The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1931-06-11
PROTECTION AND WAR
By George B. Lockwood


Speaking before the international Chamber of
Commerce at its Washington meeting, Henry Bell
director of Loyds Bank in England, after denounc
ing the American tariff, said that leves on imports
represented "the intrusion into economic Well-beine
of the cannon and the machine gun, the high explo
slve, the poison gas
One of the beliefs affected by most of those engag-
ed IN agitating what they call internationalism, as
handed down to them by the central organizations of
these groups either at home abroad, is that the
protective tariff which America sets up to safeguard
her standard of wages and living, is productive of
justified hostility in foreign lands and is therefore
a breeder of war. Former Governor Nellie Tavloe
ROSS, OF Wyoming, has expounded such a theory It
seems to be eaten eagerly by those who enjoy diet
OF canned thought, with pretty label on the can.
The exact contrary is true. The struggle for for
e1gn markets was the of the World War; as it
has been the cause of most of the big and little wars
Which have made Europe continent Of war; with the
history OF free trade England not tending to prove
that this idea is sound For markets have been back
OF the colonial systems, the struggle for land the
reaching out for sea power by these nations. Eng
land lost the American colonies because Of the de-
termination to prevent the growth of independent
commerce on this side of the Atlantic Back of In
das struggle for independence is the policy of Great
Britain III preventing the development of independent
native industry. Chinas first action when she got
on her feet as republic to place in effect tar
if which the foreign powers had long prohibited
The struggle for foreign markets is due to the fail
ure IN some cases the inability of the multiplied ma
tons OF Europe to achieve that degree of economic
independence which America has reached Conse-l
quenty trade based upon foreign competition forI
surplus OF products The weapon which must be used
is cheapneSs, meaning chiefly the cheapenng of la
be Such competition of course causes international
Ill WILL 1t causes the ambition to control neutral
markets and colonial areas which may be exploited
America, because chiefly engaged in developing her
own vast domestic market, out of the bitter trade
struggle which preceded and caused the World War
ana therefore was not In the originally and only
came in through injuries as an innocent bystander
at fight that spread all over the world.
1t is now demanded by the nternationaists, to the
music OF course, of saccharin phrases about world
patriotism and the brotherhood of man. that Amer
lea should turn her back upon her own markets. her
own standards OF living, and enter the worldwide
struggle for markets, in which, Dean Donham of Har-
ward points out we could become formidable perhaps
irresistible, If we are willing to lower our wage stan
dards TO those OF our principal trade compettors.i
For America to do this, as demanded by our inter-
natonasts is to take the road that has led ENGLAND
for which nation Mr. Bell speaks into the fog Of bow
erty ana threatened war that now hangs over that
nation Mr. Bell may call protection socialism if he
hkes the better name for it is intelligent national
lsm we do not do injustice to any foreign competi-
tor when we insist that here on our soil the product
OF foreign cheapness attained at the sacrifice of hui
man values, shall bear tariff that to some extent
at least equallzes the pay of the worker here and
abroad. The internatonaists want to buv something
cheap when that cheapness means coolie in breech
cout, peasant in coffee SACK or peasant in rags
LURKING oehmd thls movement OF pious professions,
is the sinister shadow of the internatonalized bank
ing and Industrial interests centered in Eurone
which pay the bills for this effort to degrade The
American people under the false or ignorant pretense
of broadening" their outlook
TN