CHAPTER XI 



DIPLOMACY 



THE United States Government were not going to 

 allow their sugar industries to be ruined by the artificial 

 system of forcing production and exportation, now 

 almost universal throughout the European beetroot 

 industry. They were very happy to import the sugar, 

 but it must leave its artificial advantages at the Custom 

 House as it passed through. The practical result of 

 this policy was that not only tens but hundreds of 

 thousands of tons of superfluous European beetroot 

 sugar were imported into the States without hurting 

 anybody, while the American revenue was swelled at 

 the expense of Germany and Austria. The exporters 

 paid the countervailing duty and were thankful to get 

 rid of a good part of their overburdened stocks. The 

 United States thus became the only market where our 

 West Indian sugar producers could escape from this 

 ruinous competition it was their salvation. The Indian 

 Government followed the example of the United States 

 and gave the same relief to our producers in the East. 



Great Britain, in the meantime, gloried in allowing 

 the European producer to enjoy a preferential position 

 in her markets. He was in exactly the same position 

 as if his sugar were admitted free while all other sugar 

 was charged with a duty. That treatment would be 

 rank heresy if bestowed upon British producers ; but 

 the other way round it was hailed with delight as the 

 most perfect application of the only true economic 

 doctrine. 



Our Colonial Office began to think otherwise, and the 

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