The Hartford republican., 1915-10-01

lars shall have been exhausted II
will probably be necessary TO create
another credit fund Of equal size
This is how the moneyed men of
the United States are planning to
guard against the financial cataclysm
threatened by war expenditures in
Europe amounting to hundred
million dollars a day. Being now
practically the only solvent nation on
earth, the United States seems about
to undertake the financing of Europe
to an extent never before known in
our country. The billions of idle
/ money in American banks, idle chief
ly because industrial expansion and
practically all other form of produc-
tive enterprises have been checked
through the effects of Free-Trade
Tariff, are to be drawn out to help
the countries that are engaged in
butchering each other. OF course,
American bankers are going to get
substantial profits out of the deal.
Otherwise there would be no deal.
But what are American labor and
industry going to get out of it in the
long run? Are the bankers who sup
ply a billion dollars of American
money for the relief of European
countries giving any thought to this
domestic feature of the case? Are
they planning also to come to the
help of the American workmen and
American mills and factories against
the time of need that will surely
come when all Europe will be dump
ing its immense surplus of industrial
products upon the only available mar
ket in the world? Do our money
princes look far enough to see what
is going to happen to the labor, the
industry and the general business
of our country under a Free-Trade
Tariff that invites Europe to make
the American market its dumping
ground? Have they forgotten that
in the first ten months of that Free
Trade Tariff, when all the world was
at peace, three million American
wage earners had lost their jobs?
Do they ever think of the conditions
that will prevail when. through the
dumping facilities provid-
ed by the Underwood Free-Trade
Tariff, the return of peace shall
have set the wheels of European in
lustry once more in full motion,
and he dumping process shall have
stopped the wheels of American in
lustry? When that occurs, the num-
Der of unemployed Americans will
)e nearer six millions than three mil
ions. involving the daily bread of
hirty millions of men, women and
children.
1t would seem that our high f.
lanciers ought to be thinking of
hese things while arranging the
credit for the benefit
If war-distracted Europe. If they
ould for a little time turn their at
ention toward the vital needs of
labor, industry and busi-
less their influence might do much
Oward bringing about the quickest
ossible change in a Tariff system
hat threatens far greater disaster to
be whole country than any which |
ould possibly come from the present
condition of foreign ex- l
hange. The future condition of do
lestic exchange had best be consid-
red. Our domestic trade is thirty
We times greater in volume than t
ur foreign trade. The high finan-
ers ought not to overlook this fact.
Next year there is to be an cleo /
on which will determine whether S
e shall have a return of American
through the return of the a
merican policy of protection, or
neither another Free Trade Presi- b
ent and Congress and a prolonga- t
on of Free-Trade stagnation and b
lin shall continue to curse the coun- '
y for another four years. That is i
which American high fl
lnciers would do we'll to be think
6 about right now. 1t is in general c
ope and consequences far more {
lportant matter than a billion-dol- d
r loan for the benefit of Europe. n
a