The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-06-16
ANDREW CARNEGIE ON
PRESENT and FUTURE
American and British Industrial Classes
Compared by the Ironmaster.

I
The bright. lofty room at the Lang
ham Hotel where Mr.. Carnegie received
me. writes a London Ironmonger'
representative, had none of the latter
day splendOr Of our newest hotels. The
furniture was Middle Victorian There
was the we'll known drawing room
suite upholstered in dull red Utrecht
velvet. mahogany armehairs with earv-
/ ed backs, the whole characteristic OK
a man who cares naught for show OF
fashion Mr.. Carnegie himself has a
pleasant. homely manner. and a soft
voice. with an accent far more Scot
tish than American.
"A message to the British iron and
steel Industry" Mr. Carnegie laughed
In answer 70 my query We'll. that IL
large order. but I am glad to think
that 1 can give you, at any rate. some
words OF encouragement There came
over In the Cedric with me three Brit
ish employers Of labor and one we'll
known scientist, v'ho had all been in
the States to study American works
and methods-and methods. mind YOU.
Such q spirit OF inquiry. such a desire
- -~~@ 49, - NA@NAl me LnaL
the old country Is really beginning to
be IN earnest"
The Sober American.
You may have noticed. Mr.. Carne-
gle. that the twenty-five British trades
union leaders who were sent By Mr..
Mosely to the States to inquire into
American conditions OF industry almost
unanimously admit the American
workman TO be more sober and less OF
a gambler than the British artisan Ii
that your view?"
81 have no View" said Mr.. Carnegie.
smiling Il know 1t to be the fact. II
mas been my business for years TO study
the elements that have now given to
America the victory IN her Industrial
contest with Britain. and I know
that the superiority OF the Americans
In these two matters has been an i'm
portant factor in giving US that victory"
And the new president continued
thoughtfully: When a foreigner fails TO
rate British present-day Industrial
achievements as high as the Britisher
considers 10 be his countrY's due. the
latter Is very apt to point with pride
10 England's past. Haven't We done our
share OF the worlds work.? he will AJAX.
To which my reply is: Certainly; share
equal 10 that OF all the rest OF the
world History has no parallel 10 your
country's achievements; but pray re-
member that as a manufacturing nation
you had until recently no competition
worth speaking Of In the frat decades
OF modern industrialism. you were max
ing wonderful strides, but you walked
alone. You were lighting nobody. After
ward some OF the Continental nations
came on your track. and you had some
trouble in keeping the lead, in spite OF
your long start But today your chief
rivals are net men Of foreign race. but
people OF your own stock. with just
enough admixture OF other races to en-
dow them with the highest qualities Of
each component part. Not only that;
the environment Of the younger people
tells greatly IN its favor. The social and
political institutions Of the United
States, its bigness. the wealth of It's soil.
all tend TO Undue its people with a spirit
which knows no defeat In America,
where all white men. at any rate. are
born equal, the Industrial workers are
not a new social caste drifting into tine
ken OF the governing classes. They are
are governing classes From them our
Presidents spring. Caste cannot grow
upon our soil %
From this little diversion We returned
to the Mosely commission. I recalled
to Mr.. Carnegie that the opinion OF most
- -, -.
the Britisher turns out better work than
the American Whereat the president
smiled and said: Every good artisan,
no matter what his nationality. has q
delightful conviction that no foreigner
can produce such good work as hiaI-
self That Is professional pride-a val
liable quality. lying az the foot or ali
excellence Il would surprise me II
single British delegate had admitted that
the Americans eQualed his own country
men in any craft whatever. But permit,
me. with my personal knowledge Of
many thousands OF American, British,
and German workmen, TO keep an open
mind on the subject. The fact Is that
no such thing as a national standard OF
superiority exists in handicrafts nova
days. And IL there were one II wouldn't
matter. for II Is no longer a question OF
the best man. but chiefly OF the best
automatic machine"
Prophecy.
Some time ego you predicted that the
British Isles would become the pleasure
ground OF the race. supporting ratheI
less than half thair present population,
country prosperous and contentsd,
hOnOred by all the world for its past
achievements. but OF little material ao-
count except as a member OF the great
Anglo-saIon community Is that still
your vtswf"
Certainly; but it will not come to
pass for generations. Il IS your ineyi-
table destiny. but IL lies far Of The
days when minerals. raw materials, and
food supplies sought the centers OF pop
ulation are passing fast. The tendency
is all the other way. We are making
more steel In the States than all the
rest OF the world Three years hence Wa
shall be making more pig iron. We pro-
duce more cotton goods now than does