Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-30
Germany"
Thing O the Past
By Frederic J. Haskin.

remain, and IN most cases these hav,
been carefully packed away until som.
distant day.
MADE in Germany" aa trade
| mark is not only unpopular, IL is offensive
Americans will still buy Turkish rugs
Austrian musical comedies, and Bul
garian color-combinations, but from Ger.
many they want nothing but souvenirs
of victory. According To one department
store buyer, q woman came into his store
not long ago, in search Of certain kind
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 requirements He was very
much surprised, therefore, to find her in
an argument with ono of the saleagrs the
next day over the return of her purchase.
11 won't have them, she was saying
| vehemcntly, you can see as plainly as !
can that they are marked Made IN
/ Germany"
Especially do Americans feel this way
about German toys Many Of them
refuse 10 have their children playing with
bloody toys as one editorial writer
named them And. even # the parents
don't object, the children do
THE riRE or PATRIOTISM
One mother recently espied her young
| son standing in n Napoleornc attitude
| before lazing bonfire. IN the midst IT
| which could be seen the fast-disappearing
head of white rocking horse
Why, Nathan, exclaimed his mother
in a grieved voice, you used to be 50
! fond of that rocking-horse
''Ye'sm, but I'm not any more de-
clared her son emphaticalIy. It's got
| Made in Germany on II =
While few radicals have pointed ont
TINT hatred for any cause il small and
petty and should not be encouraged III
children. that such m attitude IS not
conducive to the success Of the new world
democracy for which We fought and that
we are pledged to be Just 10 those 70
whom we do not wish to he Yist they
have failed - make any great impression
German toys ard other German goods
seemed doomed IN this country
AN INDUSTRIAL BooS
attitude has been an industrial boon
For the American toy industry has grown
tremendously since the German market
was shut of, and Il cannot afford 10 be
injured now by the dumping of Ger
man goods great deal has been said
about the necessity Of protecting tie new
American dye industry from German
competition now that the war IS over but
few people know that before the war our
importation Of German toys was greater
than that Of dyes The figures show that
81 O24 900 worth Cf toys were imported
where Only s8 400 600 worth Of DIVES were
imported In 1911, the imports ri both
these lines Of goods from Germany
showed snch startling lncra se that It IS
now believed that German dye and toy
agents in this country were aware that
war vas approaching
The only difference ID the histories ~
these two industries il that toys had
always been made 10 & limited extent Il
the 'nited States. whereas dyes ~ least
coal-tar dyca-had not been made here
at all In 1913 there were already II toy
establishments. designing ard nanufac-
turing American TOYS. and doing an
annual business OF s.. .53i Isl Whom the
GerrAan toys stopped coming .his IN
dustry underwent an enormous eIp2n-
SION. Today there are 165 American toy
firms. doing an annual business Of
$40 500. 600.
Inconsistent campaign has been waged
by these new manufacturers to educate
Americans To the proper appreciation Of
American TOYS and things are going
smoothly in the toy industry There is
no doubt but that the American toy
product IS every bit as good. il not
better, than that made IN Germany.
although it Is usually more expensive, be-
cause the price OF labcr IS higher III this
country American toymakers have not
vet learned 10 make bisque dclls or
Christmas tree balls. but most people con-
slider that the American dolls are much
more natural, and abundant Christmas
tree BALLS may be had from Japan. Thus.
everybody Was prepared for 4 peaceful
AmeFlcan-toy Christmas this year, when
suddenly cargo OF German toys arrived
IN the port OF New York.
LIKE ~ EARTHQUAKE
IN earthquake could not nave caused
greater CONSERVATION in the American
toy industry immediately the press took
up the matter With the free use Of bitter
inVective and the vice-presldent of one
of the firms TO whom the TOYS were con
signed issued the following statement:
We have refused to accept the shipment
of German toys which came to Is frcm
Holland without notice. Though these
goods were bought and paid fer before
the war, and are our property, We viii
have no German-made goods III cur
stock .
The Boycott Committee Of the Aperi-
can Defence Society then sent telegram
to other housts having shipments Of these
goods, requesting them TO show their
patriotism, and intimate TO Germany
that toys made ~ her bloody-hard,l
baby-killcrs" would not be welcomed IN
America, BY refusing to accept them. But
other firms were not quite 50 anxious to
do that as the first one They declared
that the toys had been purchased before
the war, that German manufacturers had
had nothing TO do with the shipment Of
the goods; that the toys had been stored
IN Holland and that storage and other
charges had accumulated fer several
years; that they had been shipped with /
the license and approval of the British /
government and the War Trade Beard, /
and that under the circumstances they |
did moi feel impelled TO give them up
As matter of fact, the importers /
themselves were taken completely hy |
surprise upon the arrival of the goods
No TEA PARTY, AFTER tLL
Alter accepting the toys, however. tie /
firms which refused to heed lhe request 7
If the American Defence Society found +
hat no one else waited them The nuyer +
If every toy department in New York /
ssued "A statement saying that German |.