Omaha daily bee., 1899-05-19
REAL AMERICAN EXPANSION.
American Industrial Growth Not De-
pendant on imperialism.

H
No better answer can be made to the
specious plea Of the imperialists that our
commercial expansion depends on the ac-
QUESTION OF more territory and the estab-
lshment OF military bases in distant islands
than to point to the triumphs which our
manufacturers and traders are now making
in the markets of Europe, especially of Eng
land and Germany. British Industrial circles
are stirred TO their center by recent triumphs
of their American competitors, and the
English press Is commenting with evident
concern on the American invasion of British
markets.
English railway companies continue to
order American locomotives, Notwithstanding
their natural prediction for their own
countrymen, simply because they have found
out that the American engine is far ahead
OF the English in power, speed and modern
improvements, as well as in cheapness.
English makers of locomotives have been
conservative, sticking closely to the old way
of doing things, while their American rivals
have been busy studying, experimenting. in
venting, improving. Knowing the importance
of steam-producing capacity in an engine,
the Americans build immense boilers, twice
the size of the English, thereby having ex-
cited some derisive criticisms from their
competitors in the mother country. But
today it is the Americans turn to smile.
The success Of our engine builders is but
one instance of the manner in which our
manufacturers are winning their way in the
world. Captain John jacques of the United
States navy, who is in Europe on an official
mission, says that everywhere In continental
and English manufacturing centers he has
found 1.-THE trend of thought directed 70 the
immense advantage of American labor-sav-
ing appliances American companies are
f1ltnn n trn . Co., 1topI hriI1ag Ia INn,vnt
in Japan, in China and in South America,
One Pennsylvania steel company is building
a 500, 900 viaduct for British Burmah, and
American steel rails are being sent to Eng
land, Australia and other parts OF the world
in competition with the British product.
Andrew Carnegie says that the American
is the ablest and most versatile man in the
world and that for this reason he gets and
executes orders ahead of Europeans, English
men included. What need, then, for him to
depend upon military conquest in order to
conquer the commercial world? Give him a
fair field and no favors and he will dominate
the markets of the world. His genius for
invention and Improvement, added to the
unrivaled natural resources at his command.
makes him invincible in the great struggle
for industrial supremacy.
The American people have undoubtedly
entered upon an era of commercial expan-
sion that is destined to sweep over the globe
unless it is checked by the fatuous I'M
American policy OF territorial conquest. 1t
is not colonies that we need If we would
conquer the industrial world. Colonies are
a source of expense and weakness, requir-
ing military and naval establishments and
an elaborate system of civil administration
that eat into the resources of a nation and
impair its commercial strength, Our free
dom from colonlalism and Imperialism has
contributed materially to our present COM
handing position.
In the face Of the signal progress which
our manufacturers are making in the in
dustrial conquest OF the earth, relying solely
upon their skill and enterprise. it Is nom
sense to say that trade fellows the flag,
Americas true expansion is to be accom-
plished, not with battleships and armies,
but with factories and labor-saving and
time-saying machinery; its genuine i'm
perialism is to be worked out, not In the
blood of its valiant soldiers. but in the
sweat Of Its intelligent tQilers.