The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-07-09
But a "BIOod Feud" of Trade
May Suffer Brief and Un-
mourned Career.

I: LONDON, July S.-The newest and
most remarkable development in 9u-
ropean politics is the policy seriously
proposed by extremists in both camps
that the two groups OF warning pow
ers be consolidated into permanent
and hostile commercial alliances. The
realization Of such visions must Wit
ally effect the interests OF all neutral
trading nations, and OF none more
than the United States.
So many complications in the path
way Of this war after the war" are
discovered by business men and eco
nomic writer's that the dream of a
lasting blood feud of trade may suffer
a brief and unmourned career. But
statesmen in both European groups
are discussing how each may use
treaties and tariffs, after the yet-dis-
tant peace conference, to get the up
per hand in commerce, when the SOL
diers have beaten their swords into
plowshares and yardsticks.
Export duties, import duties, pref
erential tariffs, and most favored ma
ton" clauses, are being woven into
new combinations on paper, and these
torn to pieces and arranged in newer
patterns as the probable defects Of
each scheme become exposed. Incl
dentaliy the British system Of free
trade, because Of which, or in spite
of which, as the case may be-Great
Britain has become the richest Of Eu-
ropean nations,and able to finance
more than its share Of the great war,
is being handled irreverently even in
the house Of its strongest friends
That agitation, also, contains posi-
bilities which must be interesting to
neutral states.
PrOteCtiOniStS Enthusiastic.
Great enthusiasm is displayed by
British protectionists over the results
Of the economic conference OF the En-
ter(e powers-held in Paris. The
conference was projected first, accord
ing to general understanding for the
purpose Of devising plans TO strength.
en- the blockade against the Central
powers Afterward its program was
expanded to include a practical re,
ply to the German movement for q
Zollverein Of middle Europe. Tho
platform issued to the public laid
down the principles Of a program fol
a commercial alliance Of the Allies
for the period OF reconstruction, fol,
lowing the war, and also for perma'
nent preferential trade scheme
This campaign for what the West.
minister Gazette" terms a 'mutua
boycott" by the two families OF Euro.
pean nations first came before the
public when the German minister Of
finance, with certain colleagues, visit,
ed the Austrian capital according tc
reports, TO breach the subject Of q
commercial union. The conception
Of the 'Mittel-Europa" fund was
launched in a book Of that title BY
Professor Naumann, which has at.
tanned remarkably wide circulation
throughout Germany and also Austria
It proposes a Zollvereln OF all the
states Of the central group, gathered
Into a self-sustaining commercial EN-.
pire, stretching from the North sea
10 the Persian gulf. The Professor
demonstrates that such a combination
might be nearly self-supporting in The
matter Of the supply of food stuff'
and raw materials for manufacturing
and be enriched by the trade amont
It's own members IN these combina
lions, as well as in manufactures.
Important Combinations,
The Importance Of these combina
lions TO distant neutral nations like
the United Staes is a topic OF argu
ment Their erection would depend
upon free trade or preferential tariffs
between their members That neves'
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