The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-23
new VIEW OF AMERICA
WRITER IN LONDON TIMES COM
MENTs ON CONDITIONS.
The Most Energetic People i'm the
World. He Belfeves-Have Sub
lime Faith in Their Destiny.

LONDON, Sept. 22.-In the course of a
two-column article from an American cor
respondent the London Times to-day printed
an interesting review of the development of
business in the United States. The writer.
who returned home after an absence of
nine years" took an, extended trip through
half the States in the Union" He says:
Never were my countrymen so devoted
TO business. The average man in the United
States is giving at least an hour more per
day to his business concerns than he 0i8
twelve thirteen years ago"
The writer attributes this Increased
ergy first to the renewed national spirit
and the increased responsibilities resulting
from the Spanish-Ameri war. and sec
ond to. the sense of economy ''imbued from
the severe depression Of 1893-1S97," though he
does not overlook the display of vulgar
ostentation and almost criminal waste by
small number of rich, idle people In the
larger cities
III minutey Analysing Americas future in
the world of trade the writer says: I'm the
matter of foreign trade the manufacturer
in America has definite aspirations instead
of concrete ambitions. He would like to
trade with all the world. He could not eX-
plain this aspiration but he might fall back
on his belief in destiny. which is as strong
in him il is in the Mohammedan soldier.
whom death in battle carries into paradise.
The American has come TO have the strong
est faith in his gift for direction. He is
convinced that other peoples, somehow, are
losing that power, and he Is convinced that
ii is only question of time when the finan-
cial center will be shifted to New York or
Chicago. He does not take into account the
fact that he has not yet developed bank
ing system flexible enough TO adjust itself
to a commercial crisis.
Trades unionsm the writer declared, is
weaker i'm the United States than before,
and while the wages in skilled trades ad-
vance, those in unskiled trades decline.
Replying to question as to how long the
continue the writer says the general feel
ing in the United States predicts ii will
settled
He concludes with the following remarks
anent foreign trade: ITO my mind, moth
ing is clearer than whatever chances Amer
leans had at one time Of getting slowly
but surely a paying foreign trade in manu-
featured products have been lost for the
present: First, through ignorance in not
knowing and not learning the conditions
trying TO make place for their products
In crowed communities whose peoples have
great experience and ample capital instead
OF in outside or neutral markets: third, by
inability to seek or take the advice of
those who knew, or who had the chance 10
know: fourth. by inopportunities of effort,
and hfth by rushing bindly into combi-
nations. many OF which are purely specula-
tive. and then proceeding TO advertise all
over the world their intention TO take
everything anu ledNe uOtnlnS LOT anybody
else. This laundering index has not left
much for the text to say threaten, and
little for its authors to do.
These, however, are mistakes that will
be overcome in time. When the home de-
mand declines, when prices and profits both
I'm America and everywhere else have come
down TO their natural level. when half or
three-fourths of the so-called trusts have
gone to the wall like other speculative COM
panies, and, finally. when the overweening
desire for publicity and advertising has
| given way to a careful study of the con-
ditions in the four quarters of the globe
then will American competition become
profitable TO ITSELF without being of itself
| hurtful or dangerous To the industries of
other countries"