THE WORLD'S OVER-MANUFACTURE, [To THE EDITOR or THE " SPECTATOR."]
SIR,—One should feel diffident indeed when venturing= any remarks on Free Trade, Protection, Dumping-payment of
German Indemnity, Anti-Dumping, Question of Exchange, Labour Troubles, &c., &c., for all these matters have long puzzled experienced heads, and also exercised the most fluent
pens. Yet would I suggest that all are but branches of a vaster tree that comprehends them all and that they are all rooted in a fact which affects the whole world's Civilization, i.e., that
that Civilization is losing due sense of the proportion which should be maintained betweed agriculture and manufacture. The strongest example of an exaggerated manufacture is to be found in the true cause of the late war, i.e., that the Germans had intensified their manufacturing industrialism with such a frenzy that they were confronted with bankruptcy unless they could swiftly conquer a great increase of markets. Begotten thus, a very terrible monster of Frankenstein ia:now careering over a large part of the world—for Germany has set the pace in over-production.
I seem to hear some one etclaint, with a Wry smile, "We could do with a little over-production just now in England 1 "
I am, however, of course only dealing with the-very broadest aspects of these matters and with that which concerns wide spaces of time. Nor (since they would confuse the main issue that I submit) have I gone into any questions of the effect on national health of our crowding into towns, or any ditto ditto arising from the emigration of our best men, who are being
replaced by races unattuned to our special genius and tradition —about which latter point the United States could, I imagine, teach us something. Tkuly is the world's Civilization near
becoming one vast asylum of hustling epileptics; of crazy, wild- eyed -creatures to whom the words Order and-Proportion are as meaningless as the word Duty. To sum up, by all means let us
manufacture-to the fullest possible.degree for the moment and to meet an abnormal situation; but, as an overriding principle for future etnidnot, let Civilization bear in mind that there a fatal precipice-ahead of her present path. Surely- there must be SOItte to whet( that much-injured-nerd Statesman can still
be applied? Has not what we have gone through and are going through, Pu.rged these of jealousy and egotism?—I am, Sir, &c.,
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