1 8 FIELDS, FACTORIES AND WORKSHOPS. 



about it from a mere inspection of the London shops, 

 that I need not enter into lengthy details. Several 

 articles in reviews ; the correspondence exchanged on 

 the subject in The Daily Telegraph in August, 1886; 

 numerous consular reports, regularly summed up in the 

 leading newspapers, and still more impressive when 

 consulted in originals ; and, finally, political speeches, 

 have familiarised the public opinion of this country 

 with the importance and the powers of German com- 

 petition.* Moreover, the forces which German industry 

 borrows from the technical training of her workmen, 

 engineers and numerous scientific men, have been so 

 often discussed by the promoters of technical educa- 

 tion in England that the sudden growth of Germany as 

 an industrial power can be denied no more. 



Where half a century was required in olden times 

 to develop an industry a few years are sufficient now. 

 In the year 1864 only 160,000 cwts. of raw cotton 

 were imported into Germany, .and only 16,000 cwts. of 

 cotton goods were exported ; cotton spinning and weav- 

 ing were mostly insignificant home industries. Twenty- 

 years later the imports of raw cotton were already 

 3,600,000 cwts., and in another two years they rose 

 to 5,556,000 cwts.; while the exports of cotton stuffs 

 and yarn were valued at 3,600,000 in 1883, and 

 7,662,000 in 1893. A great industry was thus created 1 

 in less than thirty years. The necessary technical 

 skill was developed, and at the present time Germany 

 remains tributary to Lancashire for the finest sorts of 

 yarn only. However, Herr Francke believes t that 

 even this disadvantage will soon be equalised Very 

 fine spinning mills have lately been erected, and the 



* Many facts in point have also been collected lately in a little book, 

 Made in Germany, by E. E. Williams. Unhappily, the facts relative to 

 the recent industrial development of Germany are so often used in a 

 partisan spirit in order to promote protection that their real importance is 

 c en misunderstood. 



I Die neueste Entwickelung der Textil-Industrie in Deutschland. 



