Show BRITISH DECADENCE The decline of ot Britain from froia be her her boated boasted supremacy In the manufacturing ing Ing industries has bai caused her ber states states- statesmen men and political economists muo though natural vanity makes them teth to admit that their country c is II being passed in the race the they ar are occasionally compelled to do ao so b by th the stern tern facts facto presented Another instance now new cornea comes to the front and andone andone one that seems ae m to be particularly gaU gall gall- galling Ing to te British pride Judging Judging from tb the the remark remarks of ot the London Ironmonger D an ia influential journal among mong tradesmen This paper announces that tbt there are ar r armany many branches of ot metal manufactures in iD which the Germans German and nd Belgian Belgians as shown In the Antwerp exposition excel the English situ aad regretfully accepts the view of its ite correspondent who ii is decidedly of ot the opinion that British supremacy in manufactures manufacture is Ia slowly but surely aurely vanishing The ironmonger adds adda that it U la is u as a well that the view Iw should be emphasized zed Ie lest leat by inertness Inattention end and over oel overconfidence overconfidence confidence we go down the incline with unnecessary ary rapidity Aa As a means ea of checking this thia ten ten- tendency ten tendency dency the Ironmonger approves approve tb the policy now new adopted by many British manufacturers of refusing to 0 exhibit their products product at international fairs Ie lest they hey be copied by rivals This la is a direct confession that the paper lacks confidence in ID th the ability of the Briton to Maintain hI his own in 10 the open field Geld There was waa a time when beu he was waa more than anxious to display his hia handiwork work in ex exposi- exposi expositions pOll being confident that none could surpass him But now that is ia chang chang- changing ing and while be might bear being outrivaled by his hi younger relative on aD this thil side Bide ide of ot the water to be beaten beatea bY bythe bythe the continental manufacturers manufacturer i in the th opinion of the paper papel q quoted Doted from rather more than should be submitted 1 to in public at least |