Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-11-10
NEW TARIFF BEGETS REPRISALS.
BY Frederic J. Haskin.


washington. Nov. 10.-The reprisals !
against the United states because OF
the protective tariff act recently
passed by Congress. which were pre-
dicted during its tendency, have be-
gun. Great Britain has struck the
first blow and aimed IL at the Ameri-
can rubber industry.
1t viii be recalled that during the
months when the tariff act was pend
ing. British interests protested
against the high rates which would
keep British products out OF the
American market. Delegations OF Ousi-
ness men from England appeared De-
fore the Ways and Means ana the
Finance committees asking lower
rates. Their appeals fell on deaf ears.
This amounted 10 declaration OF
economic war. The United states
erected n tariff wall to keep BRUSH
goods out Now Great Britain, In re-
taliatlon, is striking back at very
tender spot In the American INDUSTRY
The British have well advanced
plan to make the United States pay
a vastly increased price for crude rub
Der. Not q pound OF rubber grows on
American soil. We must import all
the rubber we need for the hundreds
OF thousands Of automobile tires, Tor
electrical apparatus and for the nun
dred and one other uses to which TINS
product is put.
The method being employed by
! Great Britain is TO lay an export tax
on the export Of rubber from ner
| possessions which produce this valu-
able commodity. Such possessions IN
clude the island OF Ceylon, the Straits
/ Settlements and the Federated Malay
! States. These are the principal rubber
producing areas OF the world. Brazil
produces rubber, but because or q
difference in quality and especially be
cause Of the manner Of conditioning
for export. the American rubber IN
dustry uses chiefly the product from
the British rubber producing regions
Tho United states consumes as
much crude rubber as all the rest o.
the world put together, so any gov
ernmental action by Great Britain
tending to increase it's price Is a di
rect blow at the United States.
The tax must be paid 10 the Govern
rnent before the crude rubber can D.
exported. so the price of rubber lat
down in the United States Will be sub
stantially higher. IL ~ TOO early L
make any definite estimates, but IN
rubber industry admits that the acuoi
e Great Britain win add millions 0
dollars n year TO the American pub
lies bin for tires az we'll as for III
numerous other rubber articles q
every day consumption.
The American rubber industry
protesting vigorously against the &C
ton Of Great Britain, but there is n
reason to believe that Great Brital
, Will pay any more attention . Amer
can protests than we paid 10 the Brit
j ism protests against the tariff. Ens
s land protested against an America
e import tax; now the United State
2 protest against a British export Ia
i Both protests are doomed 70 the san
c reception.
: We Must Pay tho Price.
The economic result is that Emf
land will sell less goods in our mark.
and that II we want British rubber y
{ must pay the price whatever It
e The proverbial American spirit of IA
Il play must say: that's fair enough
< but It is hard 10 smile when the fiivv'
II needs new tires all around and wins
the blowOuts come. In such a stu
lie ton n puncture teaches more abo
n practical politics than a textbook.
10 Great Britain feels reasonably su
E. that the United States must have ru
D. Der no matter what It costs and 6
lg is well justified in such an assumptiC
y Rubber is essential in SO many man