Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-28
IN GERMAN FACTORIES
They Are Introducing Ameri-
can Machinery.
UP-TO-DATE METHODS
THE MATTER OF WAGES AND
HOURS OF WORK.
A Visit to a Model Establishment
German Workmen Versus
Americans.
UP-TO-DATE METHODS

Copyright. 1908, by Frank c. Carpenter)
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
BERLIN.
Germany is trying to fight the American
invasion by importing American machinery
and American methods. 1t Is sending dele
cations to the United States to study our
factories and large number of American
experts have been brought over to teach the
use of our machinery. Nearly every large
factory in the empire has more less
American tools and / have gone through
some in which the American labels and
trade marks have been Clipped off and
German name plates tackled in their
places. The Germans are very jealous OF
our trade advancement and the manufac-
turers say they can sell goods more easily if
their customers think they have been made
with German machinery.
I have already spoken of the American
shoemaking tools. These are being used
with American experts behind them, but
so far their produce has not affected the
American imports. American tools are used
in the wooden and cotton factories. and in
the electrical works and in the big iron
foundries. such as krupp's and others.
| visited the Ludwig Loewe machine tool
works. one of the largest factories of Ber-
lin, the other day. 1t Is considered the
best and most up-to-date establishment in
the empire. and it is modelled entirely on
the American plan. 1t is devoted to ma
chine tools. and it makes them almost al
together from American patterns with
American machines, and to some extent I'M
der American foremen. The firm is one of
the few that has been making money dur
ing the hard times that Germany is now
having. 1t made "a per cent about three
years ago. and am told that it made about
II per cent last year. 1t already supplies
h., go H., l., 1.Ef
and in time it's owners expect to crowd the
Americans out of this market. 1t has also
a branch in London and is competing with
us for the English trade.
Our machine tools are noted all over Eu-
rope. They are sold in every manufacture
ing center. You can find lots of them in
Birmingham and Sheffield. They are used
in Paris. ST. Etienne and Lyons and also in
Berlin. The demand for them is so great
that this factory was built to supply it.
Ten Acres of American Machinery.
1t is strange to find ten acres of American
machinery In Germany, but this Is what
these buildings contain. The founder of the
works Ludwig Loewe, was a young hard
ware merchant in Berlin, who sold, among
other things our sewing machines. He saw
the machines were better than anything the
Germans could make, and in 1870 went to
America to learn how 1t was done. He Wis
tied the sewing machine factories and our
works for making machine tools. and came
back determined to get a share of this
trade. He brought a complete outfit of
American machines with him, and gradual
ly built this factory, which is one of the
model ones of the world. 1t is made of
brick, iron and glass, a large part of
which came from America. The buildings
are floored with American lumber. and six
acres of the ten are covered with American
boards This is so, notwithstanding Nor
way is just across the borders within easy
distance of Berlin. The boards are of hard
maple. three inches wide, nailed to a pine
flooring. which rests on another floor of ce-
ment and steel. The maple will not splinter
and it can be kept cleaner than any other
floor.
l examined the machinery as I went
through the shops. Nearly every tool was
American. There were great planning ma
chimes and milling machines from different
parts of the United States. Our steam en-
gines worked away side by side with those
of the Germans, and most of the saws and
lathes were of American make. 1 asked my
guide which machines did the better work
ours or the Germans. He replied that he