Evening star., 1934-12-02
BY ANDRE SIEGFRIED,

81. 1899: A new century was to
begin the following day and the
L usual Happy New Year" took on
an added meaning, as it was
rather naively, but generally thought
that great changes would be brought
about by the turn of the century. But
as far as could be seen everything
went on as usual. The expected up
heaval was soon forgotten, however,
and this even tenor lasted until the
World War. In 1919 everything was
| altered. but instinctively every one
hoped that the old regime which had
just come to an end would be revived.
1t Is only today that we perceive that
the nineteenth century is dead and
gone-it took us 80 years to reach
that conclusion.
As the past recedes 1t appears to us
more and more in its true light-it
certainly was not understood by its
contemporaries. They considered
their times as ultra nationalistic and
ultra -protectionistic-t century of
Garibaldi of Gambetta, Meline and
McKinley-what misconception; In
reality, as we clearly see today, it
was an era of economic International
| ism. in great contrast to what exists
today.
England Was Guiding Hand.
This was particularly striking as
soon as you left Europe-you at once
entered into a sort of international
mercantile republic. This functioned
under the guiding hand of England,
but was. in truth, open to all-at
least to all Of the white race. The
world at that time enjoyed a whole
sadly fallen into disuse; as we look
back on those days We begin to realize
that we actually lived under a system
of economic liberalism Having made
journey around the world during the
last two years of the nineteenth CEN
tury can truthfully say that I came
in contact with this system at first
hand. From personal experience I
can analyze it.
To begin with, there was an
astonishing ease of exchange, as well
as of transportation and navigation.
We have since then made much
technical progress, but who would
dare to boast that travelling is easier
today? There also existed something
which lives today only in our men,
ories, something which the younger
generation is totally ignorant of-that
is tability-economic and tariff
stability. The latter remained fixed
for long time and varied but little,
commercial treaties were almost
permanent.
Stability Of Credit.
There was stability of credit; the
word of honor of the large powers was
never questioned. Three generations
had lived on the income from invested
funds without ever having a loss in
dividends; when Leroy Beaulieu spoke
of countries with financial difficulties
it brought to mind only semi-civilized
states not inhabited by the white
races. Monetary stability was COM
plete; the entire nineteenth century
lived with confidence in the pound
and the franc their f1uctuation
seemed impossible.
AS far back as any ones memory
reached there had been no great
change in costs; for three generations
the price Of chicken, or an apart
ment, the amount of a dowry, re-
manned comparatively the same. And
finally there was contractual sta
bility, in the sense that promises were
generally kept; there was respect for
a signed contract and even for a ver-
bal pledge.
From all these revered traditions,
rules and customs sprang the eco
nomic condition, led by Europe. which
is generally designated as Western
civilization. Its principles, essentially
human, were born in the eighteenth
century. It was England, above all
countries in the world, which became
its chief exponent in the nineteenth
century.
Presents Total Contrast.
The twentieth century, in compari-
son with the conditions which we
have just described, presents an al
most total contrast. It is character
lied by a feverish nationalism in the |
field of politics, equaled-and this is
the more serious-by heavily armed
nationalism in the economic field. |
Look about you-not only in Europe
but outside of Europe. as 'well-every-
where are closed doors, everywhere
barriers which divide the world into
compartments. There is no longer any
thought of an international mercan-
tile republic; there is no talk of any
thing but more and more isolation.
The nationalistic development was
not created by the war, for it ap-
peared earlier; but the war aided the
growth of the methods by which it
could assert itself. What renders the
present protectionism so dangerous is
not that the nations have such a |
f-~ l. s-f~ - a., L.