America Will Be the Loser If Trade, Tourists Shun Europe

LONDON —  In the wake of the air strike against terrorist centers in Libya, and Col. Moammar Kadafi’s threats of retaliation, the image of Europe under siege has taken hold in the United States, and Americans are canceling hotel and airline reservations by the thousands.

Is this image justified? Absolutely not. Should Americans, in the interest of their own welfare, stay at home? That, of course, must be a personal decision. But in my opinion, the answer is a resounding no.

The State Department has issued no travel advisory for any European nation. It recommends only that visitors take the same sensible precautions that they would if traveling the United States.

I live in London, so I will limit my comments to Great Britain. I base these comments on ordinary observation, and they should be taken as such. But I have been here for 2 1/2 years, and am in a good position to assess the dangers, if any, that Americans might encounter. Keep in mind that Queen Elizabeth, who must be a prominent target, last week celebrated her birthday by strolling through central London without harm.

This is among the safest big cities in the world. Other large British cities, such as Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester, enjoy the same reputation. The British countryside, with its rolling green hills and charming villages, holds countless attractions, one of which is the nearly total absence of crime. Both tourists and residents are protected by a supremely competent police force. The British “bobby” serves as a model of rectitude and professionalism for police officers everywhere, and Scotland Yard, through efficient and diligent investigative work, has earned a sterling international reputation.

Americans can, therefore, experience Britain with complete peace of mind. From the corner pub to the royal wedding, from Roman ruins to Shakespeare’s Stratford, Britain offers inimitable treasures to enjoy. Americans should not miss out on these delights because of unwarranted fears or impulsive reactions.

When individual Americans refuse to travel abroad, it is a needless personal deprivation. When American businesses decide to stay home, it hurts every one of us in the wallet.

Great Britain has had Europe’s fastest-growing economy over the past five years. This has created business opportunities of every sort. The prosperous British people buy a wide variety of foreign products, and British investment and tax laws welcome foreign capital.

If Americans ignore these opportunities, the Japanese and continental Europeans surely will seize them. Our trade deficit will increase, and products stamped “Made in the U.S.A.” will become as rare as an American-built radio. Our exporters will fail to keep pace with new marketing techniques and lose the valuable experience that involvement in overseas markets inevitably brings.

Bilateral trade between Great Britain and the United States last year exceeded $60 billion in goods and services. Americans have more than $32 billion invested in the United Kingdom. These figures speak to the confidence we have in each other. They also suggest the economic benefits that both countries derive from trade in such large volume.

But if American businesses do not attend international trade shows, if American executives are not in personal contact with their European partners and clients, if American companies seek only domestic customers, all Americans will suffer. We will lose jobs in both manufacturing and service to our competitors. Our skills in marketing, advertising and production, which are honored through international competition, will begin to erode.

AT&T;, the very expression of American industrial dynamism and expertise, this week sent a large delegation to the British electronics show in London. They decided to do so after thoroughly reviewing the security climate and business conditions. Other Americans ought to heed their example.

Tourists should come and enjoy themselves, confident that they will be well cared for and appreciated. Businesses should come, too, and compete for the vast European market, secure in the knowledge that they face no extraordinary threats.

Again, this decision is up to the individual. But if we allow the inflated specter of terrorism to intimidate us, we will have surrendered a fundamental right of free people. We also will have deprived ourselves of one of life’s true pleasures, the joy of travel.