WHEN THE WAR IS WON

Evening Star, Issue 15928, 7 October 1915, Page 9

WHEN THE WAR IS WON

A NEW WAR BEGINS -FOR COMMERCIAL SUPREMACY. BANNING GERMAN GOODS. THE FISCAL WEAPON. A demonstration organised by the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce was held in the Garrison Hall last night. Its object was to affirm the- importance of adopting in the Dominion* a cotnmercial policy that shall support Britain’s claim to commercial supremacy by obstructing the commercial undertakings by which German militarism has been subserved; undertakings through whose connection with Britain’s trad© wo lost £180,000.000 on the day 15 months ago when diplomatic relations were' severed with Germany. Even in this country before the war the menace of the German trader was; felt, as the chairman -(Mr G. W. Gibson) explained, principally because his competition was not fair; not fair, because German traders had been able to ship their •goods at Hamburg, tranship them at London, and get them out here at a lower rate than that at which the British merchant could ship, from London direct. According to the chairman, New Zealand before the war was handing over £4,700 to Germany every day. The audience was large and enthusiastic, and an excellent musical programme was provided between the addresses by the' Band of the Fourth Regiment (under Lieutenant S- fk George) and by Mrs R. A. Power and Mr A. "G. Green. MONEY OR PATRIOTISM. The Mayor (Mr J. J. Clark) said that Mr Lloyd George in one of his brilliant speeches had said that the Gormans walked arm in arm with ns, but .all the time were plotting to murder ns in our sleep. lie believed that the curious spirit of the British nation helped that. We saw the Germans making inroads into our commerce aiid selling against our own manufacturers, and yet despite that opr spirit of patriotism was not sufficiently strong to refuse to have anything to do with them and to encourage our own manufacturers. But he took it that we had now determined that when the war was over we, as citizens, would resolve to do our duty and strive to put Berman commerce out of. the British Empire. (Applause.) Undoubtedly the position could be put into two words : “Money or Patriotism”—and everyone had got to face that question. Would we allow our patriotism to sink so low that we would buy goods made in Germany? (“No.”) Ho took it that when in the years to come they saw the mark “ Made in Germany ” on any article they would think of what Germany made the world in August, 1914. It seemed to him that it was somewhat deplorable that it should he necessary to put heavy taxes and preferential duties on goods, for patriotism and loyalty to Empire should he quite sufficient to make any "manufacturer Dr retailer cease importing goods made in Germany, because no one would buy them. But they could not blame only the shopkeeper or warehouseman who imported German and enemy goods if it was worth their while to import them. The man who bought them was equally guilty with the importer. (Applause.) We must resolve that patriotism and selfsacrifice would rise above the thought of pecuniary loss. (Applause.) And if we did this the sacrifices of noble men on the battlefield Would not he in vain. But if-once the war Was over we were content to sink back into old habits and buy in tho cheapest market ahd sell in the dearest one then the War would have been useless. He hoped that the same feeling as pervaded 'tho meeting would travel right throughout the Empire and have the effect of strengthening the determination of all to keep ns in the forefront of manufacturing and distributing nations of the world. GERMAN PREPARATIONS FOR PEACE. Mr Gibson moved— That this meeting of Dunedin citizens resolve that, with a view to diverting __ _.trade previously carried on with enemy ~ countries,- and “with' Hip of "developing trade, both imports and exports, within the Empire and with allied nations, when peace is declared they will purchase goods manufactured in the Dominion (when such goods are available) or manufactured ini Great Britain or British dependencies, or goods made by Britain’s Allies; and further resolve not to purchase goods which are the products of present enemy countries.

