the largest they have had, and it promises to be still better during the coming year.
The competition of the United States has not been confined to iron goods, to locomotives, bridges and heavy machinery, but has extended to many departments. America has taken away a large part of Britain's colonial trade in boots and shoes; she has a practical monopoly of the boot and shoe trade of West Australia and Africa. The boots have a better appearance and a better fit than English boots, and they wear as well. A good deal of the leather is identical in kind in the two countries, but the Americans tan better than the British. A very considerable quantity of the leather used in Britain is imported from the United States and costs less than it does at home, but though wages are smaller in Britain, American boots can be sold in the British market.
"Americans have a practical control of the match making industry in Britain, also of the tobacco industry; half of the English newspapers are printed on American presses or upon presses built on American models in English shops that are branches of American manufactories, and the paper of most of the newspapers is American." So says Mr. Frank Vanderlip, formerly assistant secretary of the Treasury.
It appears that British shipping even is to be invaded by America. In the days of wooden vessels the United States led the world in shipping, but since iron and steel have been used in shipbuilding Britain has been without a rival. At the present time, however, quite apart from the American ownership of foreign-built vessels, the tonnage of vessels built in the United States has reached a very respectable figure, being in 1901 as much as 483,489, while in February of this year it is stated that there were on the stocks twenty-two ships, averaging ten thousand tons each.
The causes that account for the position of the United States as a competitor of the United Kingdom may be grouped under two heads—the nature of the two countries and the characteristics of the two peoples. America is a large country, with immense resources and a population nearly double that of Britain. Hence, the home market is larger, and a larger home market permits of a cheaper production for the foreign market. The accessibility and abundance of some raw materials, such as coal and iron ore, gives America a great advantage. Britain can never hope again to reach America in the output of iron. Iron ore is much more easily obtained in this country, occurring in some places in large quantity of so soft a nature that it can be scooped out with steam shovels; and since it is on the surface it is possible to load it directly on cars, ready to be transported to the furnace. In Britain the ore must be mined, usually from great depths, or must be imported from other countries.
