The Washington times., 1915-06-10
THE BRITISH CONSPIRACY"

Prof. Spaeth, of Princeton, having
written a letter to the press, de-
claring that England is "the most
gigantic conspiracy in restraint Of
trade ever organized" Poultney
Bigelow retorts with some facts
that seem constantly to require re-
statement lest they be utterly over
looked by the propagandists of this
curious idea that Britain is engaged
in monopolizing commercial oppor-
tunity. Mr.. Bigelow, who knows
his Germany world and has trotted
over pretty much all the world with
his eyes open, notes that German
business men crowd British colonies
all over the globe, doing German bust
ness there because there they find the
opportunities to do business; that
they don't go to German colonies
because there they don't find like
opportunities. He tells of the
growth of Germany's mercantile
marine, until it became one of the
wonders of the commercial world.
With all this there is more or less
familiarity and. it will not do to let
the facts be forgotten. American
interest lately attracted to South
America has brought us reminder
of the extent of German commercial
con4uests there. In the Far East
and the Near East we know some
thing of what German business has
achieved.
But after all the most telling refu-
tation of the particularly unwar-
ranted charge that England is q
conspiracy in restraint of trade, is
found in the British policy of free
trade. That policy opened to Ger.
many the best foreign market that
Germany ever possessed: the great
domestic market Of the British Isl.
ands. There was from time to time
protest from various sections of the
British business public, against thus
admitting the nation that every
where on earth was engaged in g
highly organized. and efficient cam
paign to oust England from com
mercial supremacy. Chamberlain
expected to win England to a pro
tective tariff system by holding w
the "Made in Germany" menace
British colonies repeatedly mani
tested disaffection that the hom,
country should not grant them NOR,
important preferences, especially a.
against Germany; but Englan,
clung persistently to her ideal o
free trade. She bought the suga
of Saxony when the British suga
producers in the colonies were pro
testing that they, unprotected an,
without government bonuses sucl
as were granted to the German pro
ducers, ought to enjoy first place il
the mother country's market
Whether it was good business O
not, that was the policy to whicl
Britain committed herself, and eve
the pleadings of Chamberlain AM
the protests of some sections o
Manchester would not move her.
Germany was the real conspir
acy in restraint of trade; for Ger
many gave railroad rebates, pai
bounties, made special concession
in sea-going transport charges
placed government support back o
foreign trade combinations O
gigantic power-did all these and
myriad of other things t
strengthen the hand of Germa
business in its struggle to wres
the scepter of world trade fror
England. England submitted t
all, fought back only with tn
weapons Of free competition, fire
trade, and highly developed ind
vidualism; and because she was s
liberal, she was paid by German
with a tariff wall adjusted to tn
particular purpose of restrictin
British opportunity in Germa
markets!
Germany, as matter of fac
has been the worlds great COZ
spiracy in restraint of trade. Th
German conspiracy for trade we
wonderfully like the German cor
spiracy for domination of tn
world through military power.