The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-03
BEHIND TIE United STATES


The London Post scourges Britt h iron
and steel manufacturers; tells them that
they are ten years behind the United
States in nearly all branches of the bust
ness, insists that they shall bring their
machinery and processes up to date, and
finally that if these industrial reforms
are not put into effect speedily the proud
industrial and commercial position OF
Great Britain is gone
This is good reading for the high tariff
political machine in this country, that
would read out of the Republican party
Congressman Babcock for the crime Of
advocating the removal of protective
tariffs from the products of the billion
aire iron and steel trust.
This sermon of the Post advances notn-
ing new as regards the facts Of the TT
dustrial situation. Consular reports or
both America and Britain have been full
Of the superiority of American iron ana
steel products in world markets for sew
eral years. At the recent session Of
ADAAtA'iA AiOIA anu SLtGl 1IaltTGSIS NllIIdn1
Garrett, an expert authority, plainly stat
ed 70 the leading men Of British i on
and steel renown their peril and the
necessity for action. The statistics OF
manufacture and the statistics of ex-
ports and imports tell the tale. The fact
is, it is something like eight years since
the United States passed Great Britain,
not only in the production of iron ore, not
only in the output of iron and steel ma
chinery and finished wares, not only in
steel rails and pig iron, but in the en-
tire list Of iron and steel production, in
Ghe rolled steel and sheets and bars and
rods-that is 20 say in the iron and steel
volume as a whole.
Today. not only Is Great Britain no
longer able to successfully market iron
and steel products in this country, but
cannot prevent American manufacturers
from breaking into British territory and
even into the markets OF Great Britain.
We have usurped British business in
Asia, in Africa. in Australasia, in Europe.
The world is using American machines
and tools, The world is using American
steel rails and locomotives. The world
is using American nails and wire, Amer
lean builders hardware in all lines,
American engines and telegraph and cleo
trio machinery of all kinds, American
sewing machines and typewriters. Ameri-
can bicycles and automobiles, American
watches and guns, and American hair
springs and threshing machines.
And yet the great steel trust and its
political machine say that our Infant
industry" which has capital and mines
and furnaces and rolling mills enough to
destroy all competition and defy the
world, insist that the country cannot sur
Vive without a train of iron and steel
tariff duties that drags through page
after page Of that drea-y fraud-the
Dingley tariff law
Merely possession of tinie-honored
business connections and her freedom
from the far-reaching system of yelled
monopolies is all that enables Great
Britain to hold her own for the time
being in the staple industries of modern
clVillzation'-is the voice OF warning
which the Post lifts for the resurrection
Of fading Industrial greatness. But VIII
liam Mckinley and his political dynasty
still increasingly preach the necessity OF