Page:The New Protectionism.djvu/79

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PROTECTION NO DEFENCE
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in Europe and elsewhere. Since the nature of our tariff, with its preferences to Dominions and Allies, would compel us to make stiff terms for neutrals, the countries against which we raised these new barriers would by stress of legitimate self-interest be brought over to the Central European system. Our traders complain of the ever keener competition of the Germans in the growing markets of the Far East and of South America. A tariff upon wheat from Argentina, or tea and rice from China, would hardly help us to push in these countries our manufactured goods, which would then be offered at higher prices to cover the enhanced cost of production which our general tariff would involve.

A protective tariff here can do nothing to check or impede German economic aggression. It can only make it more successfully aggressive. Would it, on the other hand, strengthen our national resistance to this aggression? How should it?