The Irish standard., 1901-10-19
Americas Commercial Supremacy.

America's Commercial Surremscy.
In this extraordinary age fashion
of self-depreciation sweeps over GER
tain nations. A few years ago dt was
France that went through it. One
Frenchman wrote book on '"The
Grandeur and Decadence of the
French and another wrote one ON
"Anglo-S Saxon Superiority"
Now it is England's turn. Every
thing English, from the army to the
morals of society, has been weighed in
English balances and found wanting.
Commercially the foreign terror loom
ed UP with the publication Of made
in Germany" but it did not reach its
most appalling proportions until, the
German ogre was superseded by one
from America.
1t appears now that veritable panic
is rehgning in England over American
competition in trade, and moreover
there is good reason for it. The latest
book ON the subject-"The Invaders"
by Mr.. Fred s. Mckenzie of the Lon
don Mails damned with startling
facts, says the Chicago American.
There seems to he no line Of bust
ness in which Americans are not:
crowding Englishmen off the track In
their home markets. 1t is not merely
the purchase of a steamer line by ].
Pierpont Morgan. 'The real invasion"
says Mr.. Mckenzie, "goes on unceas-
ingly and without noise or show in
five hundred Industries at once. From
shaving soap to electric motors and
from shirt waists to telephones the
American is clearing the field. Today
it is literally true that Americans are
selling their cottons in Mancheser, pig
iron in Lancashire and steel in Shelf
field. They send oatmeal to Scotland,
potatoes to Ireland and our national
beef to England. 1t only remains for
them to take Goals to Newcastle"
But it is not what Americans have
actually done, but what they may be
expected to do, that is most portentous.
| The things Mr.. Mckenzie describes
are the mere beginnings of new ex-
pertinent. They are our first tentative
groupings after a foreign trade.
Moreover, this invasion of European
| toJ- in,
time at home. Most of our greatest
manufacturing establishments have
been fully occupied in supplying the
American demand. 1t has been only
little surplus energy that could be
used in attacking new markets abroad.
Finally, the goods we have sent over
to England thus far have been mostly
sent in British ships, on the terms of
British ship owners But that is about
to change. Mr.. Morgan's purchase of
the Leyland line is only one symptom
of our determination to do our own
carrying The rush of work in Ameri-
can shipyards is more important one
And now how will it be when our
experiment has been fully tested, when
our footing i'll the foreign markets has
been definitely won, when the home
demand slackens SO that we shall have
to export enormously increased
amounts to keep our mills busy ani
when we shall have fleet of Ameri
can steamers able to carry our goods
abroad in any quantities at the mos
favorable rates?
These are points that may we'll max.
foreigners think.
And while the thinking is going OF
we may as we'll do little OF it our
selves.
For instance, if we can SEND ever,
kind Of product, crude and manufac
, tured, to England, and sell it there i,
a free trade market in competitio,
with all the world, why can we no
hold our own market without stickin,
iron spikes and glass bottles all owe
the top of our tariff WALTZ