The North Otago Times THURSDAY, JULY 19, 1917. THE WAR AFTER PEACE.

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13936, 19 July 1917, Page 4

The North Otago Times THURSDAY, JULY 19, 1917. THE WAR AFTER PEACE.

It is admitted by every intelligent Britisher that there can be no. doubt that the • commercial war, winch will be waged after the physical war. now raging,, will be conducted: by." the ene.my with great subtlety and.nnscrupulousness, We have found that the German does everything thoroughly, and already preparations are in train for the big/struggle for commercial supremacy which will come with peace. Prior to August. 1914, the German in our midst was treated as : afi 'honoured guest. Amongst business men he was looked upon as a model of commercial virtue, thoroughly up-to-date in his methods, and ay. ynaji \vlio, would always fulfil any contract which he might matter how Unfavourable the-terms should later prove to.be. Jt was not.realised, of course, by generous-heart-ed Britishers, that every German salesman "was to all' intents and purposes an agent' of the German Imperial Government, and that the sound business methods and fidelity "to contracts were merely part of Xthin vei/cer which,..covered over n crafty and malicious nature. But now our cyorj arc open to the perfidy of the German and we must bestir ourselves to. see that British trade is clarified from all German influences. Mr Wilfred. Powell, in an illuminating article in!the Royal Colonial Institute Joufnai, tells us that in Stettin sonic years ago there was institutpd an Association for the "Promotion of Foreign Commercial Relation;)," The objects of the association included "the better education of clerks and young men in business, giving special iittoiition to languages such as English, Russian, Spanish; aiid French,'" and sending to Great Britain and her Dominions, the United State.s of America, Brazil, Argentine, and other countries well qualified young men to improve tliejj.- know-, ledge in the business of the country. to which they had themselves decided to go in the interests of Stettin trade.Each student on leaving Germany was given £75 to cover jilt* travelling expenses to the coiintry to which he had previously proved his fitness fo proceed,. Each student took with , him a letter to,the German Consul at the port to. which lie was bound, and the "Consuls were instructed by the German Foreign Office to give all advice and assistance possible. It was expected, of course, that these, young men would make frequeiit reports respecting the besf meth> ods of promoting German trade with the country to.which they liad emigrated. Doubtless it was, through such' associations that Germany obtaincd much of her insight into the trade of Great-Britain and her Dominions, The Germans claim that the "commercial success of Germany is not the outcome, bul is rather the cause, of the attention paijcl to the commercial and techiii: cal education. The great development .and extension of -German trade which took its beginning immedifitely following the war of 1870-71, and the forniation, of the Empire, lias been due, according to the Germans, not to commercial and technical education', but to the high standard in the general education of the German State, and, above all, to the attention given to modern' languages. , With his usual foresighteduess, the Teuton saw the "gift of languages" was essential to successful competition to - fpreign fields. As a leading jbu'steess man in Berlin once ob's&ved: "It-js.always difficult;to' MaJte; a person bslpye that your

joods are the b\' but it becomes ii'liinsihlc jl \on (jiiniiol address fiiiu in Ins own language." Let us 1 'ongkler some of the ih'ticles of 1 ;rade in ■■■.whicli the 'Germans have < mpplanted the Britishers. Take ,i juttlery. Sheffield steel is noted l :hc. world over for its excellence, ] aid cutlery made at Sheffield is •eadily purchased for that reason, •joon inferior, goods bore $e sieffield trade marks, but as'f.he Cler-" , man courts considered that ( the • slightest deviation from/the form ' if tlie British,trade mark was suffi- • jicnt to constitute a different trade inark, tlie nefarious. practice was allowed -to continue. The trade with Russia in agricultural machinery. passed entirely into the hands. of' the Germans. • One of the main reasons for this was'that the Germans were willing to make tin sort of light machinery that the Russians required for transport over their heavy roads, while the British continued to offer only the heavy machinery suitable to the excellent roads of the United Kingdom. In the manufacture of cotton and linen goods he Germans have made great headway., In fact, in almost, every branch of), the textile industry Germany has made rapid progress. Chemicals are, of course, a very sow-point. Aniline, dyes, for instance, were discovered by an Englishman; but the British did not realise the yajue of the di.\civery. Germany did, and we are suffering for this want of perspicuity now. 'But why go on? Almost every trade has been invaded by the Germans, and gradually mow or less eaten into by their energetic ability and in many cases unscrupulous methods of obtaining mitrkets, The problem which faces tlie British Empire is what must be done'to prevent our nation falling gradually back into the commercial condition which obtainei prior to the war. Everybody should have no scruples about thu first line of action. The nation must purge itself of all German influences. Any Gernian must he looked upon as a possible potential evil. The nation must pay more attention to scientific and industrial research. The'men in commercial circles must be educated in foreign" languagesiand the peaceful penetration of German subsidised, clerks into British business houses must be combated. Science fend manufacture should go hand-in-hand, and science should be made the handmaid of ind us try. Our educated authorities must carefully watch the growing inclination and tendency of the children under their care and direct them in their studies, wit.: a view to improving and increasing their development in that par lieular direction, towards which their inclination appears to tend. Our manufacturers must take a leaf out oi the German commercial traveller's book and strive to supply the varying needs of his many customers, while the S.t-ate must become' the "foster-mother of our' trade and commerce. If the British Empire is to put forth its Ml commercial and industrial strength in the war after peace comes, capital and labour mustcome to such an understanding as will enable tliem to pull together. The problem is difficult, and complex, but we know with pride that our nation rose to noble heights to defeat Germany in the hazardous business of war, and we have' sufficient, confidence in the race ( j say that the Empire will establish its unquestioned,,supremacy in the stern and unrelenting struggle which will begin the moment the steel-throated monsters of destrn; tioh cease their thunders and the tramp of legions of armed men reverberates no more. '