TRADE WAR ON GERMANY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2955, 15 December 1916, Page 22

TRADE WAR ON GERMANY

THE ALLIES RESOLVE A RELENTLESS CAMPAIGN . Peaceful preparations as a means "to a military end can never again be tolerated by England, France, Russia, and Italy, nor can we sub- ' mib to • "most-favoured-nations" ! clauses .in commercial treaties being utilised to the detriment of any one of the Allied countries. We must prevent' Germany froin again raising her helmet. Wo object to : her using her resources and commercial relations with us for pur-; poses of aggression as she did in preparation for this war. —Right Hon. W. Runciman, President of - the Board of Trade. ■ That is the spirit moving among the •minds of commercial men throughout the .Empire, We discover it in tlie , Counting-bouse' and in the factory. ,It gives'life and purpose to ohambers of commerce, in all His Majesty's Dominions. It now requires to be bodied forth in organised action. ■. In subsequent deliverances, Mr. ißunciman'draws attention to the fact- , that''Germany has announced that at the conclusion of the war.sho,will attempt.to establish-a Customs Union of the Central Powers on aggressive lines. This can only mean .that they intend, to follow up the present war.by, an economic war, If : this is a deliberate ■ ■ object, w.e and the. Allies shall blow : how to meet an aggressive, war of that nature just as we met her hostile action during the past. But we shall be better prepared for this threatened., eco- . Jiomio war, and wo are much obliged to Germany for giving us warning beforehand. The economic war which she threatens would be a permanent harrier to the peaceful development of Europe. fThe Corman Trade Menace. . Continuing, Mr. Runciman informed in interviewer that he had used: lan- ■ gnage of a hostile character in ! regard to Germany's trade.' "I did' so, he - said,, "believing that the crushing of an enemy's trado is aai essential step to victory. Every belligerent, in all times, has attempted, during the progress of a war, to destroy the enemy's trade as a measure of war. Germany's power 1 of/resistance as well as ours depends upon' the extent of her material resources. And these as an act. of war we must dimmish in. value,, and do! everything in our power to prevent'her from accumulating stocks or. adding to her wealth abroad. We cannot allow our citizens to trade with German firms' in China, and we are withholding supplies from them. That is only one of ■. the many instances of the efforts made by us to prevent her from creating credits abroad. By making it' clear to Germany, that the longer this war continues the leas .will; bo'her chance of recoupment out of the profits of foreign markets we aim at shortening the war. Everything which tends to preserve her wealth is likely to lengthen the 1 war.'' International. Folly. Wo in England have not grown, so foolish as to believe thai; one nation ' becomes rich on another's; poverty, \or ; that the Bismarck polioy of . bleeding your enemy white, as he bled France in 1871, is good for either individual

Nations or for Europe as a whole. Peaceful preparation as a means to a

military end can never again be tolerated by England, Italy, and Russia, nor can we submit to "most-favored-nations" clauses in commercial treaties being to the detriment of any one of the Allied countries.

The 'Conference at Paris will approach all these questions with those points in mind. We are all determined to resist Germany wherever we find her trying to establish political predominance in foreign countries by commercial means. Wo are actuated by a necessity of defence, and the disclosure which this war has provided of the complete junker policy at home and abroad is a lesson that none of; the Allies will, ever forget. Great Britain has a clean record on this subject. Aggression by the Central Powers will be met by the whole force of the British Empire and the Allies, but the British Empire has long been the home of political liberty, and-will never attempt a commercial tyranny, though she is determined to resist it by every means in lior power. i ■ ■ Preparing for Peaoa. . In preparation for the return .of' peace we are preparing our plans for renewed internal organisation and for external activity. This can and will be done along lines which every neutral will regard as friendly. ' What Will Labour Do? Those who speak for _ organised labour, answers Mr. Runciman, are not fools, and they know perfectly well that only by complete co-operation between all classes will it be possible for us to recuperate, from the industrial and financial exhaustion of the war.