The sun., 1901-06-29
A British View OF tho American In.
vasion.

There can be no question about the alarm
that is growing In England over American
competition in trade. The grumbles Of
British contractors because the preference
has been given TO Americans. the warn
ings Of British statesmen that England
is face to face with war for trade. are
followed by demonstrations In the British
newspapers Of the way In which American
brains and American enterprise are forcing
American goods into British markets.
The Daily Maa OF London. In series OF
articles intended to arouse British manu-
facturers to action, makes number OF
startling statements about the progress
already made by American manufactures
in Great Britain and touches on the causes
OF the British decline.
Striking Incidents like the purchase Of
a great line Of shipping by Mr.. MORGAN
or the capture Of orders for bridges by
American firms may be passed over as
merely dramatic events in a great cam
paign The more serious facts are that
American manufactures are beginning to
invade what was the special British field.
cotton, Iron and steel. and before long
perhaps coal. and that they have already
made their way In hundreds OF more spe-
cialized industries. In many Of which they
have the control already and are beyond
British competition.
To-day 1t Is literally true. says the
Daily Mad. they are selling American
cottons In Manchester. pig iron in Lam
cashire and steel in Sheffield The guam
titles. It Is true. are still small. but they are
increasing at tremendous rate, and the
mere fact that they are imported into
England at all is significant. Cotton goods
worth 5000 were imported into England
In the month Of January. 1900; In January.
1901. the value OF imports had doubled TO
sl?5 900, and the likelihood is pointed out
that when cotton mills are well established
In the Southern States the mills OF England
will be obliged to shut down. just as those
OF Massachusetts are already closing So
with pig iron: In 1884 England produced
twice as much as the United States; by
1900 the United States had caught up, in
1900 IT produced half as much again as
England. In 1899 England sent less than
10000 tons Of pig TO the United States,
and imported $1,000 tons OF American iron
worth s.. 100. 600; In 1900 the value OF Amcri-
can pig imported into England was 81 $780,
600, while the value OF tho iron imported
in the first four months Of 1901 was nearly
double that OF the importation for the
Same period In 1900. From January to April.
1900 the United States sent less than 1000
tons Of steel, worth sl65OO0 TO England;
in the same months OF 1901 II sent 1900
tons. worth 81 .25O.000.
What may be the outcome Is shown by
the results in the tin-plate industry. Nine
years ago Cardiff was tho centre Of the
export trade in tin-plate bars. OF which
$50 900 tons year were sent TO the United
States. The Mckinley tariff put high
duty on tin plate amid the execrations Of
free traders and Mugwumps. and the trade
has been transferred to the United States
Not only has the British export trade ceased
but in ono month Of last year 20. 900 tons OF
tin-plate bars manufactured in the United
States were landed In Cardiff
The danger from American raw ma
WTldIs, however IN IN the future, the near
future TO be sure; the struggle with Ameri-
can manufactured goods is already upon
England. The Daily Maj puts ono in
stance graphically:
Modern one. furniture, from the desk 70 The door
mat Is nearly all American In every upto date estab.
lishmenL one sits on NebraSkhn swivel chair
before Michigan rolltop desk, writing ones letters
on syracuse Wpcwrinr, signing them with n New
York fountain pen. and drying with a blotng sheet
from New England. The letter copies are pu, away
IN nles Manufactured In Grand Rapids
Other cases are illustrative OF the su-
periority OF American methods to British.
What are the facts in the awarding OF bridge
contracts to Americans which has caused
so much complaint In England BY many
improvements. by the standardizlng Of