Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-08-30
How the War Affects Us.
VII.-Our Manufacturers
Opportunity.
By Frederic ]. Haskin.


American manufacturers. Mostly it is
used with respect to export business. and
the chance to capture South American
and oriental markets that heretofore
have been controlled largely by British
and German commercial interests.
But there Is an important sidelight. The
war was hardly begun before English
merchants and manufacturers began to
take stock of their future. The first
thing they saw was the control Of the
sea by Britain. The next thing was the
chance to get Germany's export trade.
So they said: I'VE will now go out and
get the hundred-and-ninety million dollar
business that Germany has had with the
United States. We can make the things
Germany has been sending to America,
and this is q pickup Of nearly two hun
dred million good American dollars Tor
British trade
War-racked Britain has demonstrated
that even in extremity it has that fine
courage without which no Independent
business can exist. Without tarin, with
out bounty, without subsidy, these Brit
ish merchants decided that they would
supplant Germany as a source of supply
for the wants of the American consumer.
Herein lies the biggest opportunity
American manufacturers can find in this
crisis: They have the chance to make
been accustomed to import from abroad.
1t is an odd thing. but only America
among all the nations has made a fetish
of the word imported" In London shops
one sees everywhere the legend British
made 1t is to be seen even upon desks
made in Grand Rapids and fountain pens
made in Rhode Island. The Britisher has
an instructive prejudice against buying
nything made In another country. His
views are shared by the people of most
of the European nations.
Here in the United States nothing is
SO potent as the word imported" 1t Is
used more often
Imported" Goods than not in in.
in High Favor. and is the lever
by which unreasonably high prices are
for inferior goods.
Imported" has been the magic word
that has sold hats and gowns to women,
shirts and socks to men; sausages and
beer to little fools. motor cars and ropes
Of pearls to big ones
Even today, when American chemists
are exerttng themselves TO the utmost
to supply the commercial chemicals that
we can no longer get from Germany,
some American manufacturers are say
ing there is no hope that America can
supply, such dyes as Germany has
one wonders If Massachusetts, will
continue to advertise certain of Its
shoes as British" when every shoe
manufacturer knows that no Canadian
or Australian, let alone an American,
would wear the hideoue monstrosity
made in England to serve as foot
covering.
It may seem frivolous. but it is &C.
tually most serious. Americans must
forget their absurd and largely affected
prejudice against American-made wares,
and must realize what is the truth
that if we will only, try we can make
better goods here thar can be made
anywhere else in the world.
The first Job of the American manu-
facturer Is to capture for home indus
try the home markets that have mere
tofore figured in the statistics here as
"imports' and abroad as exports"
When this war is over We ought to be
lindependent Of manufacturing Europe.
The new fields for export trade do not,
as some thoughtless persons may nave
Imagined, present opportunity Tor quick
sales and huge profits that Will mean
an Immediate flood Of gold.
It is rather an opportunity for Amer
fcan manufacturers by dtnt or hard
work and the exercise of sound business
judgment to build up an export trade
over and that will write the name of
the United States first among the in
du strial nations in the worldwide bust
ness 1t means no quick. war pronts II
does mean, however, an opportunity 70
keep mills open and LABOR smpioyea ;
even much capital must be permanently
invested in the new export business.