Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 233, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 September 1916 — Govemment Must Stand Behind People If They Are to Win World's Trade War [ARTICLE]

Govemment Must Stand Behind People If They Are to Win World's Trade War

By J. SELWIN TAIT

Probably within a year or two, certainly before the present decade ends, the principal nations of the world, including the United States, will be engaged in a commercial struggle as fierce and as far-reaching as the physical war now' being waged in Europe. Although the outcome of that struggle may involve no actual blood-, shed, it cannot fail to have a very material effect upon our own future welfare, as well as that of our posterity. Upon it will- depend absolutely 'our future rank among the commercial nations of the earth, and, it may be, very much more than that. It is indeed by no means a far-fetched idea that, in view of the orbit into which that contest may move and the vast populations likely to be involved, it will settle that vitally momentous question, where the world’s future balance of power shall lie. If this view is correct, we shall not be able, as a country, to continue to live only to ourselves, as we have done in the past. In the future commercial battles of the world we must interest ourselves vigorously as other first-class 'nations do. The force of our unequaled wealth and energies, aided by the generous support of our government, must be felt under this new commercial regime. This much, at least, we owe, not to ourselves alone, but to the world at large. Considered, however, only from a selfish point of view, we can no longer fail to recognize that if our people are to have an equal chance in the markets of the world with the people of other countries our government must stand behind them in the same way that other governments stand behind their people. If this cannot be assured, then it will be small blame to our bankers if, so handicapped, they continue to refuse to send their funds thousands of miles away from home and outside the protection and shpport of their own government.