El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-02-01
Goods Made By
Germans PrOUe
Most Unpopular
Even the Children Bum
Toys Bearing Made IN
Germany Mark.
By FREDERIC J. HAsKIN.

Washington, D. C.. Feb. For the
first time In over so years. American
stores are practically emptied OF Ger
man toys. Only a few bisque dolls
remain, and in most cases these have
been carefully packed away until some
distant day when American toy-buyers
shall have become reconciled to the
trade mark Made in Germany"
Today. this trade mark is not only
unpopular-it is offensive. Ameri-
cans viii still buy Turkish rugs,
Austrian musical comedies and Bull
garlan color combinations. but from
Germany they want nothing but SOU
venirs Of victory.
According 10 one department store
buyer. a woman came into his store
not long ago, in search OF a certain
king Of gloves which, she said, she
had been unable to obtain in two
other cities She was delighted when
he finally brought out pair from
some old stock that met with her re-
quirements- He was very much sur
prised, Therefore, 10 find her in an ar
gument with one Of the salesgirls the
next day over the return Of her pur-
chase i won't have them" she was
saying vehemently, you can see as
plainly as I can that they are marked,
made in Germany"
Children Refuse German Toys.
Especially do Americans feel this
way about German toys Many Of
them refuse to have their children
playing with bloody toys" as one
editorial writer named them. And,
even if the parents don't object, the
children do.
One mother recently espied her
young son standing in a Napoleonic
attitude before a blazing bonfire, in
the midst Of which could be seen the
fast disappearing head Of a white
rocking horse.
why, Nathan reclaimed his moth
er in grieved voice. you used to be
so fond Of that rocking horse"
"1esm, but I'm not any more" de-
clared her son emphatically. IT'S ]
got Made in Germany on it"
While few radicals have pointed ]
out that hatred for any cause is
small and petty ond should not be I
in children; that such an I
attitude IS not conducive TO the sue
cess Of the new world democracy for /
pledged TO be just to those to whom l
We do not wish TO be just" they have 4
allied to make any great impression
German toys and other German goods 4
seem doomed in this country
American Industry Grows.
So far as toys are concerned, this
tt3tude has been an Industrial boon
fOr the American toy industry has
srown TREMENDOUSLY since the German
market was shut off. and It cannot az
ord to be injured now by the dump
ng" Of German goods.
A great deal has been said about
he necessity Of protecting the new
american dye industry from German
0mpetition now that the war is over
ut few people know that before the
var our importation OF German toys a.,
-as greater than that Of dyes. The
cures show that S9.0S4, 900 worth Of
1ys were imported where only S.
10000 worth Of dyes were imported
n 1914, the imports OF both these lines 8
Z goods from Germany showed such
startling increase that It is now
elieved that German dye and toy [
gents IN this country were aware 2
hat war was approaching
The only difference In the histories
Z these two Industries is that toys )
ad always been made 70 a limited
yes-at least. coal tar dyes-had not e
cen made here at all In 1913 there
rere already Il toy establishments, :
esigning and manufacturing Ameri- :
an toys, and doing an annual bust :
ess Of s7s521.485- When the German I
1sy stopped coming this industry IN
erWent an enormous expansion To-
ay there are 165 American toy firms.
Ding an annual business Of S20,500,
A consistent campaign has been e
aged by these new manufacturers G
) educate Americans TO the proper ?
ppreciatiOn Of American toys, and Il
lings are going smoothly in the toy
ldustry.