Chapter I: Preface

The greater part of the contents of this little volume appeared originally in the _Daily Graphic_, in the form of a series of six articles written in criticism of Mr. Ernest Williams's "Made in Germany." To these articles Mr. Williams replied in two letters, and to that reply I made a final rejoinder. In the present reproduction this sequence has been abandoned. For the convenience of readers, and for the economy of space, I have anticipated in the text all of Mr. Williams's objections which appeared to me to have any substance, and, in addition, I have modified or omitted phrases, in themselves trivial, upon which he had fastened to build elaborate but unsubstantial retorts. By doing this I have been able to preserve the continuity of my argument and at the same time to cut down a somewhat lengthy rejoinder into a brief concluding chapter. Incidentally a few new points and some further figures have been added to the articles. This arrangement, unfortunately, deprives Mr. Williams's reply of most of its original piquancy; but, in order that my readers may have an opportunity of seeing what the author of "Made in Germany" was able to say for himself, his letters are reprinted _verbatim_ in an Appendix. I am indebted to the proprietors of the _Daily Graphic_ for their courteous permission to republish the articles, and to the Committee of the Cobden Club for undertaking the republication. I have only to add that the opinions expressed throughout are my own, and that the Cobden Club does not necessarily endorse every one of them.

H. C.

GRAY'S INN,
_December, 1896._

CONTENTS.

CHAP. PAGE

I.--OUR EXPANDING TRADE 1

II.--GERMANY: ONE OF OUR BEST CUSTOMERS 8

III.--PICTURESQUE EXAGGERATIONS 14

IV.--MORE MISREPRESENTATIONS 21

V.--OUR GROWING PROSPERITY 33

VI.--LET WELL ALONE 43

VII.--CONCLUSION 54

APPENDIX 57

ARE WE RUINED BY THE GERMANS?