The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-21

can manufacturers have learned by . sudden
revelation. rs II seems, that they can undersell
all competitors In almost all lines Of goods In
every open market IN the world. The export
and import returns for the past year furnish n
preliminary indication OF the immense prizes
within the grasp OF commercial and industrial
America. The question to he decided is
whether the greatest prize OF all shall DO relin-
quished when IL Is almost within grasp.
Granted. then. that American industry and
enterprise will demand the right to compete
with other nations. and va are instantly con-
fronted by the latest maxim Of international
intercourse. namely. no nation may engage In
the trade OF the world without engaging in the
politics OF the world. II Ia now q commonplace
OF diplomacy to say that the wars of.the future
are to be tariff and trade wars. Politics In
the international sense have become trade and
trade politics. Isolation In politics means
hereafter isolation In trade also. 1t is not sur
prising. perhaps, that some Americans should
fail to appreciate what isolation in trade
means, because America IL the only civilized
country In the world that can live and prosper
| upon her internal resources alone. But he
would be a poor American who would argue
hat because his country is thus blessed It
should forego all the rewards Of industry and
enterprise available among the hundreds OF
millions in other lands who are consumers
mon than producers.
But 1 am depressing from the main purpose
Of this letter. The conditions which impel the
American people to use every means at their
command to keep the general markets OF the
world open to American trade are so strong
that l assume that the Washington Admins
tration will devote all its energies to this end.
II becomes, therefore. a question Of measures.
not Of principles. England hopes that the
United States will cooperate with her In every
i. 49,
sary. to keep the markets of Asia opensto the
trade of the world. II America does this, she
will be playing the English game. as the aver
age Englishman understands it. What the
average EnRlishman does not understand Is
how much more America will be playing her
own game by adopting the English policy. Let
me indicate very briefly in what respects this
Is true:
England now controls the Asiatic markets.
Her trade there Is immense Two dangers
threaten her supremacy in that field. The first
is the political ~maneuvrinG which may
soon cut OF her access to all parts OF China
save such territory as she succeeds in keeping
within her own sphere of. influence" The
second is American competition. The frat
peril is imminent and well-nigh overwhe!m-
ing. The second is prospective and 10 scarcely
recognized even by those whose interests are
directly involved. To avert the first evil. Eng
land is content to ignore or even to encourage
the second. American manufacturers do not
need 10 be told how advantageous to the
United States is the English position.
1t may he we'll to recall u the mind OF the
general reader the chief revelation which the
great engineering strike In England made last
winter for the benefit Of the competitors Of
this country Trades unionism has dealt a
deathblow to the foreign trade Of Great Brit
ain. British control of foreign markets has
been diminishing for several years. but 1t was
not until last winter that American aud Ger
maj manufacturers discovered the golden OPP
portnnities whieh5British inertia and labor
union d~ietation had placed at their COM
maDd. 1t had long been \ notorious fact that
the British mechanic received1 wage amount@
ing to only 80 or 90 per cent. OF the pay Of the
American skilled workman In the same line
of employment. It seemed hopeless, there
fore, for the American manufacturer to COM
pete successfully in the general market with
British goods. in the production OF which labor
was the chief item Of expense. But 1t was re-
vealed last winter during the strike agitation
that British manufacturers had been the slaves
ofs their employees. or. rather. OF the9trades
unions. Workmen were permitted by their
unions to render only a very limited service in
return for their limited wages. This limi-
tation was so severe that the proportion Of
work done TO wages paid was very much
smaller than in American workshops. In
other words. 1t was the fact in many cases that
the actual product of one American mechanic
was equal to that OF four or five Of his English
brethren. The cost Of production figured by
results was therefore much greater in England
thar In the United States.
American manufacturers have not been slow
to take advantage OF these disclosures. The
invasion of markets heretofore Utmost ex-
clusively British has begun. with results al
ready apparent. In n few years. but for the
introduction OF the political factor, a revo-
luton would have been wrought In the trade
Of the world. The American workman and
the American manufacturer would have
prolted Ia common by that revolution.
These ominous ~portents have already been
recognized by som Englishmen whose in
terests they directly imperil. They have
seen them in birmingham. they have seen
them in Manchester and Sheffield and Brad
ford. They find a very dubious satisfaction
at those industrial centres in the proposed
American cooperation with Great Britain
for keeping open the Asiatic and other general
markets OF the world. The uninitiated. Eng
lIshman thinks the Yankees may be induced
to pull some chestnuts out Of the FIRE for him..
The English manufacturer knows that II
Uncle Sam does any chestnut pulling. he will
keep q large share Of the nuts for himself.
such are some OF the reasons. very super
hcially but frankly stated. why certain Amer
leans who do not love England are ready to
advoc ate the closest cooperation between the
United States and Great Britain In keeping
open the Chinese and other general markets
OF the world. Sentiment. 1 repeat. has no part
in 1t. The international politics OF this year
OF grace 1888. or OF any other year In this dis
pensation. have naught to do with sentiment.
Self-lnterest Is now as always the controlling
motive. and the one new element which looms
large is the domestic industrial situation In
each nation and its influence upon interna-
tIonal H. c.