The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-04-03

The United States Has Become the Greatest
misunderstanding Country.

The United States Has Become the Greatest
misunderstanding Country.
Mr.. X. II. Edmonds. O journalist of Balti-
more, one of the most eminent authorities
on the conditions Of recent progress in the
United States. contributes TO the Engineer
ing Magazine en- interesting and valuable
paper entitled. "A Decade Of Marvellous
Progress" lrom which o few conclusions
are extracted:
The United States is now the leading
manufacturing country In the world. We
have far outstripped all other nations in
the magnitude of our industrial opera
tions. 1t Is almost incompreheDsible that
In tep years the increase In capital in-
vested in manufactures should exceed the
total invested only twenty years ego. The
value of our manufactured products In
creased about 90 per cent; add 20 per cent. to
the output of 1890 and we would have Sl3.-
200. 600. coo In 1900-but that is too much to ex-
poet. The samer rate of growth in mining In-
terests IN this decade as in the last would
make our mineral output In 1900 nearly
81. 200. 000. 600, while q smaller percentage of
gain, only equaling in volume the total
increase in 1890 over 1880. would bring the
figures to over $3.50. 600, 600. If our coal
miners add to the OUTPUT of 1890
% many tons as they added
to that of 1880. ignoring In
this the percentage of growth. b.
No other country IN the world ever adj
vanced In population and wealth as the
United States 10 doing. The progress Of
the past shows no signe of hating. In fact.
the development of our foreign and do
nestle trade and and of our in
dustrial interests ia steadily broadening
out.
Contrast our position and condition with
Europe. with resources surprising those of
all Europe. with wealth creating possibili-
lilies In soil, minerals. timber. and climate
unequaled by Europe. and practically
without limit to their profitable utiliza-
ton, with q homogeneous population
arbitrary regulations of half a dozen dir.
ferent governments and free from the
drain OF standing armies, the United States
justly commands the wonder and admira-
tlon of the world.
Great Britain is no longer the manufac-
turing center Of the world. for we have
taken the foremost position in that line.
Its vast iron and steel business is yearly in
creasing In cost of production. while Onrs
is decreasing. IL cannot meet the worlds
growing demand for iron and steel, because
1t cannot increase its production to any
great extent. 1t produces less pig
iron now than it did ten years
ago. Much of Its ore it imports
all imported. 1t spends about $3.50. 600. 900 Q
year for foreign fOodstutfs. On the conti-
nent every nation Is burdened with debt,
and none OF them can ever hope to pay OFF
it's obligations. Measured by. their natural
resources and advantages for continued
growth against their debts and the
many disadvantages under which they
labor they are practically bankrupt. In
all of them the cost of production aud
living must steadily increase. In the
United States we have scarcely laid the
foundation for our future greatness. In
natural resources we are richer than all of
Europe. We are paying Oft our debts
faster than they are due. We have barely
scratched the ground in the development
of our mineral wealth, and our agricultural
growth can scarcely be limited.