The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-06-07

has become the Humping ground" for the surplus stock of American and Ger man manufacturers, who, from behind ''the shield of Protection" as the author of '"The Coming Reactionp calls 1t, shoot their goods at us while we leave our poor manufacturers powerless to save them selves from ruin. Unless it can be show that these figures in the Contemporary" are, not meremy inaccurate, but the precise reverse of the true facts. Ameri- ca, In spite of all that traffics can do to keep out foreign goods, Is far andaway the first dumping ground" actually buying about twice the quantity of for eign manufactured goods in proportion to her whole trade than any other country does: while we, in spite of the unprotect- ed condition of our purblind and decad- ent manufacturers are far and away the first and most successful of the dump ers," and suffer less than any other coun- try, except France. from the activity of the foreign producer In proportion to our whole trade-and this is the only fair basis of comparlson-we export DO per cent more manufactured goods than the United States q am taking now the last year in Mr. Warren's table instead of the average for six years). 26 per cent more than France, and 16 per cent more than Germany. Our vast imports do not con sist of manufactured goods, but of food for our workers (46.5 of the whole, taking the average of the years 1S94-1sOO) and a raw material for our manufactures (S53 of the whole) Although it Is per fectly true that the proportion of the manufactured goods exported by the Americans increased greatly during these six years, and although the total amount of their export trade grew by leaps and bounds at the end of that time their exports of manufactures still remains in- significant by the side of ours. and the bulk of their export trade still consist ed of food-stuffs and animals. which ac- count for 67 per cent of the whole. I recommend every one who desires to know the truth about these figures to study MT. Warren's figures for himself. He will also do well to remember that the greatest of all our trades the ship ping trade in which we are match for almost any three nations together is not included at all in these calcula- tions. l by no means suggest that there is no need for us to wake up," or that we have no lessons to learn from the great increase of industrial activity in Germany and America. But the fact seems clear that we are at present hold ing our own in the international compe- tition as well as our resources entitle
 
 the superior skill, intelligence. and &C., tvity of foreigners is as foolish as it is mschevous, and that the idea of strengthening our position in interna- tonal trade by artificial restrictions on the importation of foreign goods and less justification today than it ever had be- fore.
 I have never clearly understood why two nations should be allowed to mas sacre each other by means of explosive shells while it is deemed contrary to the rules of the game for them to shoot at each other with explosive bullets. But such is one of the rules laid down by civilized nations. There was an outcry when we inadvertently used explosive bullets against the Boers, and We were very indignant when they fired explosive bullets at us. which. according to them. they had captured from us. Mir. Brod- rick was asked the other day whether we were using explosive bullets against the Somali He replied that he would iuauire Since then. our martialsts have been protesting in the newspapers against such schoolgirl sentiment savage is so brave, it seems, that when charging he can only be stopped by an explosive bullet Colonel Plunkett and his men would have been, they say, alive