The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-25
GLOOM IN ENGLAND.
UNITED KINGDOM LIKELY TO LOSE
ITS COMMERCIAL STAND
ING
MAY GO BACK TO THIRD PLACE
Germany and the United States hid
Fair to Pass 1t in the Race
for Commercial Su-
premacy.

WASHINGTON, Dec. A.-There IS a
large and ever increasing number Of
thoughtful and well Informed people in
Great Britain who express the serious
belief that ii radical changes do not come
about in the near future the Unitci
Kingdom will be relegated to the third
position in the ranks of the worlds trade
and commerce. This statement is made
by United States Consul Boyle at Liv,
erpool, in his annual report, extracts
from which were made public today by
the state department.
1t is conceded, says Consul Boyle, that
last few years has failed to meet the
competition of the United States and
Germany. Mr.. Boyle says the optimis-
tically inclined plead exceptional and
marvellous natural advantages as far as
the United States is concerned, while as
to Germany's fierce competition, the IN
satisfactory financial and commercial
situation now prevailing in that empire
is cited as an instance of q country
booming itself too rapidly. The cry of
Something must be done,' says the
consul, lis going up from commercial
bodies, political speakers economic wri-
ters and from the newspapers. There
are fears expressed that even in the car
rying trade the supremacy of Great Brit
ain is threatened. When the war in South
Africa is over there is certain to be a
popular demand for legislative action,
and the indications are that the British
government will be compelled to give
more earnest consideration to matters
relating to trade and commerce.
There Is strong sentiment among the
masses of Great Britain, and one which
appears to be gaining strength as time
goes on in favor of bringing about what
has become popularity known as fair
trade" and which, says Mr.. Boyle, Is
nothing but reciprocity. Protection per
Sc, he says, is not very much advocated,
but it is significant that many of che
most widely circulated papers of Great
Britain now are boldly advocating pol
icy Of fair trade" or do to others as
they do to you
Against this sentiment, however, the
consul says, must be set the national
dislike to change established institutions
of which free trade is one Of the most
fundamental.
A particularly interesting portion of
Consul Boyle's report is that wherein
he places the American and the British
workmen side by side in comparison
which places the American far to the
fore. English manufacturers, he says,
find it almost impossible to get the same
amount of product from machines as
is obtained in America. There are two
reasons for this, says Mr.. Boyle First,
the average British workman is not as
adaptable as the American, and does not
so readily get command Of new appli-
ances; second, it Is not the custom of
the country for an Englishman, whether
mechanic, clerk, or 1aborer, to work as
hard as an American.
The small extent to which up-to-date
labor saving machinery is used in Great
Britain, as compared with America, and
even Germany, Mr.. Boyle says, is just
now a fruitful topic Of discussion. Eng
lish manufacturers, he says are handi-
capped by reason of their employment
of antiquated plants. The rule in Eng
land, says the consul, is for plant or
machine not to be replaced until it Is
absolutely worn out The question is, he
says, will it do?" not "can it be i'm
proved?" "In the meantime says Con-
sui Boyle in closing his report, now Is
the time for American manufacturers to
get stronger foothold in this country"