The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1921-06-09
WHEN is RETALIATION?

WHEN is RETALIATION?
"Since the termination Of the Great War
practically every nation of any commercial i'm
portance has boosted it's tariff rates" says the
Republican Publicity, Association, through it's
president, Hon. Jonathan Bourne, Jr. "The pol
icy of the United States in that regard has
since the Republican return to power, been
chiefly confined to intention. Every one knows
the protective policy is to be restored just as
soon as the Ways and Means Committee can
bring in the permanent bill and it can be put
through Congress for presidential signature,
and as an earnest thereof the emergency tariff
measure was recently signed which will pro-
vide temporary protection to farm products
and which practically prohibits the importation
of dyestuffs until further disposition of that
subject is made in the permanent measure.
But the latter measure has not yet been in
troduced, no nation has any idea of what it
contains, and nearly, if not all, the commerce
ial nations had revised their rates upward even
before the emergency law was passed.
Throughout the past year the free traders
have been screeching Retaliation into the
ears of the protectonists and predicting the
to our standing policy. It was awful to con-
template, if one believed them. Our customers
and competitors would surely retaliate against
us, close us out of their markets with prohibi-
tive rates and port Dues and eventually we
would have to shut up shop and approach them
with hat in hand and sorry countenance and
beg for respite, promising in return to revert
to free trade. We were to sue for favor be-
IF 4
1.-THE question naturally arises in view Of
what other nations have been doing before we
laid our cards on the table Who is the re-
taliator? Is Australia retaliating against us
by raising her duties on imports merely be-
cause the kangaroo statesmen have been adj
vlsed that we are going to protect our wool
growers? Is Argentina retaiating by tighten
ing up her tariff schedules a notch or two be-
cause she is certain we are going to protect our
farmers? Has England put into operation her
system OF imperial preferences and have her
cotton manufacturers been boycotting raw cot
ton brought to English ports in American ships
because she was assured that we were going
TO protect our textile manufacturers? Has
Italy raised her rates because she was posi-
tive we were gong to protect the California
lemon growers? Are all these countries retail
AS'VAiiS against US 1OI WlldL CnGy Cnlnk we are
going to do, and not for what we have done :?
1t was recently announced officially that Spain
is to eliminate the INSTRUMENTATION treat
ment and establish two sets of rates of duty
with great difference between them, which i'm
plies an invitation to all nations to negotiate
favorable trea laent for reciprocal concessions
TO Spanish exports. The tariff favors nations
with deprecated currency and is more unfayor-
able to American products than the last tariff. ,
Is Spain getting in her retaliatory program now
Tor what we may do in the future? Looking
at 1t from the viewpoint Of those who are try
ing to scare us with talk of retaliation. is not
the United States retaliating on these countries
Tor having raised their rates before we have
taken any official action in that direction?
"Of course these nations have no idea of re-
taliatlon or trade retorsion. They are simply
taking such precautionary measures as they
deem prudent to protect their industries. and
that is just what this country should do, and
will do. No country on earth can afford to
enter into tariff war with the United States.
Even under protection we will in all probability
provide a market for some $4,000. 900 600
worth of foreign goods, while there will always
be large demand for our raw products. and. in
the Latin Americas, for our manufactured
goods. Talk of retaliation is silly, and merely
indicates how hard up the free traders are
for argument as they see with chagrin the old
free trade South swinging into the protective
column"