German Trade and British Opportunities.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15112, 30 October 1914, Page 6

German Trade and British Opportunities.

Th© other day we dealt with the wonderful opportunity which tho war has given to British manufacturers to capiuro German trade. Some cable mes-

sages received in the past few weeks have indicated that- tho Germans aro doing their best to save something from tho wreck. They know perfectly well what the closing of the seas to their commerce will mean to them, and some

ot the German newspapers have quite frankly told their readers something of tho terrible results that must follow

tho crippling of Germany's oversea business. According to the "Vorwarts," a British blockade will inter-

rupt a German oversea trade of £700.000,000. This assumes, of course, that Germany's trade relations with tho rest of Europe would be uninfluenced

by the war—an assumption, as the -Vorwarts" says, optimism of "which is self-evident." The German textile industry—which will not be much helped by such seizures of wool as Germany is reported to bo making in the territories she has temporarily invaded —will havo to do without tho £30,000.000 worth of cotton annually imported from America, Egypt, and British India, the £5,000.000 worth of jute from the same countries, and tho £ i ,000,000 worth of wool from Australia and Argentina. In 1913 she obtained £15,000,000 worth of copper from America alone. She depends on over-

sea countries for most of her petroleum and hides. She takes C a millions sterling worth of saltpetre from Chile. Her annual imports of tho principal food:tuffs by sea routes havo risen to nearly £50.000.000. "No one," says the "Yorwart*,,'' "who contemplates " theso facts, to which many others "could be added, will be able lightly

"to estimate the economic consequences oi a war of long duration." "tthilo tho extinction of her oversea trade is having its'effects on Germany, it is the duty of British manufacturers to do their utmost to occupy the commercial territory of tho enemy. Tho

j Dominions can be trusted to do their j sharo by boycotting German gooui? as j far as boycott is possible, but Britain will not reap the fullest benefits or'tffe situation 'if energy is not shown in finding out where Germany has been superior, in cultivating the needs of her customers with the samo zeal as Germany has shown in tho past, and in improving the methods of manufacture so as to beat tho Germans in the contest of prices. The chief danger is that British manufacturers, now that Germany is temporarily hors do combat, may bo more than ever inclined to adopt that "take it or leave it" attitude which in tho past, according to many competent authorities, has allowed tho moro enterprising and accommodating rivals of jiritam to enlarge their markets at Britain's expense.