Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-03-27

nerce carried on TO q great extent, n
people of both countries would have
many opportunities 70 visit each others
country, and thus secure moro intimate
friendship. The direct benefit derived
from tho exchange Of mutual products
Iced not be stated here. Now, turning
our eye to the present commercial re-
lation of Japan with the United States,
we find that the aggregate sum OF the
import and export reaches the average
Of $15, 500, 900 q year. This is not a
very small amount, and, moreover. it
is inc. easing every year. W. believe,
however, that IL q little more effort
were made in the right direction it
would not be a very difficult work,
even at the present stage of our COM
MERGE, to double the amount. OF the
S15, 600, 900 above mentioned, our ex.
port to the United States amounts to
$l3, 100. 900, nine-tenths of which is
tea and silk. and the United States
imports to japan amount to So, $780,
600, seven.tenths of which is petroleum.
So we may say that the trade
between America and Japan,
as it is now, is limited to
the exchange Of only three different
kinds Of products. 1t is also to be
noticed that for every $13 worth of
goods which we send to the United
States, she sends us only so, so worth
in return. There Is no a why our
export to the United States should be
limited to tea and silk only; We have
many other products in Japan, either
raw or manufactured, which may find
large demand in the American market.
II requires only u little extra effort On
the part of our merchants and manu-
facturers to open the way for their ex-
portation. Besides, OF late. cur coun-
trymen have been slowly overcoming
their stay -at-home habit; and now a
good many of them go to America to
work. Thus the tendency at present
is that our commercial relations with
the United States will become much
closer hereafter; and we entertain not
a little hope as to the future increase
of our exports. On the other hand,
we are sorry that the Americans seem
to DO perfectly contented with their
present exports of only So, 800, 600.
Among all u imported goods, that
which represents most money is cot
ton goods, OF which the chief source is
England. We have heard that the
cotton manufacture in the United
States has shown a great Improvement
lately. and that in the South American
markets it has entered into competi-
ton with the English manufacture, and
is likely to supercede it completely. In
the face of such news we are puzzled
to know why 1t is that no American
manufacturer has yet made an attempt
to open a new field of competition in
Japan. Again, it is universally ad-
mitted that the convenience and econ
omy of the American railroad make its
adoption by such a country as Japan
especially advisable. Yet we have not
heard Of any American enterprise re-
garding the construction OF railroads
in Japan. In fact, there are q number
of similar topics in which the Ameri-
cans may find very profitable business
by paying a little more attention to the
matter. Being very DESTROYS that a
perfect and permanent friendship
should exist between the United States
and Japan, we can not all be satisfied
with the present aspect OF the COM
merce between the two countries, and
venture to call the serious attention OF
both people to this point"