The Washington times., 1919-10-04


the restriction on imports.
In his opinion, so well equipped are
the many American firms for the inn
minent fight that nothing short Of 40
tai restriction Of foreign imports Is
the slightest safeguard 20 the British
motor trade. He iustanced the tFe-
mendOus activity In the States by the
case Of a new hrm Of his acquaint-
ance.
A year ago, when il came into exist
ence, the stock was priced at 800
| $500. Today the shares are worth
| $500, and although the factory con-
sista so far, Of only the first and sec
Ond stories, while the third and
fourth are still being built, cars are
being turned out from the ground
floor and first story.
Firms $4,000 Cars q Year.
"Are cars really being turned out
in big quantitiss?" I asked him.
Perhaps this will give you an
idea" he replied. "A firm with which
am contracting for a supply OF cars
turns out regularly 697 every week.
Their program is 25,OOO a year. Mind
you, I'm not talking Of past or future
| figures. These 607 cars were being
turned out in each working week
when I left the country, three weeks
ago. And this factory is the same
/ size as the Humber factory here.
"The methods Of manufacture over
there are unknown in this country.
/ Their machinery, plant, material, are
/ as far ahead OF what they were six
/ years ago as the poles are asunder.
/ There is no finer material in any
country. IL win no longer be pos
/ sible to accuse decent American firms
/ of shoddiness IN any particular. They
/ don't finish or things as we do here,
! for the excellent reason that IL costs
/ money, wastes time, and effects moth
/ ing except an increase in the cost Of
/ the car.
"outside Great Britain the United
| States has already swept the markets
in the Dominions, as well as in
France, italy, and car-buying Europe
| generally. Every factofy's motto
now Is: We must extend our ex
| ports. Colossal outputs are essential
And they are doing II at this mo-
ment."
Swapping Our Market.
'FWhat about their home demand?"
I asked. 'Is there not a chance for
our industry in the. fact that Ameri-
| can buyers must be attended to irst?"
None whatever" was his emphatic
| reply. "The domestic market is, i
grant you, enormous. and is daily
! growing. Do you know that in the
| state Of Ohio there IS one motor car
/ to every six persons? That I believe
to be a solid fact. And the cars are
there for them, or win be in a very
short time"
viii there be enough for both the
| domestic market and the British. or
/ do you think that the Americans may
sacrifice temporarily their home mar
ket in order to make certain Of ours?''
They viii not need to sacrifice
| their own people" he answered. I'm
| dOubtedly home markets come first,
| but IL makes no sort Of difference.
Put the total output Of the Ameri-
can factories for this year and next
at 256,000 "a very low estimate). and
they could swamp US, as fast as ship
| ping would let them, with $4,000.
Think Of $4,000 cars being poured
into this thirsting country within q
/ few months. Would they find buyers?
Every one. Why. the factory I am
| dealing with now, the one as big as
| the Humber works, can send me 1fty
cars q month at once. And that's
| only one customer of a small factory.
| Their total output for q year Is the
same as that Of the entire British in
dustry.
'sThe main thing to remember Is
I that not only are they going to sweep
| the market, but the cars they are
/ going to do Il with are as good as
/ you can buy anywhere and better
than most
No Ford PFOffteeFing.
The Ford Company is to establish
/ its own agencies throughout Great
I Britain, and its old agents have re-
ceived a circular stating that cars
ordered by them but not yet deliver
/ ed will be allotted direct to the buy
ers by the Ford agencies themselves.
Discussing the matter an eX-FOrd
agent told me that one OF the rea-
sons for the FuthlessneBs Of the Ford
Company Is that they are determined
to crush the profiteer. Under the new
system cars may not be exploited.
They must be sold at their proper
price, and-an important point the
sellers must give adequate Ford SER
to their customers after the sale. All
names Of customers have to be for
Warded TO the company.
Another reason for. the new policy