The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1901-07-18
PROSPERITY DUE TO WAR
P. 4. 3. widsner Of Philadelphia Explains
How We Became World Power and
Tells Why Trusts Are Necessary.

sSsss WY ss~SeS SNe 'NtSCSSdTy.
BY William E. Curtis. Special correspondence Of
the Chicago Record Herald.
At Sea, june 2.-P. A. B. Wideuet
Of Philadelphia thinks that the p,esen,
prosperity in the
Fruits United States is large
Of the Spanish ly due to thu S anish
war. war. ut would have
come sooner or later, "
he says, "but that fastened it. We did
not want the war. We were forced into
it by the yellow journals and lingo poll
ticians. The President stood them off as
long as he could, but after the Maiue ex.
plosion we hal to fight, and during he
few months that followed we developed
more rapidly as nation than ever before
in 50 short period. There was grea,
impetus given to every industry employ
ment was afforded to every man who was
willing to work, wages were advanced,
profits were increased, there was a more
rapid exchange of money all around, and.
furthermore, we saw the recognition of
the United States as great nation by the
powers of the world, and the arousinp of
the national pride.
"We became world power very sud.
denly. We had always been one, bu,
did not realize it, and the fact was not
acknowledged by the older nations.
Now we stand as the wealthiest, the most
progressive, the most powerful and the
most influential of all the nations. the
greatest producer of both agricultural
and mechanical products, the greatest
exporter Of merchandise, the leader of all
the commercial nations.
Then came the combinations, the
trusts, which were the natural coll
sequences of large
business, and were Trusts
made necessary by the Necessary to
demands upon us. Success.
20 m b n ion was
necessary to secure economy in produc.
ing and handling. because it is always
cheaper to do a wholesale tina retail
business. Great interests can be handled
better and more pro6tably by concentra-
ton. The administration of he largest
mass is the most economical, and the
trusts made our big export trade possible.
individuals could not stand the expense
Of working up foreign market Or COM
pete with foreign producers, but by unit
ing their capital and their enterprise they
are able to invade every market in the
world, because the cost Of production,
the cost Of selling and the cost of
handling has been reduced.
"These combinations, or trusts as they
call them, released an enormous amount
Of money which for time lay idle in the
banks. and then our enterprising men be-
gan to look around for investments.
They could not find them at home, SO
they we.it to Europe where England
was engaged in war which absorbed all
her resources. A few years ago English
men were coming to the United States to
buy our breweries aud foundries, factories,
street car lines, department stores and
other interests, but the conditions have
been reversed, the trend is the other
way. and American enterprise is now
taking rold of the biggest projects in
England.
zone reason for this is that the Eng
lish methods Of doing business are not
up to date. Another
England is that the broad and
Behind the progressive ideas and
Times. the confidence Of the
American business
man in his own abilities give him advan-
tages over British competition. Our
greatest success. however, in industry
and commerce has been due to the
higher intelligence and better education
Of the American workiugman. The
United States is democracy where every
body has q chance, and that inspires