The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-24
sncRH1s or ynE srELL Makers.
PittsburE Wills No Longer Open To Visiting
Experts from Abroad.


IIT,TsByRG, Nov pa German manuiac-
turcr who visited pittsburg recently was sur
pri,ed by the difference between the welcome he
received then and about eight years ago When
he was here Oh the previous visit the manuiac
turcrs of P.ttsburg gave an International enter
tait,!ncnt and Liacd aud wined their competitors
from England Germany and France, showing
them the wonders Of natural gas and the resources
Of their plants. One day the programme called
for u visit To tho Carnegie and other mills, ana
this particular German was invited 10 go and see
how things were done IN ilis country, he being
q steel manufacturer himself lie refused the
Invitation On the ground that German manuiic
turets had nothing " learn from America and
lie had come to the United States TO get away
from the clangor and smoke Of the steel mills
II was different last week. Having asked
permission To inspect certain mill and See the
improved machinery and methods he had heard
and read al Ut ho was surprised at finding /,
impossible 10 obtain the required permit and was
obliged 10 content his curiosity with an inspe'-
ton Of a smaller establishment which was not
in his particular line Of business Other Tor
eignefs have succeeded In entering somc OF the
mills, but manufacturers are becoming more
and moro chaTy in granting facilities for the IN
spcction Of their plants. and the time Will soon
come when experts from abroad will have 10 con
tent themselves with an exterior view oi nus
burE's manufacturing establishments
There Is a great contrast between ulc p'hod
wl,n foreigners cared nothing for visit TO TIE
mills here ana the present time when uicy are
arriving here for that very pufrOH' every dhS:
The reasons all lie IN the new pos .uon the United
States have taken In Tho eyes % the nations since
tle Gloss Of the Spanish war American arm9f-
plate may have had no Opportunity To sho" Us
but the voyage 81 the Oregon demonstrated the
value OF American mn'hin.r Military science
may not have been enriched with records oil great
strategic mannuvrcs. but American vim NOR.
oughneSs and taridty Of execution, initiative
and other valuable qualities We're shown in the
army by others and phNabs Much, probably.
81 tie interest now shown by foreigners Is due TO
the fact tl.at even before the war American manu-
facturrrS lad cut into the markets Of their foreign
competitions; but most 81 1t. 50 sieelmakors h're
say. is due tu the sudden opening Of eyes caused
by The swift conduct 81 the war.
she deserves it is admitted here, but then for
cicners cannot hc exp cited In know ilIai the Bar
and other cit 5 for much 81 Me machinery that
moves her mills and enables her u turn cut the
great hams and ShaTrs tina make her the greatest
Producer Of construction steel in the country.
Al any rate. forricn manufacturers have bon
coming here in druvcs II is only lately that Tie
local industry has awakened to the commercial
risk OF permitting promiscuous inspcctiun OF the
MILLS The foreign expert need not bring camera
along n catch The improvements on machinery;
Photograph imprinted on his mind can readily
he developed on his return home.
Every llanl mas machinery mat may not "
patented in OIdcr 10 prevent others from making
and using H. and its secret should therefore, be
guarded ienlousy Machinery In everyday use
here could Of course bc obtained by the foreigner
rom the regular makers hut there are things be
sides machines which help 10 American success
Thus, knowledge OF Improved methods NJ Assem-.
Ming and utilizing machinery may he useful
10 the foreigner. and should he kent from him.
MANY labor saving methods are used In the best
establishments. and IL might b, rest that a COM
peutur I'm search Il knowledge should be held in
ignorance ~ these one mill may have evolved
smooth, rapid, apparently involved, and yet
simple ~ stcm-once II Il understood 81 manu-.
featuring, say. beams from the molten metal
~ the finished product loaded on the railroad car
This system was, PERHAPS. thought out after the
lIss Il much money In expensive experiments,
IL would obviously be unwsc 10 allow some COM
pct;ur 70 learn the secret Of the network Of ladies',
railroad tracks from furnace 10 furnace cranes and
overhead travellers and other devices intended
10 say, labor and facilitate execution. Eupp,
tho great German manufacturer, acquired this
lesson long ago, years before Americans had
learned its \ { No outsider can
rrnr,rrg 10 the Laboratories II the great German
chemical establishments, and the commercial
value u this prcCautipn TO the technical sciences
may bc dciuCed from the fact that the Germans
have discovered 40 per cent Of the Products of
coal tar and have built w n monopoly that Is
annually worth millions Of dollars q them.
OF course, foreigners still coming 10 Pitts
burg to learn, but more than one mill has shut
them out, and the time will soon come when they
will he Obliged themselves 10 evolve the applica-
tiun of the methods by which their markets are
being taken away from them.