The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-02-28

Abston & Co, who represent the Boscl
amazing industrial conditions which eX
abroad three months ago to study. Mr.
as follows:
The American business man who has
been permitted to spend any consid-
cradle time in Europe during the past
year, with facilities to deduce the facts
as u ey actually exist, knows that very
few OF US are accurately informed as
to the underlying causes Of the war
the conditions obtaining during the
process~of the war, or the state of al
fairs as they exist today We have
been permitted, only in a very meager
way. 10 realize how much our future
security and our future prosperity are
dependent on the rapidity and the man
ner in which we assume our inevitable
:. obligations as the first power in the
world Americans generally have. | am
sorry to say, no clear understanding of
what the new order of things mean to
us.
Until 1914 Americans we're probably
the most insular people in the world
insular, because we had been blessed
with a land which permitted us TO live
within ourselves, and, fortunately, a
high tariff had made possible the de-
velopment of labor Saving devices in
our, several processes of manufacturing
particularly in the fabrication OF met
als) which safeguarded our position
NlAn lkH~pllCCu ldDOI dilu a blS itoAllp
market, We were able to produce fabri-
Gated metal to an extent which has
developed our methods and our manu-
featuring abilities far beyond those Of
any other country. Excepting Germany
there is no nation in allied Europe
which is not so years behind us. A
true realization of how insulaF- we are
is only evident after one has been in
Europe. This realization induced me
TO study for three months, as | have
never studied anything before In my
life, conditions that prevail abroad at
the present time.
One thing that becomes particularly
apparent to an observing American the
moment he begins to study conditions
over there, Is that our newspapers have
not given us anything that even ap-
proaches an accurate picture of what
the war was--why IT was fought-and
what the outcome has been.
Without Question German propaganda
came into America in large quantities
during the war. but British propaganda
so far outstripped 1t that anything the
Germans we're able to accomplish looks
insignificant In compassion. | am con :
WINGED that, from the time the first
battle was fought In August 1914, up
TO the present day. Americans have
never known the real facts unless they
have had actual access to Europe,
4 AS much as 40 years ago, perhaps
&ven earlier, England found Germany
q very serious competitor in the world s
markets. 1t is hard to realize how Sc
rious Germany's competition was
standing that. practically all raw ma
terials used in the fabrication Of prod
ucts in her industries were bought in
outside markets and then re-sold, after
fabrication, IN those countries that sup
piled the raw materials and the food
on which England existed. When Ger
many started to become a factor in the
worlds trade, it was striking at the
very heart of the system which perI
mits England to exist.
England took up the gauntlet which
was thrown down by Germany, not by
improving her methods, but by. vast
ing her man power. Lloyd George him
land had made, stated that he had a
C-S nation. Metal products formed a
very substantial percentage of Eng
lands exports prior to the war. These
products ranged from locomotives to
plowshares and penknives Until 1914
Germany was England's only real com
pettor. To Germany she was losing
ground in practically al lines and IN
all markets. Urtil that time the United
States had not been factor in the
world competition, principally because
Germany and England, with their low
IdDOT COSTS, were dDlS 10 andersen US
England had just slight advantage
over us. Her labor received about one
fourth of what We paid our labor here,
and her output per man per day was
barely one-third Of ours. But this was
Sufficient to give England that slight
advantage which prevented our becom
ing a serious competitor.
THE war, however, has left England
in the position where she is obliged to
pay from three to four times as much
for labor as she did during the pre-
war period. The British output mean
while, has dropped to a quarter and, in
some instances, to ne.siXth of the
means that today England, with her
present equipment, can not again be-
come competitor in the markets OF
the world in anything made Of metals
unless America and Germany wilfully
permit her to do so. The entire capita
investment in English metal nanufac.
turing enterprises must be scrapped
and replaced. before she can start &c
regain a portion OF her former posi-.
ton.
On the other hand Germany has ac.
complished one OF the things which
made the war inevitable without q
real league Of. nations. She has elirpi.
as a supplier Of the worlds trade, VIZ
were told in this country by newspa-
pers and periodicals, long before the
war ended, of the wonderful things
England planned to do in readjust
rnent from war to peace conditions
Much of this was propa ganda designed
to keep American manufacturers from
preparing to 60 after the world trade
which England feared would, of neces
sitv, be ours when the war finished
This propaganda, with all its thorough
ness, has failed pitifully in Its purpose
England today Is not where the wal
left her. she has gone back at leas
10 years in the period since the armi
stice was signed and she is continu
ing to go back every day at a pace
which is unbelievable, Like Italy anc
France, she is today buying out of he
savings and she must continue to de
so, because those who should have beer
the Leaders in her industries have no
acquired that knowledge Of modern in
dustry which will permit them to man
ufa cture anything of metal in compe
tition with similar products of Amerl
can manufacturers. SO far as tn,
manufacture of textiles and severa
other lines Of industry are concerned