The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1877-05-17
Misre1hnu.
American Trade With the Beilig-
erents.

Our direct trade with the two powers
who are drawing the sword on each
other is not large in amt mt. The total
of our exports to Russia and Turkey
combined amounts to only 50 $l7, 800
600, OF which two thirds is with the
former country and the remainder with
the latter. the exact figures for the fs>
cal year 1915 being as follows:
With Russia, imports, 81 1888, 7J9; ex-
ports $l1 ,4Sl, 758. With Turkey, i'm
por's 8, s., 700, ,947; exports, $i,2tt, ,SS4--
total imports, $7,179, 706; exports, SIS,
ut, ,G42.
1t will thus be seen that what direct
results might fall upon our trade, il the
event of war, wopld be felt allAost ex-
clusively III our exports. Our imports
from Russia are chiefly wool, rags. flax,
cordage and iron; the most important
being wool, which, being of y peculiar
texture, cannot we'll be substituted by
supplies from other regions, and inter
ruptior of the supply of this article
might therefore cause some neon
venience to our manufacturers. Our
chief imports from Turkey are few
drugs, rags and prunes. Our exports
to those countries consist principally OF
cotton aud petroleum. Russia takes
from eight to ten millions worth OF cot
ton per annum, which enters the coun-
try entirely by way Of the Baltic and
Waite Seas; she alto buys from US
about fonr million gallons Of refined pc
troleun, which goes about equally by
way of the Baltic and Black Seas. Two
million gallons that goes by the Black
Sea ports would be very likely to be
challenged by the Turkish feet, and
that trade would therefore in all proba-
biity be lost to Us pending hostilites.
Turkey takes about five million gallons
of petroleum, and rs her fleet may be
expected to be able to keep open all her
ports, this trade can hardly be regarded
as exposed to interruption.
Fortunately for the general interests
of commerce., both the countries rank
low in the scale of foreign trade, rs
compared with other European States
Their chief importance to the rest OF
the world lies III their being food ex-
porting countries; in which respect they
are important competitors with the
United States: fact which is of much
more consequence to rs than any inter>
ruption of our direct trade with them
can possibly be. Russia's export of
wheat, since 1864, has ranged varously
between 30, 900, 600 and IS, 900, COG bush
els; but her shipments have been stead
ily declining, and cannot be regarded
as equal TO an average between the fore
going extremes From the Turkish
provinces on the Danube, the exports
of wheat nov average about 1000, UO0
bushels and Of maize 1900, 900 bush
els, making a total supply Ct 27,00o, 600
bushels of brcadstuffS sent to other
countries. If We estimate the Russian
export at only -, 00l 00J bushels, and
ad to it that OF Aoldu, Wal!achin and
Rpumau'a, We have total Of Y, 0OU,-
900 bushels of wheat and maize liable
to interruption OF export. The only
question is a9 to how far the export is
likely to be blocked, aud how lar tie
raising and harvesting Of the crops may
be interrupted by military operations;
points which are vet very probIenaticnl
aud must re nalu So uutii the plans Of
campaign and the disposal of the re-
apcctivu fleets become better known.
In the most favorable event. the United
States would be called on to supply
large deficiencies iii these sources of
contributions TO the want Of the grain
importing countries.