Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-19
Iohn Bull Goes Protection

ANY doubts about how the fiscal
wind is blowing in Great Britain are
banished by this weeks action Of the
House of Commons in voting, 396 to
81, for immediate enactment Of 100
per cent tariff on foreign manufac-
tured products. This is the emergency
project sponsored by the new National
government to prevent dumping in the
British market.
The proposed measure, which is to
be rushed through successive parlia-
mentary stages with all possible dis
patch. is not called q tariff bill. 1t
has been dubbed an abnormal imports
act" because it's avowed purpose is to
check a deluge of goods from abroad
now streaming into Great Britain
against the day when protective Gus
toms rates will bar them. Six months
hence this abnormal" act is extremely
likely to be succeeded by normal
tariff system.
Under the anti-dumping law, which
Is expected to be in force before the
present week Is ended, the British
Board of Trade-the government branch
most nearly corresponding to our De-
partment Of Commerce-wil be clothed
with power to impose duties running up
to 100 per cent ad valorem upon imports
classified rs unfairly competing with
British goods. This excludes foodstuffs
and essential raw materials. 1t in
cludes manufactures, and thus strikes
at numerous commodities which the
British buy in substantial quantities
from the United States.
While the bulk of our sales to Great
Britain, which aggregated some $780,
O0O, 900 last year. comprised oil prod
ucts, meat products, cotton, wheat, cop
per and other articles which are not
within the purview of the anti-dump-
ing law, automobiles, motor accessories
typewriters, ONCE appliances, machinery
of all kinds, agricultural implements and
other American manufactures are GER
tain 10 be affected Our trade in these
categories will be disadvantaged still
further by the plan to admit Empire
manufactures" free of duty. Canada
is q lively competitor Of the United
states In many of these fields The
mother country proposes to permit the
daughter nations to do all the dumping
they can.
Ever since IT became apparent that
the Conservatives were destined to in
laerit power in Great Britain, thus speed
ing the time when a protective tariff
would supplant her historic free trade
policy, the outside world has been con-
sidering the effect of the transition.
That it must restrict British imports Of
foreign goods is automatic. Such Is the
natural effect and express object Of
tariff systems, as we know. here in our
own highly protected land.
But the cloud Of lamentations over
the protective prospect in the British
Isles has a silver lining. If Britain
goes over to tariff duties, the purpose
will be that which is served by them
in the United States and in countless
other countries. Home industry will
be bolstered, wages maintained, living
standards increased. and purchasing
power enhanced Those conditions
achieved, British prosperity will be
headed toward revival, and the market
ing opportunities Of foreign countries,
despite the tariff walls they will have to
climb, can only be correspondingly
widened
Certainly the American people, who
have waxed opulent under protection,
cannot and will not blame their British
cousins for deciding. after generations
Of hesitation, to 60 on the same diet.