Evening journal., 1918-12-31
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 81, 1918.
WARNED EVERY DAY.

HEN The administration wakes up some morning to
wv the discovery that "ihe world is on fire. with an
industrial and commercial rivalry in which the United
states IS getting the worst Of IT, the defense cannot be
put up that there was warming High ideals and un-
selnshness OF purpose could protect from the
military csnfct begun by Germany in 1914; neither can
high dg5ls and national magnanimy shield Us from the
contest for trade There substitute for prepared
nss<
ton Of the results removal Of economic barriers"
The Democratic iarn law went into effect october g.
1913 except as to a few commodities upon which the
Republican duty was temporarily retained The Demo-
cratic tariff law in force for period OF ten months
before war broke out in Europe dsarranging the usual
course Of trade study Of the trade statistics during
thar peace period Of ten months affords conclusive evil
dence OF the effect Of removal Of the import duties.
During the corresponding ten months under Repubi-
can tarin duties from october. 1912 to July 1913, in
elusive our imports amounted to si5O3s270O3 and our
exports totaed 81 iOi66639 trade balance in our
favor to the amount Of S6O66Ss636 During the ten
months under the Democratic tariff law our Imports in
creased to Si6O5s0i7s2 and exports decreased to
sie5i57s295 leaving trade balance Of only s3i5735ii
It thus appears that lost in ten months time net
merchandise trade balance Of s26i 100000
These figures do not tell the whole story however.
examination Of the trade balances by months viii
show that before the war broke out the balance had
turned against us and that the balance for
the fact that foreign producers had not been able
in ten months to overcome all the advantage secured by
Republican larir policy.
This loss Of s26i 100000 a double loss-we not
only deprived our own industries Of that amount Of
money but we added it 10 the resources OF
merclal rivals across the We took money away
from our workmen and paid t to the workmen Of other
lands. We closed the doors Of our workshops and
opened the doors Of shops in Europe and Asia.
The fact that we are stil enjoying immense favor
able trade balance built up the influences Of the
war; because we are a nation Of extensive and varied
resources, should not deceive us
During the nine months Of 1918 for which statistics
are available merchandise trade balance has fallen
ss2O0OOO00O0 and that the seas free from the
submarine and other nations beginning to return to
the activities Of peace we shall witness decline
rapid as enterprsng rivals in practically free market
can make it.
The average rate OF duty imports at present is
only five per cent. as compared with an average Of
eighteen per cent under Republican law Is there ma
lion with which must compete in which there is
wage scale only five per cent. under our own?
considerable portion Of export trade has been
in productive machinery shipped to Japan and China.
We have supplied Japan with grst mills textile machin-
cry papermaking machinery, and other equipment for
manufacturing goods in competition with US There IS
complaint to be Of that but there reason for
apprehension as TO the future when give American
workmen only 1--WE per cent. protection against the
product Of workmen whose wages only small frac-
ton Of the wages paid in America.
The commercial is on and the day for prepared
ness is passing.