WATCHES BY THE MILLION.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16721, 2 January 1920, Page 8

WATCHES BY THE MILLION.

That the Germans aro already at woik to capture our oversea trado is apparent from circular sent mo (writes the "J>ailv Mail" trado correspondent-) l>\ tho home office of a firm with br;uicl»:s at Capo Town, Kast London, and Port. Elizabeth.

Tho Capo Town branch received this circular irom a man with a German name, whose address is given sis "Poste Kcstante, Capo Town, until tho end ot September. 1919." Ho calls himself "confidential buyer for South African lirir.s," and offers china, earthenware, enamel ware hardware, lamps, and glassware, cutlery and tools, stationery, lead pencils, pipes, gramophone?, clocks, and watches froiir Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and Antwerp. The warea aro offered in quantities up lo 20,000 tons-, tho pipes by tho half million, the gramophones by the 300,000, and tho clocks and watches by the million. For prompt shipment, freo on lioard r,t Hamburg, Hotterdam. or Amsterdam, ho also offers 1000 new German pianos, with full iron frame, sevan octaves, in 50 models, in burr, walnut, rosewood, ebonised mahogany, oak, and .polisander cases, at £00 each. _ According to this circular the agent is on the way to Europe "to commence shipping" Messrs Llovds and Co., who send trie this cirrnlar, add, "It is well for English traders to bo duly warned of tho position." Tho hunger of tho Germans for some raw materials and foodstuffs is shown by tho exports to Gorman cities, chiefly Hamburg and Cologne, during tho psu-t week. Wo have sent them bales of cotton. tibres, hemp, hides, rubber, woollen cloth, rice, cinnamon, tapioca, ginger, nutmegs, maize, popper, pimento, toilet and household soap, apparel, paint, candles, starch, carpets, wool travelling rugs, and cotton laco. Krom Germnnv we havo received fnt», china, and earthenware, sundry metal manufactures, mineral wax, hardware, bristles, and wood pulp. A ship now discharging her cargo in tho Thames lias brought 420 packols of lions, tlio place of origin of which is sot. down as Bohemia.

Several small consignments of sugar, rire. mnndiocn meal, and lard have been shipped from Brazil, to test conditions in German markets.

Jannn continues to supply a wide variety of poods, including foodnttiffp, and tho United States manifests are still extraordinarily varied. One consignment of American hosiery was of the value of £1^,473.