The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-22
The Projected European Trade War.

WeNt among tne Allies contemplating
a trade war against the Central Pow
ers concerns itself with conditions
during the war. II presents no novel.
ties. The unification Of rules pro-
hibiting trading with the enemy. set
Element on a common list Of contra
band articles, the cancclling Of con-
tracts Injurious to the national In
terest': these are matters TO which
attention would have been given ear
lier in the struggle. It will be MS
sumed. had not military necessities
consigned them ia helated treatment.
They are war measures and to be re-
garded rs such.
But those details Of the compact
which II Is asserted will he adopted
for the governance Of the allied IN
lions subsequent to the declaration Of
peace wear another aspect. In these
II Is proposed that the Central En-
pires and the nations supporting them
shall he subjected TO n business boy
colt, based on enmity and designed
to restrict their commercial activities
TO the smallest possible field. Great
Britain. France, Russia, italy. Japan
and their smaller associates by mu-
nicipal enactment and international
treaty are TO conserve their markets
for themselves. discriminate IN the
distribution Of their product against
their present enemies, and through
concerted action carry on a campaign
Of exclusion and isolation as com
plete as the ingenuity Of their states
men and the nature Of their resources
will permit. Were such a campaign
successful, the field Of Teutonic-Turk-
ism trading would be reduced To most
unsatisfactory size; indeed. in effect
II would he comprised within the
boundaries Of the present military
confederacy. and those portions OF
America and Europe not involved in
the war.
No trade var on such n scale has
ever been attempted. Against coun-
tries having aggregate populations OF
40. 900. 900 would be banded 361 600
900 persons. Here would he a con-
test involving almost a third of the
worlds Inhabitants, decreed to last
indefinitely, and employing In Its
prosecution every weapon Of offence
and defence except those Of a mill
tary description. How long such con-
ditiOns could endure without provok-
ing another military explosion may
he left 10 conjecture; certainly the
period would not be long. unless the
victims of isolation were reduced to
a state Of absolute impotence. In
deed. this rigorous policy would mean.
not that the proclamation Of peace
marked the end of the wal In which
II was born, but merely the close In
that war Of one incident, the military
operations.
1t is asserted by the British Board
Of Trade that the Allies reached their
conclusion 80 forestall the Central
Empires" 1t IL natural that all the
nations now engaged in running them
selves should take thought Of their
future and their rehabilitation. 1t
may be that the Teutonic leaders have
given thought to some plan not unlike
that which the Allies have put for
ward. Yet we cannot believe that
when the treaties Of peace are signed
II will he found that either party to
the war can enforce the terms herein
suggested. The varying needs and
situations Of the countries In arms,
the pressure Of economic laws that
even the greatest genluses Of state
craft cannot modify In their general
effect. the rivalries and dispositions
of great numbers Of individuals who
may he temporarily coerced but can
not no permanently suppressed, must
he taken into account and will i'm
pose an unbcarahle strain IN the
>trictest Of compacts. For n little
time obedience TO their terms might
he compelled. but that this would
extend long beyond the period natu-
rally required for the reimbursement
81 International affairs Ia to he
doubted.
II It be said that the design looks
portentous because Of the authority
from which the announcement of the
plan comes, II need only he recalled
that previous declarations OF inten-
tion made since the war began from
quarters AS important have been ohi-
cially revised, and In some instances
recalled. So We may look for reN-
sion Of this programme, by whomso-
over II may be nj present entertained,
and the substitution for II Of n scheme
more IN accord with human expert
rnc", and less ostcntatiously calcu-
lated to substitute n war of treaties
for Il war Of violence.
Coercion nj Greece ny the Allies.
Einu f'n1, V,.,', -, p.IDAl ,o,