60 THE DECENTRALISATION 



During the last war, the progress realised in all 

 industries connected with war was rendered 

 fully evident.* 



All this shows that the much-dreaded invasion 

 of the East upon European markets is in rapid 

 progress. The Chinese slumber still ; but I am 

 firmly persuaded from what I saw of China that 

 the moment they will begin to manufacture with 

 the aid of European machinery and the first 

 steps have already been made they will do it 

 with more success, and necessarily on a far 

 greater scale, than even the Japanese. 



But what about the United States, which 

 cannot be accused of employing cheap labour 

 or of sending to Europe " cheap and nasty " 

 produce ? Their great industry is of yesterday's 

 date ; and yet the States already send to old 

 Europe constantly increasing quantities of 

 machinery. In 1890 they began even to export 

 iron, which they obtain at a very low cost, owing 

 to admirable new methods which they have 

 introduced in metallurgy. 



In the course of twenty years (1870-1890) the 



* The mining industry has grown as follows : Copper ex- 

 tracted : 2,407 tons in 1875 ; 49,000 in 1909. Coal : 567,200 

 tons in 1875 ; 15,535,000 in 1909. Iron : 3,447 tons in 1875 ; 

 15,268 in 1887 ; 65,000 in 1909. (K. Rathgen, Japan's 

 Vclkwirthschaft und Staatshaushaltung, Leipzig, 1891 ; Consular 

 Reports.) 



