The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-01-21
It's Center Is Gradually Shifting from Eng
land to the United States,

fts center Is Gradually Shifting from Eng
land to the United States.
Her Won Neumann-Spallart undertook
recently, in the Deadsche Rundchaa of
Berlin 10 prove that the center of gravity
of the worlds commerce is gradually
shifting from England through Ger
many to the United States. The statis-
tics quoted by him in proof of his theory
would seem to bear out the conclusions
be has reached. He shows that while
in 1868 the share of Great Britain in the
world S commerce was "a per cent, it
had fallen in 1882 to 1875 per cent,
+ land that of the total foreign commerce
of Great Britain and the continent in
1868. Great Britain is credited with
S4.5 per cent. and in 1882 only 30. In
1868 Great Britain produced $50 per
cent of the coal mined in the world; in
1888 only 4Q,7 per cent. In 1868 British
productions of pig iron amounted to
AL per cent of the total. while it was
but 39.l per cent. in 1883. Taking next
the article of cotton, we find that from
1896 10 1860 England consumed COS
per cent of all raw cotton manufactured
abroad. and the continent of Europe
39.7 nor cent, but that in 1883 the cot
ton trade of Great Britain fell off to 52.3
per cent, while that OF the continent
had risen to Az per cent. The total
decline in British manufactures he esti-
mates at the rate of per cent per annum
for the past seven years.
He holds that the statistics cited by
him indicate that the center of gravity
of the worlds commerce is slowly drift
ing from Great Britain toward Germany,
and that it will ultimately rest in the
United States. On the other hand Mr.
Goschen, the English authority, con-
tends that there has been no decline in
the quantity of goods manufactured in
Great Britain, but that. in point of fact,
there has been a visible increase; that
the apparent decline has been in the
total values because of the lower prices
manufacturers have been getting for
their commodities and they have sought
to compensate for small profits by in
creased production. But Herr Ncumann
is probably right when he says the
center of gravity of the worlds COM
merce will ultimately be fixed in the
United States. at least so far as the two
greatest of all industries, those of cotton
and iron, are concerned. The intimate
connection between the industries of
Great Britain and those Of the United
States was never better stated than by the
late Earl Beaconsfield, who, in speaking
Just before his fall from Office of the
stagnation of trade at that time in En-
gland, said that business would not re-
vive until there was a revival of indus
tries in the United States. 1t is difficult
for some persons to appreciate the extent
to which England is dependent on the
United States. England is one vast
workshop. She does not raise enough
of breadstuffs and provisions to feed her
swarming population. Even when her
harvest is a good one she needs 90,00O,-
900 bushels OF wheat to make up the de-
ficiency in the home product. She
needs also from foreign sources an
enormous supply of other provisions,
If IN embargo were placed on the ex-
port of breadstuffs and provisions from
the United States, in such wears of
scarcity as England experienced from
1877 to 1882, the price OF these commod-
tiles would rise very considerably in
that country. Stop the export of raw
cotton TO England from the United
States and the output of yarn and piece
goods, of the annual value of 5000, ,O0O,-
900, would be nearly brought to a stand
still, as it was during our civil war,
until new cotton fields were opened in
Egypt and India. At that time all Lam
cashire was clamoring for bread
Lord Beaconsfeld was, therefore.
right in saying that the prosperity of
England was largely dependent on the
prosperity-and, we may add, the friend
ship-of the United States, But England
can not hope to control indefinitely the
products OF iron and cotton. With re-
spect to this she is destined, sooner or
later, to- find a formidable rival in the
United States, and principally in the
Southern sections of them, where fur
naces and rolling-mills are even now
being established in the midst of all the
raw materials that enter into the pro-
duction of iron and steel, and where
cotton-mills are being planted in the
midst OF the cotton fields. 1t will take
4 long period to transfer from one ma
ton to another industries long estab-
lished among a people who have OBJ
tanned command of the worlds markets,
out that time must inevitably arrive.
As in England, our staple industries are
inevitably destined to be those of iron
and cotton. As in England, our pros
perity is built upon these two bases
the iron that enters into all industries,
and the cotton that clothes the world.
But with us there are other factors that
are to be taken into account. England
has to spend large sums annually in
buying breadstuffs and provisions to
meet the needs of her industrial popula-
ton. We can not only feed all our
| people from the products of our soil,
but we can also supply from our surplus
| 4 heavy British or continental demand.
| This, conioined to the fact that with the
raw materials of iron and Gotten goods
in abundance close to the place of man,
! ufacture, gives us a double advantage
/ and iustities the prediction of Herr Neu.
mann that, in tire shifting of the center
Of gravity Of the words commerce
which he alleges Is now slowly going
on, the United States will attract 3
large if not a controlling share Of the
great staple industries upon which The
wealth and prosperity of people are
f0unded.-Baltja5ore Daily Sun.
| THOUSANDS SAY so,