The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-07-23
ASIATHENEW MARKET
Noyf:Ouyayx CVLTlvATIyG 4 TASTE
FoR wHEATEN BREAD.
Great I~cr~nse In shipment From the
Vnited Ssafes 20 the Orient-China
and Japan the Principal CONSUME
ers-A Million Barrels. Eanai 10
100000 Bushels. TO BE shipped I'm
1897.

suaciaI Dispatch 70 the Poet-Intelligencer-
WASHINGTON. July Prank Il.
Hitchcock. chief Of the section Of foreign
markets OF the agricultural department.
has 4ust prepared summary Of the ex-
rsgr~a,ionS OF United States wheat TO East
ern Asia Mr.. Hitchcock says:
wheat for the Orient.
owing 10 the rapid deye. prnent during
tre last few years Of new wheat producing
areas In other ports Of the world and the
incrsa sing con. petition the United states
is thus compelled 20 NEE; in the markets OF
Europe, the future disposal OF our surplus
wheat is becoming a problem OF no LITTLE
importance. As solution of this difficulty
il has been suggested that The changes
now taking place in the civilization OF
ing there OF markets for our wheat that
viii 10 some extent compensate as Tor pos
si5le losses TO be Incurred through the
growing competition of other countries IN
the European markets We were formerly
able TO control. There are certainly so2.e
very encouraging indications as 10 the
piauSinility of this suggestion.
Chief among these indications Is the re-
marAable manner in which our exporfa-
tons os wheat TO Eastern Asia have In
creased during the decade just closing.
Most Of this wheat Is shipped in the form
of flour. the exports of grain being COM
parativeiy small. Tho total shipments OF
wheat -four from the United States TO
Japan and China tincluding Hongkon2
according to the official trade returns puo-
lished by the bureau OF statistics OF the
treasury department, amounted to fully
e.UD.Voe barrels. and by far the larger part
of this quantity was exported in the latter
half OF the decade. The amount exported
during the fiscal year Isl. the opening year
4e.Ia1 bareris. In 1896. ten years later. our
shipments reached as high as $780, bar
rels. showing gain for the decennial Pc
riod Of more than loo per cent. Still fur
.Ezr fsx~sl
far available for the current fiscal year.
According 10 these figures. our total ship
ments 10 japanese and Chinese ports dur
ing the nine months ended March 81 1887.
amounted to So. aD4 barrels. With proper
sionately large expectations for the Ahree
remaining months. the total amount or
wheat -four shipped TO these countries dur
ing the entire fiscal year 1897 should reach
above 10G.aJ1 barrels. which would ne
equivalent 10 more than 4,H,eo5 bushels OF
wheat.
American Flour In China.
''Of the American flour sent across the
Pacific the major portion goes TO Hong
kong and is thence largely distributed TO
other ports in China Our shipments to
Hongkong In the fiscal year 1891 We're re-
turned at 81 oss barrels. In 1886 they were
G5.sl2 barrels. For the present fiscal year
dsSD. they promise TO be siill larger, the
nine months ended with March showing an
expectation OF Gas. ss2 barrels. The guam
tity Of -four we ship directly TO ports in
China other than Hongkong ts compare
lively small. the largest yearly export to
these ports ever recorded that for 1873: be-
Ing returned at only 81. pa barrels. There
has been large increase since 1871 now
ever. the shipments during that year
amounting to only ia barrels.
Although our exports of nour TO ia
pan are considerably smaller than those
to Hongkong and China. they show an In
crease during the last few years that Is
proportionately even greater having adj
h3 n
year Iss1 to los. $50 barrels in the fiscal year
1896. The growth in this export trade,
which was particularly rapid during the
last two or three years continues TO an
even greater degrees In the present fiscal
year our exports TO Japan during the six
months ended December 81 reaching no
less figure than Isl ,349 barrels. or more
than was ever before exported IN an en-
tire year. According to the returns for
the nine months ended March 81. placing
the shipments for that period at III, i34 bar
reis. II may be estimated that the total
exports of wheat flour from this country
TO Japan during the year ending June 81,
1887. will amount TO about A0.oso barrels.
tabular statement OF the quantity OF
wheat -four, and also Of wheat In the
grain. exported from the United States to
Japan, China and Hongkong in each fiscal
year from lsss to 1896. inclusive. and dur
ing the nine months ended March 81. 1897.
shows that the exports of wheat in the
grain have been chiefly to Japan. The
quantities thus far sent to China have
our official trade reports. Shipments OF
some Importance were made 10 Hongkong
In 1885 and 1895. but there are no returns
for previous years Our exports of wheat
to Japan have been much larger during
the present fiscal year than ever before
In the first half OF the year, comprising
the months Of July TO December, 1896 we
sent ss,ses bushels to japanese ports and
the shipments during the three succeeding
months, January. February and March.
1877. make the total exports for the nine
months ended March 81, 1887 70 SOS bushels
AT this rate our total shipments 10 Jaran
for the fiscal year ending June 80 1877.
should amount TO more than Ialos bush
els. The largest annual shipments prayi-
ouSly recorded Were for the year ended
June -. 1885, and amounted 10 lS,2i1 bush
els.
American wheat also finds its way 70
Eastern Asia In the form Of bread and bis
cui'. nul not In very great quantities The
largest shipment reported as yet for any
year have not reached above a few thou
sand dollars IN value.
An inquiry into the causes Of the in
creased expectations Of wheat TO the orr
ent discloses some significant facts no5nt-
ing TO the proha bility OF still greater de-
Uands In the future From a statistical
point OF view, the situation In China -
MOI ~ readily dealt With as that in Japan.
owing TO the lack Of relia bic data far .he
former country. The conditions that ayfs.
in Japan. however. may be fairly taken
as an index 10 what may be expected in
China. az
Japanese Learn to Ea: bread.
As regards Japan. Official statistics
seem In Indicate that the sapartfy ~ ~ =
country for wheat production mas ROT in
creased commensurate with the growth u,
population. The average, annual non1,,s-
too, OF the Kingdom fer the nve-year ne
Rod isai-l>9i WAS 81 al 4ss "a o6,,,.a = -
with S@ sal s17 for the precNiinS o,,sn,ss,,,,
MUM lNNs-lSa. This shows a gain ~ 4 sa
per cent. IN the annual average of the Sec