Evening star., 1901-11-11
CANNOT COMPETE WITH Us.
German Steel and Iron Industries at
u DISADVANTAGES.

The State Department has received from
Consul General Frank Mason at Berlin a
long report upon the commerce and INDUS
tries of Germany. Referring to the COM
manding position of the United States in
Germany's foreign trade, Mr. Mason points
out that this country, besides having the
largest and most valuable direct export
trade to Germany. has passed Russia and
risen from fourth to third place among the
nations importing from Germany.
The two outside influences of momentous
importance to the present situation in Ger
many, says Mr.. Mason, are the overshad-
owing competition of the United States and
reichstag. The experiment of recent years,
he states, has shown beyond all question
that in iron and steel and number of
other leading industries Germany, even
with her cheaper labor, cannot compete
with the United States. Intelligent Ger
mans fully recognize, he says, that that
fine composite product of American racial
qualities, institutions and methodS-the
workingman who thinks-will, in combina-
ton with our unequaled resources, turn the
scale in favor of the United States.' Mr..
Mason says that every step in American
progress and development is watched with
the keenest eyes in Germany, and that ''the
report of the completion of the steel maxi
ers syndicate fell like pail upon Euro
pean industrials, and gave the Berlin
bourse one Of it's blacklist days in gloomy
year."
The trade balance Of the United States at
the close of the last fiscal year. continues
Mr.. Mason, created a profound impression
in Germany. The financial and daily press
filled its columns with dissertations on
1.-The American danger" and European ma
tions were urged to combine for mutual
protection against this too powerful rival.
Rarely, If ever, elsewhere" says the con-
sui general, has the new position of the
United States among nations been more
powerfully and vfvfdly pictured than in a
memorable essay by Baron Won Walter
hansen, published by the central bureau for
the preparation of commercial treaties, in
which 1t was shown that whereas hardly
six years ago the Deutscher Bank took
about one-fourth of 500 000,O 600 loan is
sued by the United States government the
American trade balance of the last three
fiscal years, 1898, 1899 and 1900, had
reached the amazing total of 81 ,622, 900, 600
almost double the war indemnity paid by
France to Germany-and had reversed the
position of the Union and made 1t the cred
itor, instead of the debtor, of Europe" The
memorial stated: 1.-The United States will.
with increasing growth of their economic
power, gain in political might. Already
they enlarge their army and navy. They
will in the future acquire colonies, call the
Pacific ocean their own, and realize their
ideal OF international arbitration by be-
coming themselves the arbitrators.'
The new German tariff, If enacted. saws
Mr. Mason. would not go into general effect
until the beginning of 1904, because several
OF the commercial treaties between Ger
many ana other nations will not expire un-
| til then. There Is thus a period of over
two years in which the new tariff can be
discussed and new treaties under 1t nero-
uated with industrial nations. For the
| nrst time women are taking part in a Ger
man pohtlcai campaign, and have studied
out elaborately the influence which the new
import duties would have on the economy
Of family life. =