New-York tribune., 1918-02-11
English Steel Makers Urged
To Prepare for Race With
Americans for Supremacy
London Engineering Journal Declares 1t Will Be Difficult
for Germany to Regain Position in Industry, but
Points to Need of Improved Trade Methods

Expert opinion on England leans
strongly to the view that the future
race for supremacy in the iron, steel
and engineering export trade, the
worlds most important group of manu-
featuring industries. will probably be
mainly between the United States and
the United Kingdom. Germany, it is
believed, will have difficult time in
regaining her position in the industry,
and the question Of whether British
manufacturers will prevail in the fierce
competition that is expected from
/ America depends for its answer on
what steps are taken in England to or
ganize on an intelligent cooperative
basis between the state and industry,
according to London Engineering"
Before the war;" says this publca-
ton, "thc Germans by means of pro-
lection, organization, subsidization and
hard work got ahead. Of us in the steel
group Of trades, alike in volume of pro-
duction and in expectation. In the last
thirty years before the war the Ger
mans increased their output of iron,
steel and engineering products, meas
ured in terms of pig iron, from 3,000,-
600 tons year to 100000 tons. In
the same period We only increased our
output from 100000 tons q year to
100000 tons. We neither kept pace
with growth of population nor growth
of demand. The worlds per capita
consumption of iron and steel increased
by 150 per cent. Our per capita pro-
duction did not increase by per cent.
In the last fifteen years before the war
the protected, organized and subsidized
German trade increased it's exports Of
iron and steel goods from less than
100000 tons a year to 100000 tons,
while we, with our mach better ship
ping facilities, our much greater cap
ital investments abroad, our much
vastcr colonial possessions and depend
encies and our much more vital need of
an abnormal trade in manufactured ex-
ports to balance our abnormal food i'm
ports-we only in those fifteen wears
increased our exports of iron and steel
from 100000 tons year to 100000
tons.
Failed to Protect Industries
Owe lost the lead because we failed
to protect our industries, failed TO or
ganze and failed to work hard Our
statesmen would not give productive
industry the slightest protection or en-
couragement, or even the commonest of
fair play. Our manufacturers and ship
pers would not drop their conservatism
or sink their individualism and coop
crate for the common good. Our work
men lost 100,00O,0OO separate working
days by strikes in tensyears, they op-
posed machinery, they limited appren-
tlces, and deliberately slow-timed
their work. After the war we have to
protect and organize and develop our
lndustrles on common sense lines, work
olllgently, enter into preferential trad
ing arrangements with our colonies and
allies and avoid German goods We
have to wake up and do these things or
perish. We can easily beat GERMANY II
we try, for our resources are better and
vaster than those Of that country. our
shipping facilities arc much SUPERIOR
and our trading opportunities. with the
best part of the world ready to give us
practical preference and boycott the
Germans-will be golden and UNIQUE
But there remains the question of
American competition.
American manufacturers, with a bio
rich and we'll protected home market
VIII prosper in any case. But our pro-
ducers are specially dependent upon
we need to reckon up the possibilit;as
of competition from any and every