The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-06

| ments of American coal landed in her
| harbors in 1900.
The peril exists 1t is absurd to try
| to deny its existence. 1t would be still
| more absurd to lose hope or to believe
| that there is no remedy. The fight for
| first place in the worlds trade is not
| necessarily disastrous to either party
| thereto. Progress has in 1t profit for
the whole world. Nor Is this profit
| limited to the gain of a single day or
| to one transaction. Progress brings
continual prosperity There are we'll
known cases in which competition has
| enriched all parties participating In
| the struggle. In a word, every con-
| quest over inert matter Is to be meas
| ured as a gain to mankind. All par
ticipate in its advantages. 1t is not
necessary in peaceful battles that in
dustrial and commercial rivals be van
| quished. other words than war" and
| "vanqHished" would better At the
| friendly contests called competition.
Having no desire to embrace in an
| article of this kind the whole vast
| field of competition between the two
continents of Europe and America, /
limit myself to a consideration of the
commercial situation in France and the
United States. 1t seems to me that in
spite of all that has been said and
| done the matter can be looked upon
| with serenity and confidence. 1t is
| true that our power is incontestably
! less than that of our rival. We have
| neither the vast stretches of territory
| nor the great natural resources nor the
prodigious equipment in machinery nor
| the vast number of men possessed by
! the United States. France appears in
comparison with the United States in
significant. Its future appears some
what restricted. Al least this Is the
| conclusion to which one must come
| finally who looks upon the mater from
| the standpoint of the relative positions
of the two countries in regard to their
natural resources and forces already
| developed. 1t is otherwise perhaps If
one looks at results based upon posi-
| bilities Temporarily the balance of
power in commerce is In our favor. We
| are at present and Will still remain ex-
pOrters to the United States; this is an
| actual fact For the future there are
| some considerations which are of great
weight. In the first place. French pro-
| ducts are not Of a class that come into
competition with American products.
| America, entirely occupied in ex-
| plotting its own territory, produces
and exports above all things the raw
materials which our Industries con-
sumo, as petroleum, cotton. iron. coal,
I
| articles of her commerce. things that
we neither make nor consider of the
| highest Importance. As n matter of
| fact. we are mcnaced with competition
| only in the matter of foods. but upon
| this point our production and consump-
ton will so regulate themselves that
| we shall be able to meet competition
successfully If it comes. Besides. our
| market is sufficiently rich, sufficiently
sought, sufficiently important to permit
| us to secure concessions in foreign
| parts in favor OF our own products by
| making concessions to parties seking
| sales in our markets. In other words,
we could exercise Il rigorous retalla-
/ tory control over petroleum II our
| wine trade should be threatened. On
| ulatlon and in the public good fortune
Of the United states is profitable to us
because OF the increased sale of our
| products. Our trade in articles of
! luxury Increases when the resources of
| the consumer increase. We need gem
eTal good will; we must preach with
| smiling faces. Our wines, our cham
| payne, our iino oils our fruits our
| Liquors, our hats. our gloves. our per-
| fumery, our WOODEN clothsf our silks.
| our objects of art always seek q re-
| fined, elegant, and cultured purchaser.
| Our wish therefore is very sincere
when we wish good fortune TO our
friends.
at all times. II is necessary to con