Evening star., 1932-07-17


discussion, and this is scarcely the place
for such highly partisan argument.
This much. however, should be pointed
out: No less than 73 per cent-nearly
three-fourths-of our imports from the
British Empire last year came in free
of duty This very large proportion is
explained primarily by the fact that
most of the staples involved are OF a
non-competitive and essential character
and have, therefore, for many years
been on our free list. This factor Is
all too frequently overlooked by critics
who deplore the arrogant refusal of
the United States to permit our over
seas debtors to adjust their obligation
by shipment Of merchandise into this
country"
The tariff unquestionably does affect
import traffic in some competitive items
produced in the empire, which is one
of the two basic purposes of q tariff in
any country; but the above striking
figure would seem to indicate that the
tariff is by no means major explana-
ton for the heavy falling off in our
takings Of empire products in general.
One Interesting Change.
One interesting change has taken
place in this import relationship OF ours
with the empire during the last Is or
20 yearS-a change which has reacted
upon the mother country adversely, but
has in equal proportion benefited the
'dominions and colonies. In pre-war
days a large proportion of our pur-
chases Of these colonial products, no
tably rubber. wool, skins, tea and tin,
were made in or through London. To-
hNU ~ hn
and permanent dislocation Of trade
routes during the war, the upbuilding
of our own merchant marine and the
construction of the Panama Canal, the
bulk Of our requirements of these essen
tials are filled by the colonial producers
without the intercession of the London
distributors. For example, 81 per cent
OF our wool imports in 1913 came to
us from England, as against II per cent
last year. And most of these woods
were of colonial production. In the
tc per cent; tin from 50 to IL per
cent; hides and skins from 8 to 8 per
cent.
This shift has seriously affected and
impaired an important phase of Eng
lands commercial strength, namely, her
service as an intermediary or distribu-
tor, which has meant much to her COM
mercial and financial position. A typ
ical recent instance of this transforma-
ton is the breaking up of the long
standing British cacao combination,
which handled, through London, the
cacao traffic from the West African
coast. The establishment of direct
American ship services there has been
diverting substantial portion of our
cacao imports from the old indirect
route, to the benefit of American in
dustries and consumers.
With reference to our purchases in
the empire, not the least of these in
substantial-is the item of the expendi-
lures of our tourists for services" to
facilitate their travels Even in the
dark and dubious year of 1881 these
tourist expenditures exceeded $238, ,000,-
900 In Canada and $27 1000 900 in the
United Kingdom certainly vital asset
for the empire in the adjustment Of its
obligations with the United States, such,
for instance, as the mother country'S
war debt payments. which originally
were scheduled at $159,000,000 in that
year. Our tourists seem TO be doing all
they can to help our British friends
meet this much discussed obligation.
Incidentally, this large item does not
encounter. except in trif1ng proper
tions, any obstacle in the shape of our
tariff schedules.
Tendency in Recent Years.
So far as the imperial tariff barriers
against American and other foreign
products are concerned, the tendency
toward strengthening them has been
marked in recent years, especially with
view to rectifying budgetary and ex-
change problems, as well as providing
much-needed employment. But even
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