Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-17
CHINA'S COM M Err E
Effect Of thssApprec;ation Of Gold Upon
Export
Consul Central Jernisan Urges Closer
Trade Relation" With the
FlOwery Kingdom.

Chira, deyotes some space in a report upon
the foreign trade of China to quotation
from the report of 1894 of Nr. kopsch or
he imperial Chinese customs service. Inc
latter says that there Is no indication OF
recovery from the retrograde movement In
the staple articles of import from gold
standard countries This he ascribed to
the appreciation of gold enhancing prices
and curtailng demand. which also char
acteriZed the trade of 1893 OF the export
trade Mr.. Kopsch said:
'Steadier. but lower, exchange benefited
experts, and enabled shippers of India pro-
Guce to lay it down in gold standard coun-
tries at unparalleled low cost. Several ar
ticleS now find market abroad which did
OF formerly leave China, and the present
I Ugh price paid for gold bars entities that
commodity to rank after tea and silk in
aggtgrate value of any article enumerated
in the table OF exports"
The ConsuPs Comments.
Commenting upon this, Mr.. Jernigan
says: 1T certainly cannot be expected that
the consumption of foreign fabrics will
attain to the level recorded when the ex-
change was high unless the gold value of
silver improves and tael prices are thereby
reduced to rates within the means of east
ern consumers 1t is true that the imports
show an increased value of 1910 tael'
over 1888, but in great measure the value
of these was enhanced by the further APP
preciation of gold"
Mr.. Kopsch is then quoted upon the sub
ject of the Importation of piece goods, in
which he says the imports advanced lnsig-
niicantly, but not sufficient to snow that
the fall off caused by the appreciation OF
gold had been arrested" Reports from in
land marts show that the sale OF Man
chester goods has been restricted, though
the demand for army supplies had created
a slight abnormal demand.
Probabilities of the Wool Trade.
The North China Daily News. an En-
glish journal. commenting upon the re-
port of Mr.. Kopsch, says the export trade
in all branches is benefited by the low rate
of sterling exchange, and that under ex-
listing conditions there is every prospect
that Chinese wool. when improved in
quality, may become formidable rival
to the Australian product, as the WOOL
growing resources of China are still unde-
veloped. and with silver at the present
price China would defy competition from
all gold-s,andard countries" Continuing,
the News speaks of the tea trade, saying
that it has proved very remunerative, for,
though a higher price had to be paid here
than III 1873, the fall in exchange covered
this and as there was no corresponding
fall in gold prices in England and the
United States the trade in China reaped
the benefit, Speaking of other exports,
the News says there has been an increase
in raw white silk. falling off in yellow
silk, while that of refuse silk surpassed
all records. Straw braid trade continues 10
expand. Exports in other directions have
increased The value of the gold exports
amounted to 12.77i.oa0 taeis, equivalent to
2,04io25 pounds, which is far in excess
of the pieviovs years, due to the disposal
of gold hearGiRss, which the high price led
the holders tosdispose Of The Importation
of silver bullion was 37,l20.OO0 taels,
against 2u.6S1,p0 taels in 1S!8
Revertips toi particular ports, Mr.. Jerni-
gan comments Upon the effect of the war
Chinese flag has practically disappeared
from the port of Shanghai, many vessels
of the Chinesss merchant fleet being trans
ferred to foreign flag. The number of
ships have imnlaterialiy decreased, but the
tonnage has slightly increased The ex-
porIationlof gold has decreased, but Il
large amountgot silver bullion remains in
,FqEt, snpp.osea. e be the result of war loans
in trade appear at other ports but only
foreign ships entered Tien-Tsin.
More Favorable Relations Needed.
ForE,osa. There was a general increase of
imports at southern ports.
Mr.. Jernisan closes his report by urg-
ing closer and more favorable trade rela-
tons between China and the United States.
He speaks of the favorable impression
which he six modern war vessels flying the
American flag in Chinese waters has pro-
duCed. and American residents have felt
secure. He comments upon the fact that in
emma and japan there is not published
single journal under American influence,
while the leading journals are under Brit
ish influence and advocate British inter-
ests. He adds that newspapers under
American influences could do much good
He suggests paper CT this kird at both
Yokohama and Shanghai.