The age-herald., 1902-02-17
SCHWAB RETURNS
 FEELING WISER. His Mind BTOadened by Trip
 Through Old County FOUND PEOPLE FRIENDLY
Impressed More Than Ever With the the Scope of the Undertaking by
 United States Steel Corpora tion-WIl Demonstrate.

New York, February 16.-After an ab- sence of nearly two months in Europe, Charles M. Schwab, president of the United States Steel Corporation, arrived this morning on the steamship St. Paul. He comes in time to attend the annual meeting of the stockholders of the cor poration which is to be held tomorrow in Jersey City.
 MT Schwab visited England, France, Germany and Austria, coming everywhere in the closest touch with the leaders of finance and manufacture. He returns, as he himself expressed it to the Associated Press tonight more than ever impressed with the scope of possibilities of the great corporation of which he is the head, and more than ever enthusiastic over'the posi- tion of the United States in it's relations with the trade and commerce of the world.
 l went away for a vacation" he said "and while I had delightful trip also did a great deal of work. I found feel ing of the utmost friendship for our country existing everywhere in Europe. I found also intense interest in the ques- ton of industrial combinations the busi- ness men on every hand wishing to know more about them and more about our methods.
 Met Greatest Men In Europe.
 "I have been privileged to meet the greatest men in the European world of finance and manufacture and the great master minds of economic thought. I nd 6oIi tn Hpd itnl, tremendous interest in our great under taking and with the cordial recepton given everywhere to the president of the steel corporation.
 'rI said in a speech delivered in Chicago that any combination of business enter prises organized for other purpose than the reduction of cost and the incre.,se of output Is placed upon a false basis and I return from my visit to Europe feel ing more than ever impressed with the truth of that proposition I come back with my ideas broadened and my en- thusiasm unbounded. Heretofore l have looked upon our great combination of the steel industries of this country as per haps nothing more than an ordinary bus mess ventu of great magnitude. but after hearing the views of the business men of the old world I find that 1 have, If anything, underrated our undertaking.
 Ready to Demonstrate.
 We are now more than ever ready to demonstrate that the greater the scope of the combination, the greater the pos abilities for economy. and consequently the greater the possibilities for the re- duction of cost. With these objects in view we must have our great plants equipped and manned to perfection, and no care CT proper expense must be spared to keep these plants modern and at the highest point tSat ingenuity, skill and enterprise can reach.
 "While there exists in Europe the greatest feeling of friendship and admir- ation for America and Americans, l found also a degree of curosity and uncertain ty as to what we are going to do next. But as I told them they have their own protection at home in their laws and what we are after is trade in the great common field such as China and the Orient generally. In order that we get this they will have to work hard to keep us out. We look after the manufactur- ing world.
 Speaking as the president of the Unl- ted States Steel Corporation. 1 wish to impress upon our people here the fact that throughout England and Europe there exists no feeling of enmity among the great men; and my visit abroad this year was notable in the change l found when I, who had been there so often be- fore as an individual presented myself as the president of the United States Steel Corporation, which, as the great est of American consultations, was the center of curiosity among inquiring men of all nations who sought on every hand to learn more of our methods and our plans"