New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-08
The After War.

NOSE amendments " lllt ltNNliht
bill which put into the hands Of the
President economic weapons with
which i'm his discretion to retaliate
upon bcligercnts who violate Ameri-
can rights in world commerce seem
necessary and inevitable. They are
the result of cumulative and hitherto
impotent evaporation over a long
series of acts, eliminating in the
English blacklist" which has now
reached into every neutral country of
the world. 1t has put all traders
into two classes, namely, those who
may trade with the Allies and those
who may not.
The blacklist" was one of the first
results of the Economic Pact entered
into at Paris last June. 1t is pro-
vided for in Section A, under the
head of Measures for the Duration
oil the War The language is: "The
Allies will forbid their nationals and
all persons residing in their terri
tory all commerce with in
dividuals, commercial houses and
companies whose business is con-
trolled entirely or in part by enemy
subjects or which are subject to
enemy influences, and who will be
listed"
The means Of reprisal now to be
placed in the discretion of the Presi-
dent Of the United States are specif-
cally war measures. Each of the
amendments begins with the phrase,
That, whenever, during the exist
ence of war in which the United
States is not engaged"-- etc.
But the Economic Pact Of Paris
was not confined to measures for the
duration of the war. Section B pro-
vides for "Transitory Measures for
the Commercial, Industrial and Agri-
cultural and Maritime Period of Re
construction of the Allied Countries"
One of the measures under this head
Is the following:
The Allies declare themselves
! united in preserving for the allied
countries, in preference TO all
others. their natural resources dur
ing the period of industrial, agri-
cultural and maritime reconstruc-
ton, and to this end they agree 10
establish special arrangements
1 which will facilitate an exchange
/ of resources.
This is a very broad undertaking
and definitely exclusive. The sub
scribing powers bind themselves to
give preference to each others trade
over that with any other country.
/ There is yet Section c, which pro-
vides for Permanent Measures Of
Mutual Aid and Collaboration Be-
tween the Allies" Among other per-
manent measures is one to facilitate
reciprocal exchange of products
among themselves forever. The
means specified are those of direct
and rapid transportation at reduced
rates by land and sea, cheaper postal
and telegraph facilities and govern
ment subsidies.
Much more important than the
Allies war measures, against which
retaliatory means of defence are now
provided, are the measures proposed
for the transition period and for the
future beyond; and as y, csc we
have taken no steps whatever. I'm
der the general terms of the Eco
nomic Pact Of Paris, Great Britain
end France are perfecting plans
which, if they succeed, would per-
manently discriminate against all
non-alied trade and permanently
/ renalize all trade between Germany
and any other people. Commerce
would tend to divide on this line. On
one side would be those individuals
and nations who continued to trade
with Germany, and on the other side,
all the rest. Underlying this pre-
rostcrous conception of the after
state Of the world Is that there will