Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-14
Infant Industries
Face Trade Problems
BY Frederic J. Haskin

To be. or not to be, IL the question that
is avitating several of our new Ameri-
can industries, now that the war Is over.
Will they be able to hold the trade
especially the foreign trade--that was
So easy 10 obtain while the European
factories were busy turning out war
material? Or will the old, effective
competition of European maniifaGtur-
ers, made possible by lower standard
of wages, rise to snuff out the lives OF
these hopeful but handicapped Amerl-
can infants?
Since the war, many things have been
made in America that were never made
here before Moreover, American goods.
are being used in foreign markets former
" supplied entirely by German iac-
tories. For the period Of the war, at
least, the world has looked to US ior
manufactured necessities as well as raw
materials. But now the European iac-
tories arc rapidly reorganizing on a com
merical basis Foreign agents are al
ready soliciting their old trade. Tins
means that within the next year there
must either be great retrenchnent IN
n number of American Industries, or
fight TO hold the markets won during
the war.
WATCH FLEET IS GROWTH.
American manufacturers are watch
ing with interest the growing produriion
of the Emergency Fleet Corporation
which is doing everything IN Ms power
to provide n large American merchant
marine for the expedition OF our foreign
trade. Also the renewed activity d
the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic
Commerce, which IS asking Congress
for the money to employ twenty nc"
commercial attaches 10 promote Afn'rt
ran trade opportunities IN foreign coun-
tries. The fact that a number oi new
consulates are 10 be opened IN VARIOUS
parts Of the world in anticipation oi the
future great expansion Of American
commerce is also heard with interest
But perhaps the most interesting
thing to American manufacturers Is
their own view OF the question. 1hl-
WIS freely expressed in answer 70 q
ulestionnarc recently sent out by The
United States Tariff Commission to the
owners Of American glassware iactores
The glassware industry was selected
bv the Tariff Commission because ltlsrep-
resentafive Of several industries that have
shown a phenomenal growth since tbs
war The manufacture Of bottles, window
glass, bowls and goblets III this country
dates from the colonial PERIOD that oi
pressed tableware, such IS tumblers
began in 1927 plate glass IN 1897, ano
lamp chiInucys IN 1880.
While these forms Of American glass
ware Ii ve enjoyed 4 arge demand iron
the American public, it was not until th'
war that they became popular abroad
Since the outbreak Of the war, moreover
twelve new kinds Of glassware are btlnG
manufactured in this country namely
optical glass, laboratory or chemlca
ware. glass gauge tubing, watch cry,
tails. glazing glass, oven glass, glass brick,
siphon bottles, Photographic glass, anc
high grade picture glass and glass fol
pectacles.
MAKE OPTICAL GLASS.
Prior to tic var, all optical gla-~ uscc
n this country was imported most ot
II from Germany. Only relatively snal
quantity of this glass is bought, o.
course. about q hundred Thousand
dollars worth wear but when the
United States entered the war the neeC
for field glasses, range-hnders. perlscope;
and searchIIghtS, created tremendou:
demand for optical glass in the army anc
navy.
Optical glass had to be made in thi.
countrv-and made quickly The geo
physical laboratory Of the Carnegie In
stltutIon at Washington was called upor
for aid in the production OF this glass
scientists from the laboratory WeF
stationed at the plant OF a well-knowl
American optical company, ana ate
several months of experiment the glaS
was successfully produced
After much experimentation, othe
| forms of glass that had always been IN
ported from Europe were made IN TN
country One OF the most important G
these was chemical glass, which Is abso
| lutely necessary for the testing and analy
Is of materials and products used n man
of our most important Industries. h
manufacture of Photographic glass, aisC
was necessary to the business OF phoJog
/ raphv, which was cut of from its Euro
| Dean base OF supplies This seems 10 b
| one branch of the glass industry whlc
/ does not fear any future competition iron
| Europe, since In the opinion OF the mani
| facturers, they are making better photC
| graphic glass today than was ever prC
! duced by the hand-blowng method /
| any other country.
FEAR LOWER PRICES.
The history of the glassware industr
since the war is the history Of many Otht
/ American industries now sharing Il
common fear of European competitlo
| when the factories of Europe stop mani
featuring munitions and return to the
old business. 1t Is not the quality of Il
| European products they fear, but Il
| lower price. Foreign factories pay the
workmen lower wages and can therefor
| afford To sci their products cheaper.
Thus. while the following replies to K
| ducstionnaire Of the Tariff Commissio
| are exclusively from glassware mani
lacturers they may be said 10 speak Il
| the manufacturing world III genera
The following are the factors relied upo
by several manufacturers for the retcntic
Of their foreign trade: The Tariff Con
mission assumes no responsibility {,
| opinions
laws permitting organization
mong manufacturers for export trad
Good service Liberal commercial term
Consistent efforts to supply the tyr
OF goods required an that partlcula
| market
2-An American merchant marin
and freight rates to compete with thoS
IN use in foreign countries viii be necc:
sarv 70 hold and develop Nport TRAD
after the war
; Modern factories. >am.arlv al
ranged. mechanically equipped, sclentlh
methods Of production by automau
machines Improved methods for system
atie factory handling of our produc
Superior quality Prompt and etiielen
service and equitable prices 70 our ~
I