New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-25
By FRED 3. PITNEY.

industries must have protection and assist
ance until they are able TO stand again on
their own feet and enter once more into
competition on equal terms with their rivals
"These are the reasons that have led the
Allies TO consider a series Of defensive and
protective measures for their commerce after
the war. But rs | have tried TO make clear,
the reasons will pass and, therefore, these
measures will be transitory. This has been
specified in the resolutions Of the conference
itself. The resolutions declare that The
measures will be exceptional and that their
duration will be limited to the period re-
ouired for the reconstruction Of industrial,
agricultural ard maritime commerce. This
indicates unmistakaby the nature and pur-
noses Of the work Of the conference in this
regard II has no other end than 10 prepare
for the return TO normal conditions of fair
international competition. The measures and
ends of the conference are very far from
the plan for another general war, such as has
been credited TO the Allies
"1he second point Of criticism that America
finds is that the Allies seek TO create a world
within the world-a separate economic entity
surrounded by an impregnable tariff wall
that will divide IL not only from the Central
Empires, but from the neutrals as well.
There is nothing more open than the eco
nomic group formed by the Allies for the
defence Of their interests Directly opposed
to the supposed policy of surrounding them
selves with an impregnabe wall, it is the
policy of the Allies, collectively and indivd-
ualy, to try to attract the neutrals to them.
"The lberality Of the Allied plans and
ideas, we believe will tend to make their
relations closer with the neutrals. For the
neutrals will find better opportunities for
their exports in the markets of the Allied
countries, which will be henceforth free from
German domination, while the Allies, recev-
ing from the neutrals, will give to them in
exchange Neutrals and Allies will thus have
more need than ever the one for the other
and will be led by the new state of affairs
TO seek each other out and develop their
relations.
at is an entirely false conception that the
Allies have had any thought Of forming any
thing like a tariff union or even simple
tariff entente directed even indirectly against
the neutrals. On the contrary, the Paris
conference excluded from its deliberations all
questions of customs tariffs, however subtly
il might be attempted to conceal such pro-
posas.
"On this point the work of the Paris con-
ference must not be confused with the nu-
merous projects, plans and programmes elab-
grated in the last few months by varying
economists, publicists or associations con-
tanning usually some tariff system emanating
from their own initiative
"The third point of criticism is that the
Allies seek to substitute themselves for Ger
many in an attempt to control the commerce
Of the world.
Ear from wishing TO control the worlds
commerce, the principal object of the Allies
is TO make commerce free and destroy the
commercial hegemony Germany had estab-
lished by means well known to every one.
The Germans have not renowned their hope
TO establish a commercial hegemony. On
the contrary they are preparing 70 exercise
II anew with the resumption Of commercial
life after the war. The Capitalization that
they are now in process of calculating in