Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 1918. THE ECONOMIC WAR.

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 July 1918, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 1918. THE ECONOMIC WAR.

Tiie u k lias been considerable critudsm of the imperial Government for its failure to formulate a definite economic policy to operate as soon as peace is declared. Some optimists are of the opinion that there will be a. groat boom in trade when the war. is ended; but the majority are not of that opinion, and they forecast a period of acute depression until the country once more adjusts itself to flie clumped conditions. The matter must have been fully dsicussed by the Imperial Conference, but whether pood results will ensue is a matter of conjecture. Mr Massey does not seem to be impressed with the value of the work carried out, and be frankly admits that he is greatly disappointed. We may rest assured that the Germans are prepaid up for the post-war economic struggle with that same thoroughness and unscrnpulousnos.s that characterised their preparations for the military struggle now going on- The Central Powers have many advantages ;)vcr the Entente Powers, and these will give them the opportunity of making a prompt bid to capture the world’s markets when these are once more in open competition. In the first place, the. Central Powers will be able to demobilise their armies much more rapidly than we ran. They are fighting within a short journey by rad from the Fatherland. They will he aide to return their armies to Germany within a week or so ■'t ihe most. The British Empire ■s placed at a great disadvantage. Her soldiers are drawn from every nnrt of her far-flung- dominions. In her cause demobilisation means in many cases a long sea journey. This would he difficult oven under normal conditions of shipping; hut Germany's unrelenting submarine war has reduced our tonnage considerably. Many are of

the opinion that Germany had in mind the .post-war economic struggle when she commenced her campaign against the world’s merchant vessels. The Allies must meet this move hy including in the peace conditions the proviso that Germany must give a ton of shipping for every ton sunk during the war. If that is insisted upon, the Huns will in truth bo hoist with their own petard. Much, of course, depends on the attitude that Britain and her Allies will adopt towards the Germans after the war. At present every man and woman within the Entente nations of the earth. All this never again will he or she use goods of German manufacture, and that never again will Germans 1)0 admitted to a position of trust and intimacy. Germany will therefore be a pariah among the nations of the etarth- All this seems very probable: but we frankly admit that we fear that all these good resolutions will not be carried into effect. The war has indeed who light 'many changes, but we do not think that it has brought to pass such a change in human nature that men and women ivill decline to buy cheap goods solely because they were

made in Germany. The present hatred of Germany may endure for a short time, and it will come out very strongly perhaps at election times, when a certain amount of capital may he made out of it by one side or the other. The only method of preventing the Germans getting a hold similar to that which they had obtained in the Empire prior to the war is to pass drastic anti-German legislation now. It will find approval from every section of the com- , munity. It would be a bold politician who would venture to suggest an amendment to such laws. Our people have got to remember this fact. If it had not been for the wav the British people bought cheap German goods to the exclusion of those of British manufacture, the present war would never have taken place, for the Huns would never have had the.money to buy guns and munitions. We must admire the splendid patriotism of the British workers, who had every reason to pay the Government back for former neglect and ill-treatment. Those who knew the London that existed before the war will remember how British workers were unable to obtain work or were forced to work for a miserable pittance owing to the cheap German labour that the Imperial Government allowed to enter the country. British manufacturers received no encouragement to employ British labour, for the country was flooded with cheap 'roods with the “made in Germany” brand. The working class were themselves not free from blame in the matterThey themselves bought German goods, and in many cases British manufacturers were comnelled to nut on their goods the “made in Germany” brand in order to command a sale. British manufacturers played a great deal into the hands of the Huns. They were too conservative in their methods, and once they had built up a trade they refused to change their methods in order to suit their customers’ changed requirements. Hot so the German manufacturers. They were always willing 1 to accent suggestions that would imi!rove the articles turned out by tar.TM. In dealing with foreign tu'do, l J .Tit'sh methods failed badly. This aspect of the question we dealt with at considerable: length in a previous article. The British commercial traveller was also severely handicapped when he had to compete against the eommercil travellers sent out by German firms. In most eases the Britisher was a poor linguist and was able to converse with, bis would-be customers only with the greatest difficulty. Our consuls were at a similar disadvantage, and when we consider the handicaps that faced British traders we must admit that it is a wonder that they fared so well in the race for the world’s trade. The modicum of success that they achieved . was mainly due to the good reputation that Britishers had established throughout the world for honesty and clean dealing. It has been suggested that the workers should he given a representative on Ibe consular services in various countries. The idea is n good o"e, and will probably he adonted. We must get over our old foolGh notion Hat Britishevs have nothing to learn from other nations. Tfie war has fan°'ht ns that we [rave much to learn, and tlm ;oanpv we set a licit on 1 * ta cl - of 'olf.odneaG'on H r ' b°tter it will ho ns and our Empire.