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Show BRITAIN RETURNS TO PROTECTION - i - VI WASHINGTON, Sept 1. "After threo.-qu'&rters of a century of froo trade. Great Drltaln has definitely, and by legislative decree, abandoned abandon-ed that policy," says tho Republican Publicity association, through it. president, Hon. Jonathan Bouino Jr. "On August 12th tho British government's gov-ernment's 'safeguarding or the industries in-dustries bill" passed the houso or commons by tho overwhelming raa-Jorls,)- of 176 to 4. Tho bill embraces embrac-es two resolutions, one introduced last Maich by Sir Robert Home, providing pro-viding nn ad valorem duty of 33 1-3 per cent on optical glass, optical in-HtrumcntB, in-HtrumcntB, hcientlflc glassware, porcelain por-celain InBtrumnets, magnetos, tungsten tung-sten and Its products, synthetic and organic chemicals, the other, ana the more Important, providing for customs cus-toms duties on. any nrtlcles not mentioned men-tioned in the first resolution which the board of trado under tho act will have the power to specUy on the ground that such articles aro being vendqd In tho United Kingdom at prices below their production cos: or below what they can protltabb bo produced for in tho United Kingdom. The power to protect British Indui-tiii'S Indui-tiii'S is thus placed in the hands of a commission, a method prohibited prohibit-ed in this country by tho constitution constitu-tion and one which though speedy of application may bo subject to grave abuse. "This change of policy on the part of Great Britain docs not come as a Burpriso to those who havo watched the trend of ovents in the tight Utile, isle. Tho restoration of tho protective protec-tive pollc, agitation Tor which has been moro or Ises fitful slnco 18 1G, ri ached Its height during tho war. when It appeared to havo majority suppoit among tho British people. The system of Imperial preferences adopted to apply to trade botween tho mothor couiltry and her colonial possessions soon after close of the war, wob but a liorald of tho British Intention to rcstoro tho protectlvo policy. "Tho Napoleonic wars, 1793-1815, which enabled Great Britain to drlvo every continental rival from tho sea and gain absolute control of tho loi-elgn loi-elgn commerce or the world, tho displacement dis-placement of hand labor by machines British navigation laws, all combined combin-ed to convince British manufacturers of the Importance "of propagandizing for universal free trade,' and the poor harvests or 18.18 to 1840 accentuated accen-tuated tills reeling. 'Tho policy or protection has been practiced Tor tho purpose of building up tho In.l or England and making her the greatest manufacturing center In the world,' saH Cuitlss. 'This had been accomplished. The whole scheme was entered upon for the purposo or inducing other countries to abandon protective tnilffs, and open their markets to tho free admission ad-mission of British waies.' It Is woll wortli wliilo,' said Lord Brougham In 1916, 'to incur loss upon the first exportation, In older, bv the glut, to stirio In tho cradle those ilslng manuactures In the United States which tho war has forced Into existence, contrary to tho nntiir.il courso of things,' Free tiado with Great Britain meant fieedom to en-'ter en-'ter the markets of other countries. ' The year 1839 witnessed tho b'rth of ttio nnti-corn law leagu and tho beginning of tho era of Cob-d-nlsm Cobden himscir beln ; manufacturer Intent cm finding free forolgn markets and confident of Gieat Britain's nblllty to undersell the world in manufactured goods. On May 26, 1846, came the repeal or the corn laws and the abandon ment or tho protective poller. Ono object of tho freo traders was tho extermination or tho tenant farmers or England, declared Isaac Butt, Q C, In 13C1. and In 1854 tho nntl-corn nntl-corn law loaguo declared: 'Ator ages ot preset ptlvc right our rarinors have to contond ror oxlstonco. That command com-mand or tho British market which thoy have hitherto secured by unjust laws, htey must now securo by suppr lor energy, or abandon It to their rl-alH rl-alH ' Tho ract that Great Britain, if blockaded would starvo In six weeks Indicates what" her farmers realized from freo trade. "Tho. return of Great Britain to protection will bo a hard slap at tho Tree traders or this countrjy who havo so rrequently pointed to her ns a shining examplo of that policy." |