South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-12-05
AMERICAN PRODUCTS UNDER
FOREIGN LABELS.


How much OF American industry
has been hidden in past years under
forged labels because Of American
snobbery, viii perhaps never be
known. We speak Of them among
women in particular. And now, ac-
cording 10 report. these same light
headed individuals, whose whole
course in life is to follow a fad, con-
tinuoUsly aping popular fancy, and
especially the ways Of the rich, are
going to the other extreme. incident
10 the war in Europe a Made in
America movement has been started,
and We have it on good authority that
IN many cities now, merchants to sat
isfy this class Of trade are working
of their foreign stock as American
made. In a show window, in neigh
boring city. window decorated with
national colors and emblems clock
is said TO have been found advertised
as Made in the u. S. but which upon
examination is said to have been
found To bear the label, Made IN
Germany on the bottom.
Such merchants are doing all they
can to kill the goose that lays the
golden egg" 1t is. hardly possible
that this practice Will continue or will
be frequently met with, but buyers
should refuse to be humbugged, and,
to escape It. might we'll demand the
1ame of the producer in making their
MADE in America" purchases. This
movement needs TO be shOrn Of fraud
if it is ever TO be worth while.
Fashionable women who have
thought it necessary to their caste,
that they must have clothes and hats
Of foreign manufacture, would have
resented il emphatically had they
known that they were really getting
millinery, etc. made here at home,
even the foreign labels being OF
American make.-but note this from a
trade authority;
Fully two million and half
hats gowns and cloaks with
fraudulent labels are on sale to
the American pubic yearly The
purchaser of an imported cloak
or gown has one chance in 90 or
getting an actual foreign erea-
ton; Of an imported hat there
Purchasers and wearers of
these clothes are we'll satisfied
with the quality, and the fit, but
if they knew the actual truth and
that they were entirely American
productions they would not feel
they were getting the value OF
their money.
Again. there is the woman,
known 10 many, who buys Amer
lean creations and orders foreign
labels sewed in them.
While American producers are
really receiving the benefits of
these sales, why cannot the
American buyer take more pride
in showing they are actually
wearing American productions
than in Haunting their foreign
label as If its possession places
them upon a plane above their
neighbors2
III is to be hoped that the sue
cess already met with in the ex-
ploitation of our own American
fashions will change this cOndi-
ton.
Incidentally, it is indeed gratifying
and encouraging. to note the genuine
success that the American fashion
movement is recording. Commencing
at Paterson, y. J., and moving thence
10 New 1OIhs anu OLlCA CAlANoS a.
hibitions have been given OF American
designed gowns, cloaks and hats, ard
the women of these and other cities
have received them enthusiastically.
This is showing TO the general public
what the trade has really known for
years; that the best woven silks in the
world are American; that the best silk
IL 81
London and even Paris. is made in the
United states. and the best silk Innings
are also American.
We not only have the goods. but We
have the quality. and the point is,
that as patriotic Americans we have a
right TO object 10 having that quality
discounted by the placing of Made
TN America" label on an inferior for
eign article. All that is required is
proper support from our women for
our designs and our manufacturers.
In the only field in which we are still
iacking-German chemicals and dyes
we are making advances now in
producing our own. and especially, in
the case of dyes we have the alterna-
tive. as a prominent manufacturer has
said. that If we can't make them, we
can make white the fashion"