The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-01-16
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NJ VI. MURDOCH. Editor.
a GOOD YEAR AHEAD.

WITHOUT warrant, Notwithstanding so
eminent a parsonage as William Jen-
Kings BRYAN emphasized the belief by
declaring that the times had not in
reality improved at all The new year
Of 1898 opens up most encouragingly,
hot only in the west, where conditions
had been growing better for months
but in the east, where things have not
been so hopeful. The reports Of Dun
and Bradstreet, yesterday morning,
covering not only the speculative mar
tets but all the solid financial and COM
mercial interests Of the United States,
contains the proofs of improving condi-
lions Banks and railroads, farmers
and manufacturers and investments
and industrials generally are all on the
up grade. There now seems little doubt
that the year of 1893 Will go far to re-
store the satisfactory conditions which
held under the Harrison administration.
Chauncey Depew, the other day, de-
iivered an address on the present and
future Of the United States, in which
he held that the inevitable policy of the
United States is one Of peace with the
world. with the result Of commercial
Supremacy; that within the coming
century the United States would be the
worlds financial, industrial and COM
merciaI center, which era we are now
undoubtedly entering upon. Along the
same line Of conviction, the Review of
Reviews, a non partisan magazine, and
as much a European as an American
publication, offers some observations
and conclusions. In noting the fact
that the balance of trade in favor Of
the United States for the past year has
been excessive and Of stupendous di-
fnensions. and that such balance comes
largely of a demand for supplies Of
breads and meats, that paper says that
Gin view Of the strengthened tariff bar
rier, which makes it more difficult than
ever for Europe TO send her manufac-
lures to us in payment for bread and
meat, cotton and petroleum, there is
much uneasiness in trade circles
abroad, and not a little open and blus-
tering talk Of a combination of the
whole continent Of Europe for the eco
nomic suppression of the United States
Among responsible statesmen Count
Goluchowski, the foreign minister of
Austria, has been the most conspicu-
ously identified with such threats. The
puzzling thing is to invent a mode of
retaliation that viii not hurt the Eu-
ropean people themselves very much
worse than they can possibly hurt the
United States. England, of course, has
for a long time been reconciled to the
idea of importing the larger part Of her
food supply. But since the United
States has begun to compete SO formid-
ably in manufactures, there has arisen
no little CONSERVATION in the British
mind. Many signs point to the passing
of the scepter Of industrial supremacy
from Great Britain to the United
States The year 1897 has witnessed the
easy triumph of the American makers
IF steel rails over English and all other
competitors in every other part of the
world. American contractors are fitting
put electric street railways in England,
and various American manufacturers
of iron and steel are underselling Brit
ish products, not only in neutral mar
kets, but also in the United Kingdom.
Recent reports of the rapid exhaustion
of England's coal supply have added to
the prevailing alarm. The advantages
which American manufacturers nave
gained is due not merely to the superb
ority of our national resources as re
spects the deposits of iron ore and
coal. but also to the vast scale upon
which our industries are organized and
the superiority Of their appliances"
The enormous export trade reported
and verified by the several shipping
ports gives some idea of the magnitude
and growth Of our foreign trade, espe-
cially during the past year. The coast
cities Of the north all report an increase
al inc N"iui''e "a ioi e's7i' sii' u
from H'e - '"eii'S ii''''i'iiS' NJ
southern cities did equally as well. if
not better. from comparative point Of
view. Baltimore reports an increase Of
Sl9'ooo'VOV greater IMAM last year ana
$5.0JoOoo exports more than was ever
previously recorded Tor one year De
spite the tull and almost complete ces-