The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-04
AMERICANS NOW
FEARED IN ITALY
Competition Dlsturbs the Easy
Going Italians to Some
Extent.

ROME, Oct. 3.-American competi-
ton has disturbed even Italy, and I
have been successful in obtaining an
important interview on this subject
with Prof. Luigi Luzzatti, a world re-
nowned financier, three times minister
of the treasury who has worked out
and brought to a conclusion almost all
the commercial treaties between Italy
and other countries, and who is often
consulted by foreign powers in their
most difficult financial crises.
Some particulars of the life of this
eminent man may be of interest to
American readers. He was born in,
Venice in 1871 of a Jewish family, and
having successfully studied law, he OBJ
tanned, in 1867, professorship in the
University of Padua, from whence a
rev years later he removed to Rome,
there to fill a similar post. He was
twice. elected to the Italian parliament,
but could not take his seat on account
of his youth, no one being eligible I'M
der thirty years of age. Later he was
Reelected, and still retains his seat in
the chamber, where on every question
of law, finance. economies and indus
try, he takes a leading part, speaking
with flowing eloquence and the author
1ty of knowledge and conviction. He is
the apostle of cooperation, of which he
Is an able exponent. He has repre-
sented Italy at various scientific and
literary congresses, and his published
works are numerous and highly appre-
ciated.
No one better than Prof. Luigi Luz
zatti is competent to give an opinion
which will be at the same time au-
thoritative and impartial, on American
competition, which, in Italy as well as
IN the rest of Europe, is the question
taking the lead in all thoughtful minds.
Speaking on the subject to me, he
said:
'The United States is-to quote the
words of Lucretius-'the blooming
youth of the world There the char
acteristics of all the better European
races are fused together, and connected
with the bond Of liberty and democ-
racy. The result is a nation which,
from an economic point of view pos
sesses the inventive skill of the Ger
mans and English, and a territory
vaSter than the whole of Europe. with
all the advantages of diversity of CHI
mate and rich mineral resources, bound
together by more miles of railway than
the whole Of Europe can boast If this
nation" continued the nlustrious pro-
fessor, should now provide herself
with powerful fleets of warships and
merchant vessels, a thing which she
could easily do, is it not evident that
the economic axis of the world would
be in New York rather than in London,
Paris or Berlin? The trusts, which
now in the United States have assumed
proportions more colossal than ever,
and have been applied to great manu-
featuring industries and to mineral
produce. may in new and stupendous
forms disturb the laws of universal
competition. Who can say whether the
United States is not preparing a rev.
olution in manufacturing industries
similar tc that which she has already
accomplished in Europe through her
exports of agricultural produce? The
agrarian question in the old world with
the lowering Of agricultural returns,
the consequent economic and social
disturbance, the problem Of too cheap
bread, now rising in price to save the
agricultural classes from ruin, and the
high frontier duties, originated in 1879
80, when the eXces Of American grain
production first visibly and impetu-
ously affected Europe. Even before
the trusts, the protective system of the
United States was working as it has
worked everywhere, to give to foreign
countries the produce of her national
industries cheaper than they are sold
1t home. AT present the trusts. man