Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-22
am O.h.r Ctatna and CanAAa.
John Bull Helps Himself.

Il has been said that God helps him
who helps himself. II the proverh ap-
plies to nations and governments, %
we'll as to men, Great Britain seems
to be assuring herself Of providentiAl
aid In the domain Of world trade.
Current events in that field are OF spe-
cial interest to the United States.
Since Congress began the fashioning
Of the Hawley- smoot tariff bill; coun-
tries in all parts of the globe have
rained circumstances and protests on
washington. The Secretary of State
has brought them ofiicially to the at
tention Of the Senate. They are not
labeled complaints, but representa-
tons" But lamentations, couched in
more or less bitter terms, they are, for
all that.
Our British cousins have joined this
chorus Of international indignation,
vet have not contentsd themselves with
such steps. They have moved In
more constructive direction and in an
immensely more practical one. Threat
ened, as they fear, with q considerable
loss of business in the United States by
higher duties on q number Of staple
imports like worsteds, the British have
promptly set about to compensate them
selves In two other rich American
markets, North and South. They have
sealed an uncommonly fine business
bargain with Canada and laid the
foundations of closer commercial and
financial entente with Argentina.
The irony Of these twin deals lies
in the circumstance that Canada and
Argentina happen to be the two coun-
tries which are hardest hit by the pro-
posed new United States tariff. Al
most completely ignoring President
Hoover's admonition to the special ses-
sion of Congress. that 1t should have
a decent regard for the interests Of
foreign nations In revising our tari1,
the rates which AFFECT Canadian and
Argentinian exports to our shores have
been showed UP to points which menace
that trade with destruction. That the
Dominion Is our biggest customer and
Argentina our largest In Latin America
Is factor which the tariff makers
brushed aside as II 1t were bagatelle.
So Britannia proceeded to fend for
1tseN-in Canada and Argentina, for
choice. To her great North American
colony" she dispatched Q distinguished
member Of the Macdonald government,
Mr.. J. II. Thomas, lord privy seal. TO
Buenos Aires went Lord D'Abernon,
eminent diplomatist and nrst postwar
British Ambassador to Germany. With
both countries valuable reciprocal busi-
ness engagements have Just been en-
tered into, involving exports and
imports, shipping and credits, and
other far-reaching facilities. It cannot
DO doubted that both emissaries found
particularly fertile soil for efforts bound
to work to the disadvantage Of Ameri.
can commerce. t-
The net effect-the avowed purpose,
at any rates to displace the United
States in both Canada and Argentina
from the premier economic position 1t
has occupied In those markets. Ameri-
can enterprise doubtless will continue
to hold Its own, both In the Dominion
and in the great La Plata republic.
But 1t will not be due to the nyopic
conception Of international trade which
has inspired our tariff statesmen, nor
can American business there hence
forward expect to tread path strewn
with roses.