germany eight times as
much as Brazil. To secure the desira-
bic custom of retail buyers is it neces-
sary 20 insult those who buy by whole
gale?
No blame can come to us from any
foreign nation if we supply in time of
war the trade that once was theirs,
but the manner in which we do it may
lead to later complications of the most
lasting injury alike in our commercial
relations and in our diplomacy. The
nations of Europe expect loss as a
necessity of war, because on the bat
tlefield they must lose the men who
have created their industry. Will they
ever be friends again, however, with
neutral nation that Selling the vine-
yards of their bleeding brothers openly
rejoiced to see them die?