The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-02-19
BY MARK SULLIVAN

BY MARK SULLIVAN
National Political Correspondence "f The
Iutci!!gcncer and the New York
Evening last
Washington. Feb. lS--ConEr"sS j, jas;
finishing 4 tpriN debate. A. Il dcbat"
II wasn't much. The bulk of II was no
m good fa!th. The bill Was merely IAN
emergency measure, designed TO cover
ten months. Moreover. ii MAS only Il
partial bill. dealing with agricultural
products alone. After the first TWO or
three weeks Of December neither party
regarded the bill seriously. II IS true
It passed Congress by virtue Of 4 Ger
tain amount OF understanding between
the TWO parties. but II viii hr vetoed nE
the president. and Congress viii not
, rISS II over the veto.
The Emergency Tariff Bill = - good
AS dead and cut OF the way. Bul tic
tariff isn't cut Of the way. In fact the
tarU Is just ahead OF us We ar" Il;
this moment entering what VIII ne u
thorough going discussion Of the turin
policy. Even as the emergency measure
dies. the house Cummittc" on WAYS Iud
means : busy holding hearings lOuh.mg
- =, permanent tariff bill. This per-
naneut h.,l Will be introduced as soon
as the new session sets under way
As 1t usually takes about nine months
for i tariff bin 10 go through congress
"" can take 1t completely Tor granted
that after Il few weeks We can look for
ward TO practically the entlr" remain
der OF the present year as forum FOR
argument about what this country Is
going 10 do as TO tariff policy At The
80 mo time. there is now and VIII be for
many months TO come u subject which
is certain to involve an almos, cQuIuy
large degree OF discussion, This sub
jcct is the SlO.O0O.O0O.000 debt which
various European governments owe rs
That these TWO subjects are indiSSo.-
uhly united Is known by every person
who has students intercs; In the tar
III and 10y everybody else who has
thought INTO the future with any de-
gree at thOrou@hnesS. In the VourS"
Of time this fact. that tn" two subjects
are !ndissolubly united. viii be known
10 Congress. Already. in the debating
over the emergency tariff now dying.
some glimmcrinGs of light appeared in
the utter.luc"S of u few OF the speak
er> on both sides.
The Choice Before Congress
Put In simple terms for the informa-
ton Of the casual reader. the relation
between high protection and foreign
loans may b" stated roughly N these
sentences. II the $4,000, 10000 owed
to us by foreign governments Is 10 he
collected. then this country must give
w the high protection policy which II
has hitherto practiced. Stated the other
way round. ii this country Is to follow
4 policy OF high protection. then it must
give up the expectation Of collecting
our fortGn loans.
The European governments who owe
Us Sl00On 100000 and the European mu-
inequalities and private citizens who owe
us some S4.OUO.O0U 900 more cannot pay
thosr debts. nor even IN" interest on
those debts in gorld. If the! can only
pay them in goods II We adopt tn"
policy Of high protection they cannot
pay in goods.
This statement Of tho relation be
tween high projection and t"ri!gn loans
Is subject 10 some qualifications, which
| shall mention later.
In all the recent debating on the tariff
there were just five men who. IN their
speeches. seemed 10 show that thcir
minds were beginning to be aware Of 4
dawning light on the effect that has
been Wrought on Americas high prOtc"-
ton policy by the fact that recently We
have become a larg" lender Of money
aboard. 1t was natural enough that H."
Democratic leaders should see / first.
for Il Is a condition which plays into
their hands.
Even 80. it WAS evident that In" Dem
ocrat!c leaders had only gllmmcrinS
OK what has come about. Thr pcnso"ra-
tic leader OF the senate, Mr.. underwood,
made merely an allusion TO 1t. say .ng:
so far as am individually concern
ed. ] should Ike 20 force the K'puhHcan
majority in this chamber to say to thu"
American people that the Republican
membership Of the senate stands not
merely for their timc-honor,d dream OF
= protective tariff, but now that "" have
become the great creditor nation of the
world, when "" can Engage IN II" foreign
trade except by reciprocal trade agree
ments and relations. they are going to
close IN" door on lmportations and dam
the On trade that We may gather
from abroad. -