The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1915. AFTER THE WAR.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 6, 10 December 1915, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1915. AFTER THE WAR.

with respect to Germany after the war, and especially a s regards oversea trade, have changed greatly of late, and there is now a very wide belief that German trade will be in a parlous state when the war is ended. The Mercantile Gazette discussing this aspect says that upheld (lie war ds over Germany will he faced with a tremendous load of debt, a huge paper currency which she will be unable to redeem, a broken and dispirited population, a great shortage of man labour for the factories and workshops, a super-abundance of female labour, a shortage of raw material,, and disorganised shipping. Germany will have ti'emendohs difficulties in overcoming these disadvantages. and her greatest trouble will be finance. The menace of German competition in the export trade seems to he almost negligible. But it would not be wise to hold the enemy too cheaply, consequently the component parts of the British Umpire must see to it that Germany does not obtain any facilities to once more cultivate close trade relations with us. German traders, like the German military authorities, are not troubled with scruples,, and therefore we may expect to see the German traders resorting to all sorts of subterfuges and devices to again secure some portion of the trade of the British Empire. This is a perfectly true presentment, and no one who has taken thought on the subject can do other than agree with the Gazette’s conclusion that “mere legislation, the imposition of a penal tariff, will not in itself ho sufficient to meet rbe position, for the reason that the Germans after tbo war will

lie glnd to work for any small and tlie eost of production must therefore he very much cheaper than, it was before the war. The hearty support of the people is needed, and that should not he difficult to obtain, Bet j the British Empire shut out German i. goods, and develop the industries j within our own huge domain, extend- ■. iiUL our business if necessary to ony Germany deserves to he well ’-punished for lier great crime against ; humanity.”