The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-26
THE EXCELLENT DR.. DERk
BURG.
An American Doctor Magister Exam
Ines Some Of His Utterances.

ines Some Of His Utterances.
To THE EDITOR or THE suN--sr. In
a letter OF mine which you published
last October I called attention OF pro-
fessors and teachers OF logic TO the
veritable thesaurus OF failacies, sophis-
tries, Inaccuracies. &C. contained In the
utterances OF DR.. Dernburg put forth
10 mislead the American public up to
that time, Everything that he has
written since has confirmed the sound
ness Of that advice. His last letter.
which is 90 generally regarded As the
first step Of Germany in SUING for
peace, finely illustrates my contention
In almost every paragraph. You made
brief quotation with delightful corn-
ment on some Of his "taffy" In Mon
days issue. Permit me to comment
on one or two paragraphs, for . thor
ough analysis Of his spcctousness would
require several columns. Is not his al
fusion TO tho modesty Of Germany sim
ply side splitting, AFTER all We have
heard the last year from German
Apolosists and professional
I shall largely limit myself TO his re-
marks about colonies. although his rs-
marks about tho rapacity and brutality
Of England, the seifshness and immo-
rality OF France and the commercial re-
lations OF Germany and Belgium are
very tempting to any ono who likes TO
puncture a windbas. His last sentence
about my respect for the people I ad-
dress is peculiarly nauseatins. inas-
muoh as In this and In all his other
writings he seems to think that he can
successfully insult the intelligence of
the American people.
DR. Dernburg's unlimited assurance and
incapacity for accurate statement are
finely illustrated In this passage about
the open door, policy: This means
that while every nation must have tho
right for commercial and fiscal pur-
poses TO impose whatever duties II
thinks At, those duties must be equal for
all exports and imports for whatever
destination or from whatever source. II
would be tantamount to a world empire
In fact II a country owning a large part
OF ne globe could make discriminating
duties between the motherland and do
minions OF colonies as against other ma
tons. This has been OF late tho Brit
fish practice German colonies have al
ways been open to every conner, includ-
ing the motherland, on equal terms"
He means here that In Rhe future Ger
many must not be required to pay on
goods exported to Porto Rico. Hawaii,
the Philippines, any higher rates OF duty
than the United States exporter would
have to pay for goods exported 10 those
countries. His gall In this matter is
something sublime. and the proposition
is thoroughly characteristic OF the
grasping selnshness OF many Prussian-
tied Germans in their commercial rela-
tons, Of whom Or. Dernburg is such a
notable type. BY his mighty decree he
would abolish the possibility of any sort
OF reciprocity treaty between this coun-
try and any other In either continent, as
well as free trade between the United
States and its colonies.
The last two sentences OF tho quota
| ton are permeatcd with falsehood
! Great Britain has never made any dis
| eliminating duties against any nation
in the last fifty years that ! know of
| During that period the brewer in Eng.
/ land has had TO pay Just the same tax
on his beer as the German brewer In
/ Munich has had to pay when he ex.
/ ported his beer into England. But Ger.
/ pro-ate In that fashion. She grabs n,
much as she can and gives as little a.
she can. Canada does impose discrimi.
mating duties In favor OF the mother
country. hut II has been entirely of Rel
own volition, and the English Parlia.
ment has not yet shown any preference
for her colonies. The Canadian farmer
sells his wheat in Liverpool In oper
and free competition with the German
ftV,lra . hA
as this former Colonial Minister o!
Germany does not tell the truth ahou
England, so he tells falsehood abou
+ Germany. in order 10 throw dust in The
/ eyes OF the American people. II is q
| well known fact that Germany has
/ tried to monopolize as much AS possib!,
the trade with her colonies by dis
eliminating tariffs and by other un
scrupulous devices. such 49, she ha.
used In the last ten or twenty years
10 exclude American and English trad,
ftom European and Asiauc Turkey.
shall quote in proof of this passag,
from the able review OF the latest bool
on this subject, Schwsbes nj.
Deutsrhe Kolorien." published in tn,
sunday SuS last fall This is the pas
sage: The balance OF trade has en-
tered into tho development OF the Ger
man colonies. matter of particular
] moment, wnere Government makes
practice of fostering industry. Not al
foreign markets favor the wares mad
In Germany, yet markets must he fuun,
for the ever increasing product OF Ger
man Industrial efficiency. The colon,
can be counted upon 10 derive It's sup
plies from the metropolis, for 1t Is in
conceivable that in any German sys
tenn of imperial government the Colonle
could erect against the mother country
the protective tariff barrier which man,
/ British colonies have set against IN
mother country, or could enact seclu
sion laws barring the people of one sec
/ ton OF tho empire from another stint
larly Germany as great consumer o
raw material has given thought 4
the drain OF money in settling the ma
terial bills in foreign land which doe
not take the German manufacture
product in sufti' volume to halanc
the outstanding account. Here agai
the colony has distinct advantage, !
supplies the raw material. IL consumes
the goods made at home, and witt
German line Of transportation Tn
whole transaction is distinctly nationa
all ends and the middle are kept In tn
family, and the balance in eXchang
shows no German loss"
The Chatham Street" flavor OF thi
proposal of Or. Dernburg will be clea
10 any student of economics or h!stor,
who will carefully analyzs II, on Au
gust |, 1914 In Germany's colon ..
covering million square miles, thel