Mr Gibson said that because two nations were at war it Was not a. necessary consef|nence that when the war was over business relations should not be resumed. But this was not ait ordinary war. At the moment it was declared there had existed no valid reason why Gorman should have declared it against aiiy one nation of the 'triple Entente. She had practicable been asked to state what steps) could bo taken to avert war, but had preferred that the sword l should decide, with the. result that Europe had been drenched in blood and plunged into suffering and sorrow. Her action in Belgium was like that of a motorist, who, With plenty of warning to pull up, deliberately ran over and mangled a child in his path. And supposing such a person to escape the law, would anv citizen present like to shake hands with liim or do business with him again, even if his goods were a little cheaper? (“Xo.”) Germany as a nation was a criminal nation. (Applause.) She had broken everv law of humanity, and shown that she had as little regal'd for her honor as for the sufferings of the innocent. There were times when it was necessary to punish, the criminal, and there were times, like this, when a nation must he punished. It was almost Unthinkable that there should be anyone in the community who would wish to renew trade relations with Germany, and yet they knew that there were men who said openly that when the wap was over, if they could save a shilling by buy- ! ing German articles, they, would buy the German article every time. It was therefore necessary to bring pressure on Parliament so that such men would find it impossible to save the shilling which they valued above their country. (Applause.) And there were other reasons.—economic reasons. When thin war was over every nation engaged would be burdened by a tremendous debt. Britain would emerge with a financial burden so great that if i two or three years ago anyone had sng- i gested she would ever incur such a debt | he would have been laughed at. To ■ minimise tire effect of this debt Britain | must increase her exports, so ib Wits said. ! In ordinary circumstances this would not 1 be so difficult, but it had to bo remembered that every other country engaged in the war would bo in the same position. They • would all find it necessary to _ increase their exports, and where was England going to find an in- * creased outlet if she could not look to; lier own colonies and Oversea Dominions? (Applause.) This was no matter to be dis-i missed lightly. If Britain was not pre-| pared to meet the competition, that would ensue, there was no doubt that Germany S would beat her. Germany as a nation! could be organised, and was organised, as we in British, countries could not bo organised. It was stated now so often that! It could not be disputed that German factories were even at this moment piling up goods ready for issue when the war was over. Germany saw the competition that was coming, and was prepared. Everv nation at war to-day was in a state, more or less, of disorganisation. Factories generally engaged in the manufacture of articles of peace consumption were turning out war munitions. ’ When the war was over they would have to resume their old routine. But that would take time, and Germany _ was already prepared for that intermediate time, in the belief that she would be able to supply those countries with the machinery and tools they would require. Germany hoped to get the same start of us when peace was declared that she had assured herself when, war was declared. She would endeavor to flood the world with her products, in order to regain her oversea trade, at . a - price below any price she had set before. He had nob the exact ■fionree before him. hut, speaking from

memory, Sir Joseph Ward had said that on the basis of the eight months before the war, the imports from Germany to Now Zealand wtould hhve amounted in the 12 months to £1,750,000. In other words, every day New Zealand had been handingover £4,700 to Germany. Tho bulk of tho trade New Zealand had- done with Germany could he done with' England,, and if <wory citizen would insist upon buying goods manufactured in the Dominion, dr in England, or by our Allies, great, service would be done, and .the aim of the Germans thwarted. “Bemember to-night arid always,” said Mr Gibson, “what England has done for you, and what Germany has done to you.” (Applause.) SUPPORT LOCAL INDUSTRY. Mr K Breen, in seconding the motion, made a whole-hearted appeal for support to local industry. The resolution pledged them to purchase goods manufactured in the Dominion when such goods were available. In spite of the e,fforts made in the past to encourage local industry, very few ot our industries had expanded, and in many cases some of the industries established were still languishing for want of support. It was the duty of everyone, vLen purchasing goods, to insist on being supplied with local manufactures. There were approximately 3,000 men and Women engaged in the manufacture of boots in the Dominion, hut nearly £500,000 worth of boots were imported" each year. If that money was spent in purchasing boots made in the Dominion, he- ventured to say that tno industry would find employment for ten times as many people. lie" made an earnest appeal to nil to make a point of practical support to the resolution by insisting on having goods manufactured in the Dominion when such were available. MADE IN GERMANY—ANATHEMA.

Mr J. Inglis Wright, in, supporting the motion, said, that when you asked the fathers whose eons lay out on Gallipoli was there a price to patriotism, they answered; “Yes, and we have paid it.” Mheu you asked the selfish, greedy merchant was there a price to patriotism, he replied : “ Yes, but I cannot afford to pay it. But this meeting and meetings of the kind showed that a national sentiment was growing which would vigorously oppose any enrichment of the German nation by trade with tis. Never again, surely. Would the British Empire contribute "a yearly sum of £100,000,000 towards the armaments of a, nation brutalised by 30 years of tho Nietzschean doctrines. Did they realise at what cost German articles were cheap? The working men of Germany were kept from childhood to old age with their noses to the grindstone, turning out cheap goods to keep the mighty war lord’s armies ill being. In the two main German universities there were 16,000 students, and only 12 of these were the sons of working men. Such was the system of the nation of “overmen.” He appealed to Dunedin men and women, by the memory of their own dead at Gallipoli, toatand firm when Germany again offered her trumpery trash. Much mono Mr Wright said, and said so vividly that he was applauded to tne echo.

The motion was carried with one michtv “Ave.” ' ‘

EVERYBODY'S CHANCE.

