The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1918-07-06
THE ANTI-GERMAN BOYCOTT

The effort of the American Defense Society, recently il
ugurated, to secure the signatures of twenty million heads
antilles. who will agree to boycott German-made goods bot
low and after the war is said to be meeting with success
the country. In a statement the other day in SUP
of the movement Richard M. Hurd, chairman of the boar
# trustees of the society, said:
In the last analysis the real ground for this campaign
is self-defense. Whenever a German article is bought by
an American a certain percentage of its cost goes as a
tax into the Prussian war chest, there TO be used for
manufacturing cannon and shells which are used to kill
Americans, and the whole cost of the article is taken out
of the American workmen's pockets. The most effect
i've method of weakening the power of the Germans is
not to do business with them.
Our plan, then, is by striking this blow against Ger
man industry to avoid aiding the Prussian war chest and
in this fight we hope to enlist the aid of every American
woman who has a son, brother or father at the front.
Recently the subject of discrimination against Ger
many in trade after the war was taken up by the cham
bers of commerce of the United States and by an over
whelming vote these individual chambers which COM
pose the national chamber of commerce went on record
against after-war trade with our enemy in case the mill
tary party still has the controlling voice in German af-
fairs. We feel the time to strike is now. Not a moment
is to be lost if we are to make our war upon Germany an
effective work and we are therefore urging action by the
men and women of America.
Already the Germans and the German government,
backed by the military party, are making extensive plans
for building up an after-War trade throughout the world
and they look upon both Americas as legitimate fields.
TO head off trade invasion is the duty of every American.
There are practically no German-made goods on the mar
ct in America today, and what there are were bought and pal
Or by American merchants before Germany destroyed tn
of the world nearly four years ago. 1t means nothln
ow to Germany what becomes of these goods. A boycott
gainst them now means a blow to American merchants VIII
re loyalty supporting the war against the Hun and whose son
nd brothers are fighting him in the trenches.
AS to the influence of this boycott after the war, that i
roblematical. 1t will be effective chiefly through its infu
nee on those who make our laws and control our foreign pol
~. If German-made goods are placed before the people a
ttractive prices they will be sold regardless of any patriotic o
boycott, for the fact that they are made in German,
ill not be advertised either by trademark or otherwise. AM
lore than that, most people buy where they can buy cheapest
fact the German knows and is relying upon.
The only effective way to protect the American market
he y American buyer and the American laborer and manufac
lrer against German-made goods after the war is by a pro
,ctive tariff that will protect. For this war is not going t
ipe out trade rivalries or bring the nations into such swee
that they will not seek advantage over each othe
ccording to the instincts of human nature in their scramble
r the best Of it
The crown price is again doing glorious work, taking gOo'
are of himself while his soldiers are diving in heapS-DetrOi