The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-16
THE WORLD MARKETS AT
TER THE WAR.
An Argument for Americas Contribu-
ton to the Fluidity Of Trade.

"Vh w tuO iuiuty VI AheuS.
To THE EDITOR OF THE sUN-SI: We
have registered all men between the
ages Of Is and IS In order to end war
having its genesis in the strangulation
Of trade by the nations and the stu
pidity Of one of them In attributins the
results Of It's own blindness to tho evil
Vaccinations Of its enemies" Ger
many. clamoring for "a place in the
sum-" had not wit enough TO see that
she was standing in her own light. and
so. with brutelike mentality. started
after those who she thought were de-
priving her OF the sunlight.
And now comes M. T. r." In your
columns with plea for the continue
ton OF the German policy in this coun-
try! To do your correspondent justice I
am free to ao&o owledge that he Is not
aware Of the fact that II Is German.
This country could live and prosper
were the rest OF the world sunk In the
sea, for It has the resources. 1t could
live and prosper were all foreign trade
to cease, which would amount eco
nomically to the same thing. Germany.
about four-nfths the size of Texas.
poorer in resources, with 100000 Of
people to sustain. could not, yet she
essayed the attempt. calling 1t pro
lection to home industry" She must
have supplies from all the world; she
must have markets all over the world
In order to pay for these supplies, yet
she tried the game Of keeping her home
markets TO herself and breaking into
the markets OF her neighbors.
Trade is barter and goods pay for
goods. money being but n labor saving
contrivance to facilitate barter. Ger
many thought money was real wealth.
just as IN. T. r." does. She was COM
ing to the end Of her policy and knew
1t not. The hard times that sweep over
the whole world every twenty years to
punish 1t for it's economic stupidity were
upon her as upon us all 50 she started
this war to gain the supplies and mar
kets which international free trade would
automatically give to every nation. To
save the world from the conditions she
would impose upon It she must be
smashed. and M. T. r." thinks so much
Of her policy that he wants us to con-
tinue It. He. too, thinks 1t protection
to American Industry
Just one quotation: Every dollar
worth OF goods made in a foreign coun-
try and sold here takes just so much
out of the pockets of our laboring men,.
He is wrong. Every dollars worth OF
gocds made In q foreign market and
soil here calls for an equivalent value Of
American made goods to go abroad to
pay for It. We have in the past twenty
years exported some $4,000. 900. 900
worth OF goods, for which we got moth
ing but cancelled drafts, for the goods
were sold abroad and the proceeds
through the banking exchanges went to
pay interest and dividends on foreign
Investments here. Latterly we got about
billion and a half Of gold. and see
what II has done to our prices We
also have bought back those American
securities formerly held abroad. We
have also accumulated some ten billions
OF foreign obligations on which the in
terest will henceforth flow this way.
How will this interest be paid?
How can an outflow OF goods without
return enrich a country? How can an
inflow of goods impoverish IL? Are the
economies which teach such absurdities
worth the attention OF serious minded
full grown men?
Were the constitutional prohibition Of
interstate tariffs removed doubt not
We would soon have an elaborate net
work Of tariffs by the States. each seek
ing It's own advantage, the net result OF
which would be the more or less com.
plete strangulation OF our vast inter-
state trade. Disputes. i'll feeling and
suspicion could easily be famed into
conflict. and we would be in a fair way
to become a bunch OF Kilkenny cats, all
by reason of this stupid mutual choking
Of the commerce which Is the life OF the
nation. Is II not perfectly obvious that
the choking OF the International trade
which contributes or should contribute
so largely to the life of all nations has
had no inconsiderable influence in start
ing this war?
have said before, and it will bear
repetition: The nations are Fighting
over a bone, whereas with international
economic freedom they might each be
contentedly chewing a fine steak.
BY all means the stupid bully that
started the fracas and seeks to dominate
the earth must have this idea thrashed
out Of him. But when the Job is done
let US have too much sense to do what
he seeks to 90. Moreover. how can We
make Germany pay for tho damage she
has done II we choke her out of the
worlds markets? STEPHEN BELL.
MrLLBrRN, n. J.. September "a.