Mr H. P. Desmoulins rose to lead tlm audience over the second hurdle. He moved—

Hint this meeting urge on tho Government that from the termination of the wax- all imports from present enemy ■countries shall he subject to a surtax, and. further, that preferential trade shall obtain within tho Empire with modified preference to our Allies. It was an extraordinary thing, he de dared at the outset, to ask the Government to make us do something that we had already made up our minds to do; hut such was human nature. Brevention was better than cure, and would be so in this case, for once we got the goods in they would he sold, as sure as “echo's were eggs.” They had stacks of those goods waiting ready to be shipped into hiew Zealand. So was it not far better to ?jsk the Government to remove the temptation .altogether. All wanted it done, and now they had to insist that tho Government should do it. (Applause.) We wanted to look past our pockets. The merchants were hi earnest, “The war is lipt over when peace is declared/’ ronAmfied .the .speaker..,: There is going to he greater war—the war for the commerce oi the world, and Germany is goincr to strain every nerve to get tliat trade. °She had strained nerves already. But we do not want to throttle Germany altogether ; we want to get olir indemnity. (Laughtei.) But, so far as New Zealand is concerned, we do not make all that difference. Aet here is a unique opportunity for every man, woman, and child to take part _in this great war, which will not terminate when, arms are laid down. I am sure that if we ask the Government they will he, only too ready to put an extra large surtax on the German rubbish which we have thought quite good enough for so long. (Laughter.) We have to make up our minds that this thing has to he fought to a. finish. I have pleasure in placing tho second nail in the German coffin.” SCREWING DOWN THE COFFIN, Mr H. D. Bedford, in seconding the motion, submitted a masterly analysis of the effect that a. policy of fiscal restriction would have upon our enemies, upon Great Britain, and upon this Dominion. We must never lose sight of the fact, lie said, that_ this war was the culminating effort, or Germany to wrest .from Britain the sceptre of commercial and colonial supremacy. With wonderful astuteness Germany had distributed penalties to foreign- goods and subsidies to domestic goods until, for a decade hefere the outbreak of this war - , made in Germany” had become quite a tenor la the British imagination. Above all, Germany for a generation had made her commercial policy subserve her military policy. We now realised that German commercialism had simplv been disguised militarism, and the realisation was accompanied with the poignancy of anguish when we remembered that we had in our trade relations contributed to the 1 strength of Germany in preparing for the' j execution of her aggressive purpose. When . this ri ar was over we must, as far as wag j piacticable, hinder Germany from xegaiui ing commercial strength to strike another I blow for militarism. Bub there were limij.tations imposed upon fiscal warfare. When jive analysed the position as business men I we found that if we prevented Germany I from selling in New Zealand wo also prej vented her from buying in New Zealand. | -All foreign trade was mi exchange of ; goods. AA e aid not buv German jiiancG i with gold; wo bought them with frozen i mutton. Germany did not sell tovs for j olir money, lint for our butter. It was i not possible- for Germany to sell to us j without buying from us. It was obvious, ! therefore, that if by a surtax Germany I lost the gain of selling to this Dominion ; this Dominion would lose the gain of sell- | ifig to her. “ Fortunately,” contin- | lied the speaker, “our "staple exi ports are goods for which there is ! ■practically an illimitable market in (Britain. In exchange for this increased i quantity of produce sent to Britain ws i shall get an increased quantity of goods from Britain. _ These British goods we ! shall receive instead of Germ an goods. I and if they are equal for quality and j cheapness we shall lose nothing by shutting out German goods. If they are supeI rior in Quality and cheapness wo shall j gain ; if they are dearer, consideriinr their quality, we shall lose. On the whole, our Dominion stands to gain little, and may lose a little, by penalising German goods. Bub the effect upon this Dominion’s wealth is not the only consideration, and should not he the governing one, in determining us as to the wisdom of carrying this motion.” He would support the motion for five reasons ;—

1. National sentiment led him to discriminate against German goods. 2. The surtax upon German goods would embarrass Germany and put an obstacle in the way of her obtaining that world-wide commerce upon the foundations of which she built her military designs.

3.'Although New Zealand might not gain monetarily by preferring British goods to German, Great Britain would. When we traded with Germany, New Zealand and Germany gained; when we traded with Britain,” New Zealand and Britain gained. Trade with Germany was a single blessing; trade with Britain

was like ,the quality of mercy, twice blessed.

_4. The war, by annihilating the British Gorman trade, had compelled the starting of new industries in Britain to make things which were formerly imported from Germany. And there had been a corresponding destruction of those British industries which sent exports to the German markets. The war had occasioned much transference of British labor arid capital, which inevitably involved much loss and suffering, particularly on the working' class. If, when the war was over, the British Empire resumed the old trade relations with Germany, there would have to bo a rotransferenoe of labor and - capital with further loss and suffering, whereas if the various parts of the-Empire after the war bought from the new industries of Britain the evils of industrial readjustment would be lessened.

5. The British Empire must frame her commercial policy under, a recognition of the constant imminence of war. Britain’s commercial policy was almost ideal for times of peace, but it led her into making Germany the biggest customer for her goods (next to America), and when war came it at once cut off a total trading of over £100,000,000 with Germany. Not only was this vast volume of trade suddenly suspended, but on the day of the declaration of war Britain “ lost £80.000.000 due her by Germany. Wo should therefore help Britain to cultivate closer trade relations with those countries with which she was likely to remain at peace—and such were pre-eminently the colonies. The more self-contained the Empire became the better would be her commercial equipment for facing great wars.

In conclusion Mr Bedford expressed himself as entirely opposed to a policy which would maintain the existing level of the tariff wall against Britain, while imposing a surtax upon German goods. Tlie surtax must he accompanied by a reduction of duties on British goods. 'Let ns begin to treat the British Empire as an entity, and its members as one family. (Applause.) _ This motion, too, was carried with single voice.