Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-01

4 rreSh apples. ......... 10000, 900
Canned meats and fish. -. 1000, 900
| f4OSlOn pictures. 2,5OO. 900
| Not all of these American imports in
| Great Britain may be expected to be
subjected to tariff duties. Cotton. for
instance, our second heaviest export to
| the British market, will, in all proba-
bility, not be affected. British textile
manufacturers take from Dixie only
the kind of cotton indispensable to
them and of grades which they cannot
/ get from India and Egypt. Nor will
American petroleum products, especially
lubricating oil, at present the largest
! Yankee import, prospectively be hit by
a British tariff, because they represent
supplies vitality necessary to the Brit
| ish and which are not now obtainable
through the Anglo-Persian and Royal
Dutch Shell interests, which are strongly
intrenched in the British market.
Foods Would Be Hardest Hit.
new British tariffs undoubtedly will
deal the hardest blows, including pork
products, wheat, canned goods and
fruits. Any sweeping tariff system to
which the British resort is certain to
comprehend imperial preference" This
is the term first used by Joseph Cham
| berlain and means that for such foreign
imports as may be automatically en-
bargoed by protection Great Britain
would come to depend upon her over
| seas dominionS.
| Thus, instead of taking $44,0 600
worth of wheat from the United States
the British would get it from Canada
or Australia, either duty free or at
rates substantially lower than those
| imposed upon American, Russian or
| Argentine grain. Canada and Australia
could be drawn upon, too, for bacon,
| hams, lard, canned meats and canned
fruits, which are at present being i'm
ported in enormous quantities from the
United States.
! South Africa has been developing a
copper industry which the British have
felt would enable them eventually to
! import all their needs from that do
minion. Our rich tobacco trade with
| Britain is fairly safe, because the Vir-
GINA and Carolina blends, which John
Bull smokes, are virtually irreplaceable.
U. S. Builds Branch Factories.
With the gradual advent of protec-
tive tariffs in Great Britain, in one
guise or another, since 1920, American
manufacturers have recognized the
growing necessity of keeping their mar
/ ket over there by producing on the
| spot. That explains the branch fac
tories built on British soil by the Ford
and General Motors interests. Electric
refrigerators also are being made in
| Great Britain by American factories
| Manufacturers of shredded wheat are
| fabricating it on the American plan in
British factories. Makers of Office ap-
| jliances have set up their own works.
British tariffs undoubtedly will mean
more American branch factories in the
United Kingdom.
The list of existing British tariff du-
ties is a far longer one than Americans
suspect. In 1920 nearly IL per cent of
all British imports were dutiable. Long
before the war revenue tariffs" were
imposed on liquors, tobaccos and sugars
i Since then duties have been enacted
on such items as preserved fruits, jams,
| DRIED fruits, cocoa and coffee.
Duties Have Three Origins.
The British have had three distinct
! motives in enacting gradual customs
duties-to raise revenue, to promote
empire preference and establish out
right protection. Protective tariffs for
some time have been levied upon optical
glass, scientific instruments, wireless
tubes, tungsten and other rare earthS
! used in steel alloys, vanadium and many
chemicals. The rates on these So-called
key industries" amount to 33 1-3 per
cent. Practically the same rates have
applied for a long time on imported
motor cars, parts, accessories and tires,
musical instruments, motion picture
films, clocks and watches.
There are also British tariffs on silk
and rayon. gloves, wrapping paper, gas
NANTES, chinaware, various grades of
cutlery and some other articles. THESE
latter are the so-called safeguarding"
tariffs to meet dumping and unfair
competition"
British Recovery Sought.
Although the United States is far and
away the country from which John Bull
imports the most-our sales last year of
STAT 100000 compared to S317. 200, 600
q purchases from Germany, S276, OOO,-
GOO from Argentina, s263, 600 900 from
Denmark, $239. 100000 from France,
500 100000 from Russia and more than
tne British bought from Canada, Aus
Iralia, New Zealand and South Africa
comblned-it is not considered at WASH
Ington that the main purpose of any
British tariff system would be to strike
/ at the United States.
! Rather, as the New York Herald
tribune points out, "the purpose Wolld
be to redress the Anglo American trrde
balance and restart British Industry
British protection might tread on our
toes mere and there, but if it succeeded
IN reviying prosperity in Great Britain.
We would almost certainly be the gain
efS In the long run. Already consider
aoie British tariffs have been applied to
imports without noticeably damaging
the United States"
(Copyright, 1879
-s
Turkey Dinner in Lyon Park.