The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-12-26
WHAT WAR MEANS.
GREAT BRlTAIN's ENORMOUS CAPITAL
INVESTED IN AMERICA.
Engiand Depends Largely Upon This Coun-
try For Her Food sappiy-Most Of Her
Cotton Goes From Here Danger Threat
ened to Tremendous Interests.

A few years ago it was asked II the Brit
ish were buying up all the United States.
Those there were that laughed at the ques-
ton. They sneered at the reports of in
yestments of English capital In the pur-
chase of breweries, tho syndicating Of
grain elevators the capitalization of flour
mills. The fact remains, however, that
Victoria's moneyed men have had such an
eye to tho stupendous natural wealth OF
this country that they have placed major
portion OF their free money In American
enterprises, until now their holdings
amount to more than SO, 600, 600, 600.
The figures of such an amount can
scarcely be appreciated. It Is 80 times
greater than the amount of cash ordinarily
In the possession Of the United States
treasury. 1t is four times as large as tho
sum total of the nations immediate re-
sources, as shown by tho official report of
the secretary Of the treasury at the end of
the last fiscal year. The whole debt of the
nation in the year before the civil war was
about S65, ,O00, 900, only slightly more than
2 per cent of the total Of Britain's present
holdings In America. The British OF to-
day, If they could realize on these securi-
ties at par, could pay that national debt
46 times by simply selling their present
possessions of American securities.
At the end of the civil war the national
debt was .s2, 778, 600, 600, or s400, 900, 600
less than what the British now own In the
United States. Today, with the national
debt fallen te about $1,000, 900, 900, the
British could pay It twice over by taking
out Of the American pocket that which be-
longs TO them.
All Of which Is Of particular interest at
the present moment as bearing upon the
question of Great Britain's willingness or
unwillingness to have any serious trouble
with the United States in this latter part
Of the nineteenth century
British investments In American securi-
ties began in the early part of the century
and have continued unabated ever since
1t is matter OF history that during the
civil war England would undoubtedly have
recognized the Confederate States as bel
ligcrents had not the moneyed men, head
ed by the Rothschilds, insisted against IL.
Their invested capital was at stake then as
Il is now, and the pressure that was then
brought to bear upon tho British ministry
was almost as nothing as compared with
the pressure that must now be exerted on
behalf of Britain's invested capital in
America.
Great English investments in America
did not begin until ten years ago, and
they multiplied with such rapidity that
they reached. tho enormous sum of $780,
000, 900 in single yoar--1sS9. In that
year British capitalists showed their en-
thusiasm when the "a, 500, 600 stock Of an
American brewery trust was floatod in the
London market. Subscriptions for this
single enterprise amounted TO S35, 600, 600,
eight times more than could be taken. A
second brewing association was formed
with capital of So, 800, 900, and this was
snatched up within two days. Still anoth-
er followed with "a capital OF $4,000, 900
and was equally successful. The boom
spread to other enterprises, and in less
than year there was invested million or
more each In these companies: