Page:Bearing and Importance of Commercial Treaties in the Twentieth Century, 1906.djvu/27

, manufacturer and consumer, and perhaps even of State and citizen, and take the place of State remedies. If so, protection and retaliation may disappear out of the political pharmacy as mere products of past ignorance, laziness and greed.

In the same order of ideas, societies exist in France and in Germany for the promotion of the international interests of French and German trades. The Federation des Industries et des commercants francais is an especially vigorous body which publishes a monthly bulletin recording the progress of its useful activity. In Germany the Handels-Vertragsverein (Commercial Treaties' Association) follows more or less the example of the French society. In conjunction with it, recently, I was successful at the Liege Congress of the Chambers of Commerce of Europe, in getting a committee formed for the organization of such congresses at regular intervals. At these congresses common international interests will be discussed and the basis laid of treaty regulations which will help forward the business of the exchange of goods between nations, for all nations wish to do business with their neighbours and must sell and make a profit before they can buy.

May I suggest that we ought to examine our methods and compare them with those of foreign nations. Let us see what France and Germany and the United States are doing to improve their human machinery, which is a far more important matter than even the tools it uses, and is infinitely more important than any theoretical experiments with Customs duties. If we are lagging behind, it is distinctly in the education of those on whose