, 1923-10-29
Protection and Nationalism

unI,.. the American people have very short
memories they will not fail TO see the slgnlt,
canoe of the assertion of a free trace auVovaye
that "a spirit of exaggerated natlonalism me-
h.s found expression in excessive patriotism has
grown I'D in the past few years" during tne re-
cent world war we learned by bitter experience
the need for the exaggerated hatonaiism'
which this free trader condemns.
At the outbreak of the war and before We De-
came a marty to it, we learned of one serious
and almost fatal error in neglecting TO MAINTAIN
the protective principle in the matter OF snip
ming. There was an enormous demand 1or our
goods and we had no ships in which to trans
mort them. When we entered the war there was
an even greater demand for ships In whlch 10
transport our troops and there were no ade-
1uste shipping facilities under the American
flag Only by the adoption of some form of the
principle of protection, either in giving a pre-
ference to goods imported in American bottoms
or providing a subsidy for the operation OF shlps
under the American flag, could we have had the
shipping needs in the emergency.
In another respect we learned the vital i'm
portance of protection. For many years we had
been depending upon other countries for many
chemicals which we could have produced our
selves. This was particularly true of nitrates
necessary in the manuftcure of explosives. Dur
ing the war when we felt most severely the re
suit in that respect there was almost universal
approval of the adoption of a protective policy
which should insure us forever hereafter an adc-
uuate domestic supply of all kinds of chemicals
necessary either in the conduct of war in the
field or in the maintenance of our industrial en-
terprises essential as an adjunct of military
operations. But time has passed and some are
inclined to forget the firm resolutions they
adopted in the hour of emergency. These are
inclined to listen to the free trade plea that an
exaggerated nationalism" has found expression
in excessive protectism.
The serious condition which confronted us in
the matter of chemicals would also have con-
fronted us in the effort to clothe our army if we
had neglected the upbuilding of textile indus
tries as we had the upbuilding of chemical in
dustries. The manufacture of clothing, blankets,
etc, in an unusual quantity is n difficult task I'M
der the most favorable circumstances. If we had
followed the policy of the free traders and had
bought our wooden goods in Europe under a free
trade policy we would have found ourselves at
the outbreak of the war without the factories,
the spinning and weaving machinery, the dye
ing facilities, the distributing organization and
other essentials in promptly turning out goods
and manufacturing clothing. To establish mills.
been an impossible task under such circum-
stsncsaL
From the Republican standpoint the principle
of protectionism is fundamental and is not dc
signed merely to meet an emergency. We believe
it to be the duty of the people of the Unitd States
TO make themselves self-sustaining in every par
ticular possible. This is their duty not merely
from the standpoint of national defense but
from the standpoint of economic independence
To be dependent upon Europe or any other ma.
tion for any of the essentials of life, means that
we must pay tribute to their capital and theil
labor for the supplies we must have.
Call this exaggerated nationalism' if you
will. 1t is a policy which is becoming daily more
popular even though there may be some who
are unwilling to learn the lessons taught by ex
perience.