have gained the respect and good will of the white officers on the field, who are proud to have them as a part of this post" formed the substance of another tribute from the front. And a French general who "tried them out" in a manoeuvre declared that his own veterans "could not have done it better."

But it was left for Gen. Pershing to set finally at rest the fear that the colored troops might not come up to the needed standard in actual fighting. "I cannot commend too highly," he said in a special message, "the spirit shown among the colored combat troops, which exhibit fine capacity for quick training and eagerness for the most dangerous work." And in a later official communique he

vouched for the heroism shown by two negro troopers-Henry Johnson and Needham Roberts-who, though wounded, fought off a party of twenty German raiders and for that gallant exploit were awarded the French cross. Since then stories of other achievements by our colored soldiers have come in thick and fast. Only the other day Boston received word that six members of company L of the old sixth Massachusetts have received the distinguished service cross and the croix de guerre for "extraordinary bravery and meritorious service" during a ten-day drive in the Champagne, when the regi ment stormed and took one after another the towns of Rimfont, Ardieve, Sechalt and Bussy Farm.

ulators so far progressed as to come into complete control of the Federal Government. More than this: Southern political autocracy has assumed leadership for "world democracy."

Virginia, the State of Democratic Presidents, has 550,000 male citizens of voting age. Only 150,000 are eligible voters. Only 100,000 Democrats rule the State as a result of disfranchisement. There are 345,000 whites who are not eligible to vote.

Of the 179,000 registered for military service in Virginia there were just 30,000 eligible to vote. All could fight for "world democracy," only 30,000 can have voice in WilsonVirginia Democracy! Does this look like solely "negro disfranchisement?"

THE WAR'S BROADENING EFFECT ON THE SOUTH.

Writing to the Manufacturers Record from Gloster, Mississippi, on the war's broadening effect upon the South, Mr. O. P. McPherson said: "The world war has been one of the greatest sources to enlighten the masses politically and commercially. Nearly every farmer had a son or relative in the great conflict, and as a matter of course he was interested, and so he has read more papers and really learned more of the world's greatness than he had ever dreamed existed. He not only grew in knowledge of commerce, but he opened his eyes to some politics. What, then, of the future political situation? When we speak of national politics there is but one thought, the Republican and Democratic parties. Does the

same old feeling of antagonism yet impregnate the souls of the socalled 'Solid South'? I can only speak from local practical observation. It does not. Why? Because this war has scattered our sons and many of them are citizens and will remain citizens of the North, and most of them are thinking for themselves, and many of them may and perhaps will vote as their associates vote in our coming national election. Again, many of the young men have been educated during this war that it requires unity to win, and for that reason have laid aside the political differences that have existed heretofore. Then again, there are the millions who stand for America and America always, and, regardless of the fact that he was rocked in a Democratic cradle, he must now think for himself and vote for America, be it Democratic or Republican. He will think for himself. Then last, but not least, there is a realization coming into the minds of many that, after all, what has sectional politics profited the South? What wave of prosperity has been brought about by holding the South solid? The inevitable answer is, nothing."

BUTTONS.

Of all the little articles of everyday utility the button perhaps shows a wider range of application and greater beauty and variety in shape, color, design, and material than any other. Organic, inorganic and synthetic substances contribute the raw materials from which the

button is made. Products of earth and sea, of forest and stream, of the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms are used, from the plebeian bone button of the workingman to the jeweled one in the turban of an Indian rajah or the symbol of rank on a mandarin's cap. Besides jewels, precious metals and semi-precious stones, nickel, aluminium, copper, cut steel, bronze, brass, plain and colored glass, cut glass, china, porcelain, bone, horn, rubber, galalitu, celluloid, vegetable and artificial ivory, silk, mohair, and other textiles, agate, amber, true ivory, jade, malachite, shell, motherof-pearl, sandal, and other woods. are just some of the materials which have contributed to the infinite variety of button manufacture. Other substances less well known as entering into the process of manufacture are dyes, ochre, carbon black, varnish, shellac, linseed oil, turpentine, alcohol, shoe pegs, glue, pumicestone, mica, asbestos, book paper, vermilion, and acids.

