The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-12
GERMAN LABOR AND PROGRESS

c OME British investigators into the of the
rapid advance of German industry have reached
- the conclusion that the dominant factor in the
problem is the legislation OF the Government,
che instruction OF the technical Schools but the char
acter of the German people, In their judgment Ger
many is beating Great Britain in all forms of in
dustrial competition mainly by that the Ger
man workngman is more faithful more industrious
and more persistent than his British competitor
The Investigations have not been carelessly made.
No other foreign rivalry of any kind has disturbed
British competency that of the Germans in the
trade of the world In comparison with that the
average Britisher regards the Russian advance in
China and the French claims in Africa matters OF
minor interest The British empire would be little
affected if the Russians lords of Manchuria and
the French of Central Africa but if the Germans cap
ture the markets of the world for the manufactured
goods of Europe the wide empire of the mistress of
the seas will feel the loss in every department of its
power.
Nor is the danger slight one The industrial and
commercial advance of Germany has been something
extraordinary. Without the vast natural resources
OF the United States and without swift increase of
population and wealth. the development of German
trade has been almost equal to Our own. The growth
of some of her cities has been as rapid as that of
Chicago. The trade of Hamburg has increased twelve
fold since 1870. The empire leads all European
recent expositions OF German machinery at Berlin
and at Lepsc said to have shown something like
revolution in the industries of the people
The output OF this industry is to be found in every
market of the world, and is rapidly supplanting that
of Great Britain. Even in England itself German
goods crowding those of British manufacture
1t is therefore, not to be wondered at that the
lecturers and the statesmen of Great Britain have
been inqurng most studousy into the nature of the
competition and the causes of its success
Some of the investigators, have said, find in
German character the main OF the success of the
nation One of these, the London Spectator says:
ut is not protectonisn it is character method intel
gence, which have this great victory under
physical conditions less favorable than those existing
in France England. If we have anything to learn
il this respect from Germany-and we have much
il is that we must insist on character insist on edu-
cation, insist seriousness, method diligence
There is real danger that seeing what great results
have followed the splendid development OF technical
teaching in Germany, shall build numbers of tech
nical institutes without rejecting that in Germany
great body OF culture of excellent secondary educa
ton, lies behind the technical school and renders its
achievements possible"
There is lesson for America as we'll as for Great
Britain in this. The Spectator being free trade
theorist gives OF course less credit to the benefits Of
protection in Germany to her industry than should
be given but the less it is right in asserting
the value of character In the great struggle for
premacy in the industrial world that race will win
whose workers most digent most faithful and
most steadfast
Some of the colored troops who fought nobly