The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-05-29

the first time did Australia acknowl- quality and other conditions when she a few days ago placed with an Ameri- can industry an order involving nearly $2,000, 900 for certain electrical appara- tus. Some years ago Australia was in the market for certain armament rifles and the like. Her government would have gladly placed the order with Great Britain anad in fact at one time was tempted to do that. But an American industry, whose plant Is at Hartford, Conn, prepared to demon strate to the representatives of Aus tralia, who gathered at London that the United States could offer better implement and at satisfactory price and with the certainty of fulfilling the odrer within short time. The representative of the American conn panay were occupied for several weeks in demonstrating to the Australian representatives of the American com pany were occupied for several weeks do better than Great Britain both in price, in quality and in time. Reluc- O~~-~~ with this American company.
 So also China was seeking about that time to improve or enlarge her nation al arsenal She invited competitive demonstration and Great Britain and the United States shared In this com petition. Again the American company, whose plant is at Hartford, triumphed because China recognized and acknowl- edged the superiority in every way ot the American commodities and De- cause the price was satisfactory 50 again the United States triumphed over Great Britain in an important com petitive test upon whose issue very large contract was involved.
 Australia has now awarded to an American industrial corporation the contract for electrical Apparatus of certain kind. Although the amount in volved, $2,000.000, Is not so large as to make the contract conspicuous, never theless the fact that an American com pany secured 1t goes fa- to prove that American industry can successfully compete with respect to price and quality of its commodities with the in dustries of Great Britain, France, Bel Eium at least so far as certain com modities are concerned The United States Steel Corporation is about to send a large number of steel rails to Japan probably because Japan was satisfied that the American product is the best of any so far as quality Is concerned and because the price was satisfactory.
 These are two recent incidents in our foreign trade which offset to some ex- tent the somewhat unsatisfactory re- ports which tell of our exports since March. Undoubtedly they will be dup Heated because prices are being re- duced, excessive wages are also under readjustment and because our indus tries. or many of them. have by the employment of the best modern meth ods and apparatus been able to reduce the cost entailed in manufacturing commodities.
 THE AUTOMOBILE SITUATION Sometimes those who are giving study to our industrial and financial condition are approached by men of solemn face who say almost confiden- tially the automobile business is in the dumps So that the inference is made that if this industry is now se- riously depressed it accurately reflects the condition in which almost all in- dustries are now placed. It Is true that within a few weeks the automo- bile industry seems to have met with a setback. although two or three of the largest manufactortes are reported to be operating almost to their capacity. The best opinion Is that this stacking in the industry which has come sud- denly following rather promising outlook in the early spring is due to momentary conditions which will be soon overcome. There Is no doubt that the industry will within short time regain its activity Very likely a large mn hav of o,,fn xxrflJ ha ing the summer and fall and certainly will be, provided would be-customers across the sea can secure the credits needed to pay for the cars.
 THE NEW SOLICITOR GENERAL
 On July 1 James M. Beck of New York Is expected Ito take up the duties of solicitor general of the United States. The appointment has already been made. MT. Beck has already served as assistant to the United States district attorney a. Philadelphia and as assistant attorney general. It was his argument and brief which was ac- cepted by the court In the Northern Se- curities merger case. The decision of the court put an end to the effort of James J. Hill J. P. Morgan and others to establish a company in whose con- trol would be placed the securities ob- tained at the time when MT Hill and others were battling desperately with F. H. Hartman for the control of the Northern Pacific.
 MT. Beck was twice prevented from serving as counsel in important in- vestigations by the fact that he was personal counsel In one case to the president of the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York and in the oth- CT personal counsel for H. H. Rogers. The legislative committee.. which waa