Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-05
TRADE WAR ALREADY
DECLARED

| TNIE economic war against the Central
L Empires. decided upon by the Paris
Conference and approved by the most
prominent British statesmen in the House
Of Commons is in strange contradiction
! with the assurance Of European peace for
which the Allies, as they have repeatedly
declared, are striving. Whatever the
ideoloEic causes and motives OF the Great
War may b. there is no denial of the fact
! that the roots of the conflict are to be
sought in the political economy Of Europe.
The clash of contending imperialistic
forces formed the real basis of the car.
mage and slaughter devastating a conti-
nent We are now informed officially
by the Prime Minister OF England that
this commercial competition is to con-
tinue even on a greater and more vicious
scale after the war. The Central En-
pires have already accepted the challenge
in the economic alliance formed with Bull.
garia and Turkey for the protection of
their mutual commercial interests.
Apparently, in the heat and prejudces
OF the conflict. there are no statesmen in
Europe with the courage to denounce the
new menace to the future peace Of the
are creating. a veiled protest against it
was contained in the remarks Of Sir John
A. Simon, former British Secretary of
State for Home Affairs. in reply to Pre-.
mier Asquith on the occasion of the re.
cent debate in the House of Commons.
How are we to use trade as a pun.
iShment against Germany)?" he asked.
Take sugar II Germany gives us
cheap sugar will our manufacturers
and the poor howl stop? Must Ger
many pay an indemnity? Then how
can she II she is not allowed TO export
goods? Would II be wise to throw Hol
land and Belgium into the arms Of
Germany? The danger is
that bill on New York will supplant
n bill on London. For instance, we
have financed the entire oversea trade
in coffee. including the trade with
Hamburg. Are we to be hindered in
this?
''If American interests are antag-
onized, who could say whether her
benevolent neutrality would be main
tanned II We had TO fight another war?
Direct Interference with trade has
far more important indirect effects"
These are questions which none Of the
men favoring the trade-war project could
answer satisfactorily. All of them
sought refuge in the declaration that the
trade war contemplated would not be di-
rected against neutrals; that it is to be
employed merely to convince the Central
Empires OF the complete unity of the
Allies and ward of the plans Of the Cen.
trail Empires for aggressive commercial
expansion at the expense OF their oppo
,nents after the war. Premier Asquith
was particularly emphatic in his declara.
tion on these two points.
In other words. after two years Of con-
flict and when the fortunes of war have
apparently turned in favor of the Allies,
we are informed by Mr.. Asquith that
their ultimate victory is TO be used as an
instrument OF continuing in aggravated
form the conditions which brought Eu-
rope to its present position.
The gentlemen who govern the affairs
OF all belligerents have evidently learned
nothing from the struggle. The splendid
lessons OF self-sacrifice and cooperation
taught on a scale never dreamt OF before
are 10 prove futile. The end of the war
is TO see the opening Of another and more
gigantic combat for spheres OF economic
influence" and fields OF exploitation. We
are to have Egypt, Morocco. Tripoli,
Fashoda, Agadir. Manchuria and other
aggravating contests over again.
In trade war OF this character the
United States cannot be neutral. II must
fight or be victim. Deplore, then, as
we may, the lie Of the cards, they point
to the great fact that we must
enter at once into campaign Of indus
trial preparedness. The only party that
can givesthe nation the proper guidance
and legislation in the circumstances is
the Republican party.