The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-12-12
What the British Tariff War
Means to the Workers

been announced, but the Canadian Press saws
that the Evening News of London on Dec.
stated that Mr. Bennett was assured the British
ministers were working on plans which would
undoubtedly assure profitable market in this
country England for Canadian wheat, and if
the plans were approved at the conference 1t
would be found that British goods would obtain
a substantial advantage on tbs Canadian
market"
The National Government, further, passed
measure giving the Dominion parliaments full
, autonomy. gesture, it is true, but one which
was indicative of the new policy Of British i'm
perialism Of trying by every means to tighten
up It's colonial empire.
The German Debt Question
However, as these struggles proceeded, the
question Of the German crisis and the wide rift
between the interests of British and French cap
italsm became the most prominent problem
Stanley Baldwin, speaking for the British gov
eminent. declared that the British would insist
on the payment by Germany above all else OF
commercial debts This enraged the French
bankers, who began an attack against the pound
driving 1t down to lower levels. The British
replied with heavy tariff which hit particularly
French imports Walter Runciman, speaking in
the House of Commons, made an open attack
against the French, threatening still further
measures He said:
81 wish 1t to be clearly understood abroad
rs well rs at home that we are not making
protests now, but IL we are hit rs we have re-
Gently been hit by the French decree we can
not ignore the action taken. Discrimination
against this country Is something we look upon
with the greatest seriousness. It Is 50 dam
aging that we cannot afford to ignore the re-
suit"
All attempts at conferences to come to an
agreement failed. On both sides the struggle is
becoming sharper. The effect of the British
tariff on French industry, which Is constantly
getting deeper into crisis, has been severe The
leading French industries such as textile luxury
trades, glassmakers and truck gardeners are hit
Between 40 to SO per cent of the French wooden
output usually is sent to the British This has
been stopped. Factories in the Lille textile area
are closing down. Some go factories making
glasswear for export are shut. Most of the lux
ury shops in the lower Seine district are virtl-
ally closed. Unemployment is growing in France.
In Britain there is virrlent campaign on
under the slogan of Buy British" verging on
war frenzy. In France, similar drive is on,
with the factory owners clammoring for greater
retaliation.
Thus far, the struggle has served to intensity
Franco British rivalries. Unemployment is grow
ing in France. and the French capitalists. in or
der to compete against the new tariffs, will drive
wages further. In England the National govern
ment is Fundamentally behind the new tariff
war. On the part d the Labor opposition"
there is no protest, despite the fact that the
whole process goes hand in hand with an attack
against the standard Of living of the British
workers, and an increase in the cost of living.
The British imperialists, especially under the
pressure of the most reactionary bourgeo;sie,
extending the tariff particularly to the heavy
industries like iron and coal.
Every rise in the British tariff affects the Uni
ted States. The American capitalist press has
been silent about this feature. The result ir
the United States will be a more intensified
struggle for markets, for struggle to invade
the British markets and to re-divide the British
colonies. To prepare for this the American cap
italists are driving the wages of the American
workers lower and lower.
with 1t all goes the increase In ornaments
the growing danger of war among the imperi-
a1ist powers There is little doubt as the strug