Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-11-10
! Washington. D. c.. Nov. THE
cepriaals AGAINST the United States

Washington. D. c.. Nov. THE
reprisals against the United States
because Of the protective tariff act
recently passed by congress, which
We're predicted during it's tendency,
have begun. Great Britain has
struck the first blow and aimed it at
the American rubber industry.
1t will bel recalled that during the
months wheh the tariff act was pend,
against the high rates which would
American market. Delegations of
business men from England appeared
before the ways and means and the
finance committee asking lower rates
Their appeals fell, on deaf ears. This
amounted to a declaration of econ
omic a The United States erect
ed a tariff wall to keep British goods
out. Now Great Britain In retaliation,
Is striking back at a very tender spot
in the American industry.
The British have we'll advanced a
plan to make the United States pay
"a vastly increased price for crude
rubber. Not a pound of rubber grows
on American SOIL. We must import
all the rubber we need for the hun
dreds of thousands of automobile
tires, for electrical apparatus and for
the hundred and one other uses to
which this product is put.
The method being employed by
Great-Britain is to lay an export tax
on the export Of rubber from her pos
sessions which produce this valuable
commodity. Such possessions include
the island of Ceylon, the Straits Settle
ments and the Federated Malay
states. These are the principal rub
Der producing areas of the world.
Brazil produces rubber but because
Of a difference in quality and especial
ly because of the manner OF condi-
tioning for export, the American rub
Der industry uses chiefly the product
from the British rubber producing re-
gions.
The United States consumes as
much crude rubber as all the rest of
the world put together. SO any gov
ernmental action by Great Britain
blow at the United States. .
The tax must be paid to the gov
eminent before the crude rubber can
be exported, so the price OF rubber
laid down in the United States will
be substantially higher. It is too
early to make any definite estimates,
but the rubber industry admits that
the action of Great Britain will add
millions of dollars a rear to the
American public's bill for tires as we'll
as for the numerous other rubber
articles Of every day consumption.
The American rubber industry is
protesting vigorously against the &C
ton of Great Britain, but there is no
reason to believe that Great Britain
will pay any more attention to Amer
s~N nn1$on%u - - v,@ Sa~{A $40 :
British protests against the tariff.
lean import tax; now the United
States protests against a--Brttish ex-
port tax. Both protests are doomed
to the same reception.
We Must Pay the Price.
The economic result is that Eng
land will sell less goods in u mar
ket and that II we want British. rub
Der we must pay the price whatever
It is. The proverbial American spirit
|of fair play must say: that's. fair
enough" but 1t is hard to smile when
the flivyer needs new tires all around
and when the blowouts come. In
such q situation a puncture teaches
more about practical politics than b
textbook. Y
Great Britain feels reasonably sure
LnaLfsIHe OnlLeQ STATES NIuHt nave
rubber no matter what It costs and
she Is well justified in such an as
sumption. RubberfSis essential IN SO
many manufactures and Isl SO COM
mon an articlet OF daily usefthat the
people can not get along without It.
Therefore, the price must be paid
and England will collect.
England feels particularly comfort
able about the rubber export tax be-
cause 35of the debt situation, 1t Il an
economic axiomStiat foreign balances
can 80 paid only IN three ways: In
gold, insgoods and In services. Eng
Land - willing TO pay 70 I'll the gold
shS can spare and recently sent over
$66,000,O0Os of the yellowsmetal. More
iss coming But she has not enough
tos meett her indebted The next
form Is goods. She would ~ very
glad "a ship gTsdtgddantities Of goods
[t0Ftts American market and wa1spre-
|pxxed tosSdossc when the congress put
|Mpsth tAf1ff berrteE md declared that
ag1hSn0 aUeeDt s6qd4ss Payr1ent
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