The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-06-07
TIE BATTLE OF DORKLNG.

The sensational article from BIackwood, de-
scribing the German conquest of England in
1875, which we published few days ago,
possesses for patriotic American readers AN
interest distinct from that which appertains to
the military dangers threatening Great
Britain. The author of this remarkable pro-
duotion gives wonderfully faithful picture
of the industrial position of England at the
present moment, in the following extract
''In our blindness we did not see that we
were merely big workshop,
making up the things which
came from all parts of the world, and
that If other nations stopped sending as raw
goods to aO0rk up zoe could not produce them
ourSelyes. True, we had in those days an ad-
vantage in our cheap coal and iron; and had
we taken care not to waste the fuel, it might
have lasted us longer. But even then there
were signs that coal and iron would soon be-
come cheaper in other parts; while as to food
and other things England was not better off
than it is now. We soere so rich simply be-
cause other nations from aHpartS Of the aoorld
acre in the habit Of sending their goods to us
to be sold or manufactured; but,
in our folly, we were too careless to insure
our prosperity, and after the course Of trade
qoa8 turned Ga0ay ii ao0uld not come back
again."
Whether the battle of Dorking or a similar
battle is ever fought or not, the above extract
truly states at once the present cause of Bri-
tish prosperity and one of the probable rea-
sons of its future destruction. The authors
figures of speech are amply verified by the
statistical returns, proving that nearly the
whole of British imports consist of raw mate
rials, while nearly all British exports consist
of manufactured articles; and if he
had entered into particulars he would
have been obliged to state that
very large portion of this
profitable exchange was conducted with the
United States. This country, however, has
so far grown tired of the primitive form OF
commerce consisting of the stupid act OF
selling beavers tails for a shilling and buy.
ing them back as hats for pound sterling,
that it has maintained a protective policy
during the last ten years; and under the
operation of that policy so many varied in
dustries have been developed that this
nation is rapidly becoming less ant
less of jackal to the British lion. A steady
perseverance in the course which has alread,
produced so many beneficial results, and al
ready gone so far to destroy British indus
trial dominance, will finally make as the
manufacturers of all the useful fabrics WI
consume, and so far change the character o
our foreign commerce that we, too, will be
come exporters of manufactures and i'm
porters of raw materials.
Several of the European nations hav'
already emancipated themselves iron
dependence on British factories, simulta
neously enriching themselves; and Germany
now so much feared by England, owes all he
strength to modern persistence in the wis
policy of protection. No fears of battle O
Dorking would be entertained in London
Germany could not forge her own thunder
bolts of war and clothe her own soldiers; an
so, too, no British apprehensions OF wa
with the United States would have hastene
the late treaty if protection had not develope
ahost of diyersifedindustr in this countr.