Omaha daily bee., 1898-12-18
THE WORLD OUR SALESROOM.

More than ever before in our history
the commercial side Of American ma
ture is turned toward the world. AS
was recently said by M Of our lead
ing manufacturers, the United States Is
no longer the worlds market; the whole
world Is now our salesroom. No
longer do England, Germany and
among themselves. They are now our
best customers instead of our largest
creditors. American goods have found
a place in the worlds markets during
the close of this century to a greater
extent than the most sanguine antici-
pated a generation ago. Our manufac-
turers are no longer upon the defen-
sive, occupied chiefly with resisting the
invasion Of foreign competitors. On
the contrary they are going forth to
meet these competitors ON their own
grounds and in their strongest posi-
tons. We are shipping pig iron and
finished forms of iron and steel to
England, where once our struggling
iron industry was viewed with on
tempt. Manchester merchants, who
ono declared that the manufacture of
cotton goods in the United States would
never be Of much Importance, now buy
our cloths to ship to India and China.
Germany, whose skilled mechanics are
SO proficient in the construction of ma
chinery Of every kind, now buys our
in,nrnvn1 vnonh{nn fool, IN nrno% r,,on
titles. England sold us bicycles until
we took to the wheel in earnest, but
that country Is now u best customer.
Innumerable illustrations might be
cited to show how American manu-
facturers have conquered competition
wherever they have set themselves to
the task. During the last fiscal year
the exports Of manufactured goods from
the United States exceeded in value
SOL, 100000. q gain Of about S1O6,OOO,-
600 in three years. This means more
than the mere figures signify. Not only
has there been an outlet for that guam
tity of American products, but that vast
amount Of new money has been brought
into the United States to be expended
for other products of American indus
try and to go into general circulation.
Not only has the exporting manufac-
turer been benefited by this increase in
his business, but the manufactures
whose trade is wholly at home has de.
rived advantage from the new money
thus brought into the country. The
V1nitnh StnfAS n~ lands ny.p nfh,r
country in iron production and this
primacy In the chief industrial staple
really carries with 1t a superiority in
the lines Of manufacture Immediately
dependent upon 1t. Last year u out
put Of iron was nearly 100000 o tons
This year our output will reach nearly
100000 tons, while British iron pro-
duction will probably not be larger than
last year. Our strength is in unfailing
sources of supply, lower cost of produc-
ton and cheaper freight rates. The ma
ton that can control the iron trade of
the world is assured supremacy In the
worlds commerce. This is the position
toward which the United States is
moving.
American manufacturers seem to be
fully alive to the opportunities which
are presented and yet the reports of
some of our consuls indicate that there
are promising fields that are not being
as carefully cultivated as they might
be. The American consul at Chemnitz,
Germany, says that If Americans
worked" that empire and the whole
continent as carefully III the United
States Is worked by Germans, our e X
ports of tools and machinery would
swell within a few years to double their
present proportions. Already, however,
our trade in these lines has become SO
extensive as to have aroused such hos.
ulity to American competition on the