Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1916-09-26
ENGLAND'S SUDDEN CONVERSION
TO PROTECTION.
(From the Irish World.

iHIOiu lHC lIlSu w WOIlusJ
When England seventy years ago
decided to discard the protective sys-
TENS and adopt free trade, the same
hypocritical pretenses she now puts
forward in connection with the
present European war were adj
vanced. Golden and his followers
posed before the world as champions
of civilization and humanity, using
almost the identical language now
employed by Aisquith, Grey and
Lloyd George and when they de-
nounco the German Huns" Two
generations ago the protective sys-
tenn was attacked by English free
traders not only as an economic fall
lacy but as morally indefensible.
That line of argument should have
put the rest of the world on it's
guard. Your moralizing English
men, like the gift-bearing Greeks,
are never more dangerous than when
they profess that they are actuated
by lofty and altruistic motives in
championing policies, which even
tually line John Bulls Golfers with
gold
1t will be recalled that John
originally undertook the conquest OF
Ireland for the purpose of making
the Irish better Catholics. 1t was
with a similar sanctimonious pre-
tence that Golden and his associates
espoused the cause of free trade,
which, according to them, would pre-
pare the way for the abolition of
wars and for the comforting Of count
less other blessings upon suffering
humanity Back of these professions
was the desire to make England the
workshop OF the world. After CEN
turies of the strictest sort of protec-
ton, which by the way was utilized
to destroy Irish industries, England
had succeeded in building up and or
ganizing her home industries to such
a degree that she felt she could defy
all foreign competition. 1t was then
that she recognized the benefcent
effects OF free trade and asked other
nations to adopt it. Her program
was simplicity itself. She proposed
that other countries send her their
raw material in exchange for which
she would supply them with British
manufactured goods.
The United States, refusing to be
tricked by England's benevolent pro-
fessions, stuck TO the protective sys
tenn Later on Germany, under the
leadership Of Bismarck, followed the
example set by the United States and
adopted the protective system. That
was in 1879 We mention this date
because in that year was laid the
train of events that brought on the
greatest Of wars. Immediately Ger
man Industries developed in mar
velous manner and German foreign
trade kept pace with them. The
need for q German navy to protect
this trade became apparent. In the
opening years of the twentieth cen
tury the naval strength of the
Fatherland was such as to cause Eng
land alarm. From that time there
was a fixed determination to smash
the German navy and destroy Ger
many's foreign trade. The present
war Is the outcome Of that determi-
nation.
And now, whilst all the world
stands aghast at the awful carnage
that has been going on for the last
two years, England with moral plati-
tudcs on her lips Is planning how to
make financial gain out of the hec-
atomb Of lives sacrificed on hundreds
Of battlehelds. She Is convinced that
the world cannot be any longer bun
coed by her free trade tactics. She,
therefore, discards them and turns
once more to the protective policy.
She does this in the hope that she
will be able to establish after the
war a worldwide trade domination.
The London Chamber Of Commerce
has outlined plan for realizing this
hope. The world is to be divided in
to what may be called economic
strata. All countries that make up
the British Empire would pay mini
mum duties. SO too, would Eng
lands allies. Friendly neutrals
would pay twice as much. Neutrals
to be placed on this rating must
allow the United Kingdom the most
favored treatment other neutrals
giving preferences to other powers
would pay still greater surtax. All
enemy" countries would pay the
maximum duties, running up as high
as thirty per cent. Roughly, it is
estimated in the report Of the Lon
don Chamber of Commerce that this
change from free trade to protection
would net a yearly revenue OF about
$375,000. 900
In order that the plans for English
, trade domination may be carried out
more effectively all treaties contain
ing "the favored nation clause" are
TO be abrogated. England's COM
mercial treaty with the United
States will be one of the treaties that
win have to go by the board in the
interest Of British trade. Blood
may be thicker than water" when it
is a question of America standing by
England as against her enemies. But
when it is matter OF trade, the
alleged blood relationship counts for
nothing in the estimation Of nation
Of shopkeepers. England's planning
for increasing her trade in the hour
of Europe's agony brings out her
hypocrisy in posing as being actuated
by pure and lofty motives in fighting
Germany, who earned her deadly en-
nifty by outrunning her in the race
for the worlds trade