COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE AND PROTECTION 191 
And yet imports of articles of much the same kind — tools and 
machines — have continued; imports also of a variety of minor 
iron and steel products. These apparent exceptions, however, 
prove on closer examination not to run counter to the principle of 
comparative advantage ; rather they serve to confirm it. 
Thus, while the familiar sewing machine for domestic use is made 
in the United States more cheaply than in foreign countries, certain 
special machines — for embroideries and for factory work — 
continue to be imported. The explanation is that few of each 
special kind are wanted; the processes of manufacture cannot 
be standardized; the turning out of interchangeable parts by the 
thousand is not feasible. In making these handwork is called for 
in greater degree. Under such conditions the characteristic ad- 
vantage of the American producer disappears. Where ingeniously 
perfected machinery can be applied in large-scale operations, the 
American is likely to hold his own, but not where a handicraft skill 
is needed for a special article. 
Similarly, knitting machines have been both imported and 
exported. A circular automatic machine has been perfected in 
the United States, and is widely used for the commoner and 
cheaper grades of cotton knit goods; it is even exported. But a 
very elaborate German machine for knitting full-fashioned goods 
continued to be imported; because the fabrics for which it was 
ased were more expensive, smaller quantities were marketable, 
and hence fewer of the knitting machines were used. Made as 
the machines were in comparatively small quantities, they were 
turned out more cheaply in Germany, and most of them were 
imported.’ 
Some kinds of cutlery, again, are steadily imported; others are 
not imported at all. Pocket knives have been regularly brought 
in from England and from Germany ; and one of the extreme mani- 
festations of protectionist spirit during the period 1890-1922 was 
in the high and elaborate duties on this article. Table cutlery, on 
the other hand, is supplied by the domestic manufacturer without 
1 T speak of the situation as it stood before 1914, and am not informed about the 
changes that may have taken place in later vears.