Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-20
THE GERMANS HOSTILE
Unfriendliness Caused by
American Competition.
PUSHING OUR TRADE
TO EFFORTS OF THIS
CoUNTRY'S EXPORTERS.
Admittance to German Factories Bar
red-Apprehension That Secrets
May Be Learned.
BY VIM. f. CURTIS.

SItSSiNeHeSS Oh our merchants ana manu-
facturers in competition with those of Ger
many, may be judged by an incident which
recently occurred at Berlin. The American
chamber of commerce in that city rendered
a complimentary banquet to Mr.. Charlie
magne Tower, the American ambassador.
He accepted and fixed the date as request
ed. The program was arranged and APP
pl owed by him. and invitations were issued
to several Of the high officials of the i'm
perial government to participate in this
tribute to Mr.. Towers merits and popular
ity. But every one Of them sent his regrets
on account of pressing engagements else
WHERE and day Or two before the event
Freiherr Won Richthofen, minister of for
e!gn affairs, formally notified Mr.. Tower
that the imperial government would be
gravely displeased If the latter attended
dinner given in his own honor by his own
countrymen.
Mr.. Tower sent for the committee on ar
raLgements informed them Of what had
happened. and they promptly agreed that
he could not afford to raise an issue.
Therefore, he was suddenly seized with an
attack of illness and was unable to attend;
but the banquet was held, the program was
carried out and the Berlin public do not yet
know why Mr.. Towers seat was vacant.
German Government Alarmed.
This signified that our trade in Germany
is being pushed with such energy and ag-
gressiveness that the government has taken
alarm. For several years American manu-
facturers have been establishing agencies
in the German cities and have been selling
American merchandise in direct COMPETE
ton with the. domestic products. The local
mer chants and manufacturers have shown
great uneasinesS and have appealed to mu-
ncipal and even to the imperial authorities
for protection. The matter has been dis
w, tl,a Vnin I-S-fn fn1 and
been the most serious topic of considera-
ton among the commercial and industrial
organizations of the whole empire. In var1-
Gus places associations of merchants and
manufacturers have been formed for the
express purpose of resisting American COM
petition
The government cannot do anything In
the way of tariff protection without provok-
ing retaliation on the part of the United
States, although it has been repeatedly
urged to take that risk. The reichstag and
the executive authorities have gone as far
as they dare go in placing restrictions on
pork and other meats, apples and other
fruits. and vegetables, horses and other live
stock. but they cannot place an embargo
upon boots and shoes, hats and caps, cot
ton goods, hardware, electrical supplies and
other manufactured articles which are rap
idly finding their way in increasing guam
titles into the very strongholds of the Ger
man manufactures. Hence the hostility Of
the merchants and manufacturers has
grown very bitter, and 1t is manifested in
various ways
Property holders in several of the German
cities have refused to rent buildings to
American merchants and it is now impos-
sible for any American to secure admit
lance to a German factory, for fear he will
obtain some information that may be COM
municated to the enemy.
The American Way.
Not long ago amusing incident oc-
Cured which illustrates how sensitive
manufacturers are becoming. Two years
ago the head of one of the largest concerns
in Germany came to this country with his
two sons one Of them about twenty-five
and the other about twenty-five years old,
for the purpose of studying American meth
DDS and machinery. They made no secret
of their purpose and were received with
great cordially. While in Philadelphia
they were the house guests for several days
of one of their chief competitors in this
country, and spent nearly all of their time
in his shops. When they went west he
gave them letters to people in the same
line of business at Pittsburg, Cleveland and
Chicago, and at the latter place it was ar
ranged that the elder son should remain for
a time to continue his Investigations. The
American manufacturers to whom he
brought letters invited him to their homes.
made him as comfortable possible, in
troduced him at their clubs and secured
his access to mills in Chicago. Milwaukee,
Joliet and other neighboring cities. where
he had every opportunity to learn all of the
most advanced methods and to handle the
latest patterns of machinery. No part of
the business was concealed from him al
though he was not, of course, invited be
hind the desks in the counting house. He
remained about seven months. and then,
after making an extended journey to other
parts of the country with letters of intro
duction. returned to Germany.
The German Way.
.F3T1rinp fba LAST summer an ooo;Jouto,
coincidence the two Americans who were so
kind to him and to his father and brother
in Philadelphia and Chicago went to Eu-
rope but at different times, however. Both
of them called upon the old gentleman and
both had the same experience. They were
very politely received at his Office but were
not invited to his house. He entertained
one of them at lunch and the other at din
ner not at his residence, but at a restau-
rant-and the young men escorted the ladies
Of the Philadelphian's family on an auto
mobile excursion to a castle in the neigh
borhood. Both Of the Americans asked per-
mission to visit the works, but were not
permitted to do so. The works were seven
teen miles from the city, and various OBJ
stacles arose whenevr the matter was
suggested. The Chicago man, being provok-
ed at the evident determination to prevent
him from inspecting the factory, too the
trouble to run down one day unlimited. The
head of the house was absent, but both of
the sons were there, and when he asked the
privilege of going through the shops they
apologized profusely because nobody could
give permission except their father. The
young man who had enjoyed the freedom
of his shops for seven months was very
much embarrassed, and endeavored to con-
vince the visitor that the father would be
proud to show the works on some other
occasion, but the Chicago man did not get
by the room in which ordinary customers
were usually received
This is not an isolated case. No Ameri-
can or Englishman can obtain admission to
any German factory; not even the conSulS
residing in the manufacturing towns, be-
cause of fear lest they may discover some
thing worth reporting to their governments.
In England, France, Switzerland and other
European countries American visitors are
cordially welcomed, just German and all
other visitors are here.
American Chamber of Commerce.
The American merchants and other per-
manent residents of Berlin organized their
chamber Of commerce for mutual support.
and encouragement and for the promotion
of American trade. There are similar
PLANTATIONS in Paris and several other Euro
pean cities which have the friendly regard
of the people and the governments, but in
Berlin the American chamber of commerce
is an object of suspicion and bitter hos
tility. The imperial government dare not
forbid It's organization or interfere with it's
transactions, which are limited to occa-