Page:The New Protectionism.djvu/100

This page needs to be proofread.
76
THE NEW PROTECTIONISM

political control, is idle vapouring, whether it proceeds from angry bagmen or from statesmen who should be "responsible." Take as a conspicuous example the following passage from a speech delivered at the opening of the Paris Conference by M. Briand:[1]


"The war has shown us the extent of economic slavery to which we were to be made subject. We must realize that the danger was great, and that our adversaries were on the eve of success. Then came the war. The war, with the immense sacrifices which it demands, will not have been in vain if it brings about an economic liberation of the world, and restores sane commercial methods. We are all determined to shake off the yoke which was being forced upon us, and to resume our commercial intercourse in order freely to join it to that of our Allies."


What is signified by the passages here italicized, or by corresponding language in the preamble of the Report of the Paris

  1. ↑ Times Report, June 15, 1916.
This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.