Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-25
TO MAKE WHAT
WE CAN'T IMPORT
National Association of Manu-
facturers Has Begun Can
paign of Education.

In order that American industry
may fill IN the gap left by shutting Of
European imports the National Asso-
citation of Manufacturers has begun a
nationwide campaign Of education.
| William y. Benney, manager Of tina
associations foreign trade depart.
ment, asked for reports by American
manufacturers of foreign articles
they have been in the habit of using
and In what quantities.
| II is the plan to gather full stats
tics as to every line Of imported
goods In this country, and the POS
sibility of making suitable substitutes.
The campaign will concern Itself
first with articles the lack OF which
will discommode American consum-
ers. If the trouble goes on till Eu-
rope appears to have abandoned COM
merce for war bureau will be open
ed for exchanging information about
industries Americans would do well
to establish. Data already in Yr.
Benney's hand shows that in many
lines the bulk of which comes from
abroad small beginnings have been
made in America. These small Amer
lean factories, mostly owned by r.
cent foreign arrivals, used only to be-
fostered with liberal patronage. In
the toy industry, for instance, Ger
man toy manufacturer moved here
two years ago with skilled mechan-
les and machinery. Yet retailers
found that American toys hardly
fitted in with preconceived notions Of
where toys ought to come from So
the factory in Philadelphia languish-
ed. Finally the German hit upon the
idea of printing all his labels in Ger
man He didn't say they were made
in Germany" He said they were
made in Philadelphia, but he said it
in German with a few German words
thrown in. Then the toys got a ready
market.
1t is the plan of the association to
refer all inquiries about German-ma1e
toys to American toy manufacturers.
Many inquiries about embroidery
cotton have reached the association.
The custom of American mills was to-
use a special yarn made in Switzer-
land. The Swiss yarn factory closed
with the mobilization of the troops,
and no substitute for the Swiss yarn
has appeared. The association will
circularize yarn makers, telling them
the complaints against American em<
broidery yarn and asking for satis<
factory article.
AS for manganese for steel max
ing, it was found that Americans were
neglecting large deposits in North
Carolina and Tennessee for importa-
lions from Austria-Hungary and Rus
STA. Steps have been taken TO develop
the American manganese deposits.
A jobber called at the headquarters
recently with a lamp chimney made
in Germany. He said it was used or
a lamp which heated it at one point
and that American-made chlmneys he
had ased became discolored under thu
heat
Mr.. Eenney got a dozen samples Of
the German chimney and sent them
to American manufa cturers and asked
if they could make glass as good A.
the German, and if not, why not
After a time American manufacturers
offered guaranteed chimneys-
A special foreign trade bulletin,
marked confidential, was sent out to
$4,000 American manufacturers, adj
vising them as to all that has be-
come known about the present oppor-
-unity for the sale of American-made
goods as substitutes for goods usually
brought from abroad.
The Merchants association Of New
York had an expedition abroad 10
study the opportunity for export
whose members were caught in Ger
many when war was declared. In
heir absence the association has or
5anized committees to study the Sit
iation and report on ways to utilize
American-made goods.