The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-16
Table of Exports.

On the face of it. this is flattering
showing for the United States. In 1898
Great Britain exported about the same
amount as in 1880 and less than in lS9o-
During the same period the Germans
went ahead steadily with a gam OF
about SO per cent in their export pusl-
ness. In the same time the United
States has made a gain of over 40 per
cent, and her foreign sales, amounting
to nearly 81, 25O, 100000 last year. made
her the greatest exporting nation IN the
world.
The surprising total of American eX-
ports for 1898 however. was affected by
our vast shipments of raw materials,
including breadstuffs. Taking into ac-
count manufactured articles alone our
exports amounted to $40. 900. 600. The ra-
ito of increase in manufactured exports
has not been so high for Germany be
cause she was already exporting several
times as many manufactured articles as
the, United States. but her actual
growth has been great. The race for
trade supremacy has been nip and tuck
between these two for the past decade,
and the end is not yet
An American exporter. who has gwen
careful attention to this subject, puts
the situation as follows:
England has had her own way IN
foreign trade so long that she thought
she could keep it forever. She paid lit
tie attention to the competition that
was growing up, and, in fact. went to
sleep. Meanwhile the Germans and
Americans have been reaching out for
new markets and they have been do
ing il in characteristic ways.
1.-THE Americans have tried to turn
out a superior quality of goods and
have relied on their goods to make
their own way. The Germans, on the
other hand. have given careful study to
the demands of different commercial
countries, and have tried to meet these
demands in the cheapest way. Their
statesmen have gone everywhere drum
ming up trade. If they found American
goods in a particular line selling we'll
they set to work to initiate these in a
cheaper quality. If firm in Timbuctoo
wanted to give an order for a dozen pa
pers of pins, some German would be
on hand to agree. to make up the pins
in the particular style that the Timbuc-
too merchant wanted
Americans are apt to refuse such
small business. They are disposed to
look upon foreign trade as secondary to
the home market, and to have take
it or leave it. attitude toward the for
eign buyer.
This is well enough I'm the presence
of such a large home demand as the
good times nave DrOuSnt at present
But the time will come when we shall
want a foreign outlet again. and we
shall find il closed to us if we refuse
foreign orders now. The patient. per-
sistent work of the Germans is telling
all the time. What the American eX-
porter must do. and do at once, if he
wants this country to hold first place
in the competition for foreign trade. is
to study the foreign markets and
methods of doing business more care
fully. to send out expert statesmen to
drum up orders. and TO turn out goods
made after the patterns to which for
eign buyers have income accustomed"
In the newer markets of South Amer
lea. Africa and the Orient, the COMPETE
ton between the Germans and Amer
leans is keenest. American exporters
have many stories to tell of the devices
by which the Germans have attempted
to capture trade in these markets. One
means is by the imitation of American
goods. Our exporters say that no sooner
does any line of American manufac-
lures begin to make Roadway in a for |
eign market than the German dealers |
put out an imitation, which is much the |
same in appearance, but of a decidedly !
poorer quality.
For example. few years ago Amer |
lean plate glass began to sell extensive |
~ in South American countries. While |
not able to drive it out by glass of the |