"
"Ah, yes, surprising!"
[Footnote 70: _Triumphant Democracy, or Fifty Years' March of the
Republic._ London, 1886; New York, 1888.]
With regard to the wealth of the nations, it was equally surprising
for him to learn that the census of 1880 proved the hundred-year-old
Republic could purchase Great Britain and Ireland and all their
realized capital and investments and then pay off Britain's debt, and
yet not exhaust her fortune. But the most startling statement of all
was that which I was able to make when the question of Free Trade was
touched upon. I pointed out that America was now the greatest
manufacturing nation in the world. [At a later date I remember Lord
Chancellor Haldane fell into the same error, calling Britain the
greatest manufacturing country in the world, and thanked me for
putting him right.] I quoted Mulhall's figures: British manufactures
in 1880, eight hundred and sixteen millions sterling; American
manufactures eleven hundred and twenty-six millions sterling.[71] His
one word was:
"Incredible!"
[Footnote 71: The estimated value of manufactures in Great Britain in
1900 was five billions of dollars as compared to thirteen billions for
the United States. In 1914 the United States had gone to over
twenty-four billions.
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