The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-01-17
A Remarkable Russian Article
Shall Europe Be Americanized9

The following curious and interesting article
is translated from the st. Petersburg Zagran-
ichny Vestnik:
The competition of the United States in the
grain trade, and in other agricultural products,
is now rightfully regarded as a general Euro
pean question of the greatest Importance
Learned men have always wondered at the
rapid and unprecedented development of that
country; but lately even practical men, Euro
pean farmers, have begun to study it, for
American grain, meat, and cattle fill the Euro
pean markets, and threaten the farmers with
ruin, or at least Impeachment. They are
anxious to know under what circumstances
American farmers have become such danger
GUS competitors, and what the results of that
competition will probably he.
Dnring the last ten years, when the grain
producing countries of Europe have had short
crops, American competition in the grain trade
had been strongly felt in Europe. Throughout
the whole of Europe have been heard demands
for protective tariff for agricultural products
These demands have been partially satisfied in
England, France and Germany. The different
countries of Europe will not suffer equally
from American competition in grain. England,
France and Germany have for years imported
grain, and their inhabitants have necessarily
turned their attention to other branches of ag-
riculture and industry. But Russia, Austria
and the countries on the Danube, which used
to supply western Europe with grain, now find
ly these countries paid for the goods they i'm
ported with their grain, cattle and raw materi-
ais. But what will they do now in vie W of the
American competition in these articles? How
will Russia, for instance, now pay the percen.
tage on her immense foreign loans? And what
VIII become of her 100000 farmers in case
the European markets are closed to their pre-
ducts by American competitor? We Russians,
too, must study the agriculture of our trans.
Atlantic friends. Nature has endowed the
g = W., IL -.
Her soil, climate mineral wealth and natural
means of communication are unsurpassed by
those of any other country. The Old World
has peopled that country with freedom-loving
citizens. The various hardships of European
countries have caused an unprecedented mi
grafton to the b spitable shores of the United
states. Agriculture and industry being high
ly developed there, have induced large Europe
an capitalists to invest their money beyond the
Atlantic
Dr. Young has calculated that every emf.
grant coming to America is equal to a capital
of $500, and DIR. Engel puts his worth at g. ,12S.
Even taking the former figure, we will find
that during the last 10 years (1870-o0) the
United States has acquired in this way about
$2,204 100000. Since 1850 the population of the
United States has doubled, but its production
OF wheat aud corn has increased five times
Their surplus of grain they have sent TO Europe.
The grain market of England is now in the
hands OF the Americans. They send their
grain also to France and Germany. Even at
Flume, the Austrian grain exporting port,
American grain has appeared. Our own alco-
hol distillers are beginning to import Ameri-
can corn. 1t is evident that the Americans
are step by step driving their competitors from
the European grain market. The Americans
have perfect system of transportation. To
their lakes and rivers they have added numer-
Gus canals and numberless railroads. The
grain freight from Chicag o to Hamburg is low
er than from Pesth (Austria) TO Hamburg
The grain market of our neighbor, Germany
is more and more occupied by our transatlantic
frlents In 1880 we furnished to Germany "a
per cent. of wheat, and the Americans "a per
cent; of barley we furnished 10 per cent. and
the Americans % per cent of corn, we fur
nished 2 per cent. and the Americans % per
cent.
Now, what are the particular circumstances
which enable the Americans to drive away
European grain producers from European
markets? 1t would be quiGe wrong to attrib-
ute their success chiefly to the natural quail
ties of the country of the Yankees. In our
opinion the free American citizen of free
country has done more for his own welfare than
nature has done for, him. The Americans
hold their destinies in their own hands. Their
government costs them very little. Their soil
tillers can get plenty of good land. They are
educated, all of them They have no huge
standing army to consume their substance.
They save mems labor by substituting for it
the forces of nature and machinery, thus pre-.
serving him for the field of labor in which they
can be no substitute-mental work. This is
the picture that the country of the Yankees
presents and the European countries are on the
other side of the medal. Young America is
going in good earnest to thrash old Europe.
Have we any means of defense? Some say
the American competition cannot continue
long, for the population of the United States is
rapidly increasing, and before long the Ameri-
canswill need all the grain they producelfor their
own uge. But we believe EurODe can he bank
rupted ten times before the United States can
be densely populated. Well, shall we give up
the business in which we cannot compete with
the Americans? But that is impossible, at
least SO far as Russia is concerned. Then shall
we adopt the American way of farming, of
transportation, of education, and so on? In
other words, shall Europe be Americanized in
order to withstand American competition?
But our life cannot be Americanized unless
our government is first Amerioanized.