The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-10-29

perity has been, and continues to be,
materially enhanced by the necessities Of
the beiligerents. The most important
neutral in this respect is the United
States.
America is profting remarkably
through supplying ourselves and our al
lies with munitions and foodstuffs, and
partly by sending to neutral countries
goods which the combatant powers at
present are unable to supply them. Being
free from all serious competition, her
manufacturers are making enormous prof.
its, which they are employing in laying
down new plants and erecting new work
shops. America will thus be in a better
position to compete in the worlds mar
kets at the close Of the war than she
has ever been before
I'm order to be able to deal success
fully with American competition, we must
develop to the full extent the resources
of the British empire. All the needs of
the empire can be supplied from within
its own borders, with abundance to spare
for the requirements of other nations
But this requires imperial organization
and closer partnership between the
mother country and the dominions One
or the principal instruments to accom-
plish this is imperial preference, the adj
mission of the products Of the empire
into the mother country on better terms
than the products of foreign countries.
The dominions already give a preference
in their markets to this country and to
one another. 1t only remains for us to
reciprocate that preference and in order
to cope with American competition we
must also have a greatly extended tariff.
American goods which enter into COM
petition with our own productions must
mr., ger "a a tn ANITA
ket without paying tax or toll. We must
treat American goods in the same way
as America treats English goods. Such |
policy will not decrease the volume OF
our trade with America. but it will reg
ulate it and direct it into more profit
able channels. 1t will give US negotiat-
ing power such as we do not at present
possess, which will enable us to obtain
better terms Of entry into the American
market. Further 1t will enable US to
encourage the importation. of such goods
as we require which do not compete with
our own, and to discourage the importa-
ton Of goods which can be made equally
we'll In our own country by British labor.
THE policy indicated with regard to
our dealings with neutrals is purely de-
fensive. We do not seek trade war
with any neutral. Our object is to free
our markets and those of our allies from
German domination, so that we may trade
under fair terms of competition We
do not propose anything in the nature
of tariff union directed against neu-
trail countries. 1t is not our policy to
exclude neutrals from our market, but
to attract them to 1t. in order that we
may pay for the goods we purchase from
them by goods made in this country.
but it is also our policy to obtain
more favorable terms of entry for our
goods into neutral countries. and we can
only obtain this by tariff negotiation. The
war has taught us the necessity of COM
ing into line with other civilized nations
in order to protect our home Industries
and to raise additional revenue No neu-
trail country, least of all the United States.
can object to our adopting an economic
system which they have proved to be
advantageous, nor can they imagine that
such policy be dictated by motives an
tagonistic to their own trade and pros
perity.''