FOREIGN COMPETITION.

Our manufacturers must not be too credulous, too ready to believe all the rosy colored reports about the splendid field for foreign trade in European, as well as in Asiatic, countries. Nor must they accept at face value all the pessimistic statements of industrial conditions in England and France. Neither country was bled white by the war

strain. On the contrary, each has been really strengthened industrially. Both have profited by the experience gained during the war and the progress in that period has been greater than in the past decade. Mr. George A. Gaston, president of Gaston, Williams & Wigmore, recently returned from Europe, says that "the manufacturing capacity of France is now probably four or five times greater than before the war and the country is undergoing a very rapid transformation with a general purpose in view of graduating from the production of luxuries alone to manufactures and

their exports." "France," he says, "is going to compete actively in low cost automobiles and there are now being acquired in that country, American designs for typewriters, sewing machines and other kinds of automatic machines." And he added, "there has been a great development in the use of automatic machinery in France and a great advance in large scale production." England, he declared "is able to take care of herself and she is not going to surrender banking or ship control." We must expect a most strenuous commercial attack upon our domestic industries, from the Allied, as well as the enemy countries, in their frenzied efforts to secure markets for the products of their factories. If we are not to be greatly injured by this attack, the Underwood law must be repealed and a protective law must be enacted.

THE IMPENDING FLOOD OF

FOREIGN GOODS

By F. G. R. Gordon.

The June reports of foreign trade show imports into this country from Germany to the value of $266,966. From Austria-Hungary there came nearly $91,000 worth. Belgium sent us nearly $300,000 worth. All of these countries sent us nothing last year for the same month. For the month of June this year France sent us more than two and a half million dollars worth of goods in excess of what she sent us in June 1918. Italy increased her imports to this country by more than a million dollars, while the increase from Spain was nearly five millions. Great Britain sent us a total of $18,724,373 against $13,512,048 a year ago. Even Cuba

and Argentina each increased its exports into this country by eight million dollars. What will happen in a few months?

Our imports from Japan are increasing rapidly, as they are from almost every country. Japan is building shoe factories and cotton mills. She is exporting shoes to the value of millions. She has established retail stores in a dozen large western cities and these stores are filled, not with curios, but with textile goods. Soon we are to become astounded at the magnitude of the vast flood of foreign made goods that will be dumped upon our markets. It will be wise if we give some thought to this situaton. It will be doubly wise not to elect any free trader to Congress.

NOT THE FIRST TIME.

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In his remarkable speech condemning the insolent demands of the Railroad Brotherhood, Senator Thomas, of Colorado, said: "This, I think, is the first time in the history of the nation-I hope it is—and God grant that it may be the last, although I fear it may not be in which a fragment of the American people, fully organized and in control of industries vital to the public welfare, has pointed its finger to the Congress of the United States and said, 'Legislate thus and so,' failing to do which, in the language of one of them, 'we will tie up the system so that it can never operate again." This is not the first time, it is the second, and both times by the same organization the Railroad Brotherhood, the "fragment of the American people." The first time was just before the election of 1916 when this Brotherhood figuratively made the President stand and deliver, following which they literally held a watch on the Democratic Congress and made that party jump to do their bidding. From that day to this, the Railroad Brotherhood has cracked the cat-o'-nine-tails over Mr. Wilson and his revolutionaries, and they will continue to do so until an aroused public has brought Stone, Lee, Jewell and their kind to a realization of the fact that orderly government, not mob rule, is the foundation of Americanism. And this lesson must be administered by the Republican majority now controlling Congress, and by a Republican Administration to follow the cowardly regime for whose folly and feebleness the American people are now reaping the whirlwind of nation-wide disorder, anarchy and high prices.