It seems certain now that the Underwood Tariff Bill will
be passe0..in United States. It has often been prophesied
that the " interests " would be strong enough to prevent any reduction of duties, but after a long period of suspense the Opposition in the Senate has had to acknowledge itself beaten at the critical point. The real struggle has been in the Senate, because there the Democrats have a majority of only five. In the House of Representatives the Democratic majority is a hundred and forty. The abolition of the tax on wool has been the crux. Now that the Senate has agreed to this proposal, as also to the abolition of the sugar duty, everything else is by comparison of small importance. Practically the whole of the free list is now accepted. Mr. Woodrow Wilson is to be congratulated on succeeding where others have failed. He must have treated the Senate with remarkable deftness and tact. Englishmen should not make the mistake, however, of believing that Mr. Wilson is committed to a campaign for Free Trade. The removal of any indirect tax is, of course, a step in the direction of Free Trade, but Mr. Wilson denies that he is a deliberate champion of Free Trade as such. He expressly said in his election speeches that no thoughtful Democrat proposes Free Trade for the United States : "All we want to do is to weed our garden."
