The Tuapeka Times AND Goldfields Reporter & Advertiser "Measures, not Men." WEDNESDAY, 13th AUGUST THE PATRIOTISM OF BRITISH SHIPOWNEPS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 6090, 13 August 1913, Page 2

The Tuapeka Times AND Goldfields Reporter & Advertiser "Measures, not Men." WEDNESDAY, 13th AUGUST THE PATRIOTISM OF BRITISH SHIPOWNEPS.

J lie ami-militarist section oi the Socialists argue that racial sympathies anU antipathies hive not .so great au ellVct iu preserving or breaking the peace oi the world as the cash nexus which unites all thu capiialnu of commerce". Capital they ,Hay is cosmopolitan and haii no country, its possessors are cut I'T prolit by hook or by croon, and they are not at all particular wnence the prolu iciws, or how it is made. Capital no\wulu\ - is mostly in the hands of joint stock companies oi which it was long ago said that they have neither a body to be kicked, nor a soul to be saved. Patriotism and religion and justice and honour \ are therefore not a part of the stock in trade of a joint - stock company. If a war seams likeU to bring prolit to a povrerful company the directors and leading shareholders o£ that company try to foment that war, even if it be lih« to injure severely the country m which the majority of the shareholders :«e----*ide. if peace paya better than war then the same persons do all they •an to work the oracle in favour of peace. The oracle is, of course, the Prctt and itlie news-supplying corporations. But, in modern days the insist popular source of revenue is the- warfare, by which public excitement is raised, dormant racial antipathies roused, the patriotic drum beaten, »ud pressure put on Govvrimnnta to induce them to go in for immense expenditure in military, naval, ami •aria] all el wljjoli bring piat U ih« anil oi MgMtigy '

capitalists, iu this view, which is iiuny popular uniong the advanced Socialists Ol AUSUUIUSM, SUlCel'e pu l fljl ola are 01 ly dupes uno guils piiiudieaily victimised by groups 01 spoeUiUlOl'o m ilie duel niiuneiai capitals or i) tbu world, who uro uouhu |logeili,.r oy a lo.e oi gain una a c.onuiion Miil-Sllip ol AUmmOll. illlS picture Ol iailei'Uay Civilisation IS CCI lullll} lull very inspiring to souls wuh loiiy ) KIWIIS, bill lliet'O HCCUIS 10 DO u go>M i!i-;ii ol irutli in a. luUu the ease oi fi i.ni.sii blupowuii's lor u.\ample, jor what purpose has U)u UritisU uu\y ucuu iiiumcusoly strengthened tlw Jasi twenty vcuis : itiiy hnv» liuiKimis oi millions earned oy the vorkcr* ocon paid over lo tho Ui'Hlsh Government, including u low million, oi Aew : Zuulimd an<l Australian earu- ;■ nigs V Why did we present a uvo nullum battleship to tlie British u a »y< \ihy, nut to protect the numerous iiicrcnaut Vuaneis owned oy Ihe lirilisli Shipowners uoni iorcign aggiesston in general, ai.il aom German aggression m particular. And what lunu briUsn shipowners been doing uil the time : .veuially ldvouriug, looter - n.g, and »übsiiusuig tho very enemy I Iron* whom we una tlie rest ol the I, umpire are protoctuig. ,Uieiu at U'et lUcndoUt expanse 10 ourselves. Cillonly alter Die cioso ol thy iloer \>ur mo .Liberal Government under the Icudeisiup oi the, lato Air soddou passed me i'roterenual and Keoiprocal 'trade Act, by wliien lower duties ' wore .levied tu goods ol British nian--1 uiacture than |ou those imported Uoui I foreign countries, including Germany. But Dritish shipping companies apparently have no sympathy with the lui- : puriulistu: ideul ol u soli-supporting JLaipiiu According to bir Walter Bui chnnnn they are actually charging cheaper ii'eiglrls lor [German goods, _ thin* enabling Gernyiai maniuiuoLurers to defeat, the jirefuieutiai tarili, and lUctJentaliy helping to maintain the very navy whose rivalry hub compelled us i to incur such stupendous expense. This lamentable' tais was told at the recent Agricultural Conterenco, whoso members passed a resolution recommending that increased pioi.-renco bo given to British goods, which snnply means to raise still higher the , turilf on German goods. Undue discrimination oi this sort against German manufactures inuy cause au much irritation ad to biing on war. \\\u. in such a case would be primarily responsible for the outbreak o£ a war which every honest and patriotic statesman in Ergland oud Germany is trying to avoid V Who but tho British shipown.-rs who put protits bofore patriotism, and yet expect their property to bo protected by the patriots of the Empire ? Conscienceless conduct cf this sort by corporations and companies is daily gaming mlherents to Socialism all over tho world. Germany herself (has her " Krupp " scandal, which seems to have been a " corrupt " system oi creatirg war-scares. Possibly the hi-,' British armament manufacturing coinpanics ma v have had a secret understanding with tho " Krupp " people. Possibly when the German Jirau found the demard tor war material slackening its agents passed tho word over tr tho Engliah firms to blow the war trump and beat the war drum. Anything seems possible after the revelation of the commercial method* pursued by the British shipping companies. At a ny rate it seems to the outsider very queer that, after all tho alarums ana excursions iby wbioh England arid Germany have been set snarling and snuppir.g at each other like two dogs, war has not yet aventuatsd. I And tils msrf fast tfeftt v»r

mense preparations seem to show that neither country has any just e grounds for war. Tho jealousy of s kings and courts used to cause it. ] But the Groat [Powers oi the- world | seem to have grown put oi that , i trouble, though hali-tamed communit- ' a iesj, like tho kingdoms of the Balkan ~ Peninsula may still indulge in mutual i, slaughter with no better excuse than v monarchial ambition. But the new c trouble is the all-prevailing desire jor ! y dividends by ir.vestora. There is great ; inducement to foment national panics ' t when hundreds of millions of pounds ! , are invested.in machinery and factor- i its whose work is to provide belliger- I ; ent nations with armaments.