New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-18
SPANS FOREIGN TRADE.
FACTS OF INTEREST BROUGHT OUT IN
MR. HITCHCOCK'S REPORT.
COMMERCIAL RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED
STATES AND EUROPEAN coUNTRIEs-A
MARKED INCREASE IN THE TONNAGE
OF THE SPANISH MERCHANT
MARINE-YEARLY VALUE OF
EXPORTS AND IMPORTS.

EXPORTS AND IMPORTS
Washington. April l7.-Secretary Wilson. OF 'he
Agricultural Department. has authorized 'he pun
Mcaton OF a bulletin on the subject OF spain loi-
exn trade from 1891 to 1895, inclusive. prepared of
Frank II. Hitchcock. the chief Of the section OF
foreign markets. The facts brought out are vi
particular interest at the present time. Two gen.
eral matters are treated In detail In the pubiica-
tion namely. Spanish commerce proper ana snip
ping and navigation.
It Is shown that Of the total tonnage Transported
to and from Spanish ports during the years 1871
to 1896 inclusive 57.75 per cent was carried by
merchantmen entered and cleared in the uaoe
with the United Kingdom. France ranked second
with 1897 per cent OF the total, and the Nethcr-
lands with 852 per cent stood third. the united
States, with record Of 3.9l per cent. was the
fourth country IN Importance Belgium hith win
236 per cent. and Cuba next. with 29i per cent
OF the merchandise carried by vessels entered at
Spanish ports during the years 1891 TO 1886 IN
elusive 1854 per cent came from the United Ming
dom. France furnished 943 per cent. Russia 6Ao
per cent. and the United States 56S per cent or
the goods carried by vessels cleared during lSl 49,
the United Kingdom was the destination OF 5S2S
per cent. France received H4s per cent the Meth
srlands H. 80 per cent: the United States Sl5 per
cent, and Cuba 262 per cent.
SPANS commercial transac lions with the rest Of
the world amount annually to more than SOVo.oU
In 1895 the merchandise imports amounted TO slol-
value for lssl-'s5 was sai5.o0.4i0 compared with
$n7 a5S.12 for the preceding five years. SPANS
foreign trade Is largely maritime. OF the mer-
chandse imported and exported during 1871 10 only
1873 per cent transported by land while Sil
per cent carried In sea-going vessels during
the earlier years of the decade 1863 more than
one-half Of spain's maritime commerce was car
ried by foreign vessels, but since 1891 there has
been a change. and the national shipping Is now
IN the ascendency. The imports and exports MADE
under the Spanish flag during 1885 amounted to
SIS. 500 and those under flags Of other nations
10 only Sll5.l456.6 OF the foreign commerce or
Spain during 1875 abou. 20 per cent was trans
acted with four countries. namely. France. Bill
per cent: the United Kingdom. 22.05 per cent
Cuba. 1920 per cent. and the United States. oSz
per cent. The total value Of the merchandise an
nually exchanged between Spain and Cuba. Porto
Rico. the Philippines. the Canaries and her varo's
minor possessions. exceeded So00O,OU
The United States ranked third among the sources
Of Span's import trade during 1891 furnishing
1914 per cent OF the value of such imports; Cuba
piled 2.6i per cent. OF the merchandise exported
from Spain during the same time S4.i per cent vert
1853 per cent TO Cuba and S.47 per cent TO Porto
Rico, while the United States came eighth IN the
list OF countries 10 which Spanish exports were
consigned. The average yearly value of the goods
transported by Spain TO and from France in Span
ish shps see SIS the tni ted Kinadon
Porto Rico $s49s149. and the United States So So2-
Spanish vessels Sc 10 per cent went to Cuba. 2D5O
per cent to France. 772 per cent 10 Porto Rico
Coal, which constitutes the most important item
among SPANS non-agricutural imports. is procured
chiefly from the United Kingdom. the receipts from
the United States amounting to less than per cent
OF the total During the calendar year 1895 there
were entered and cleared at Spanish ports $50
merchant vessels OF these vessels le.l69 carried
the flag Of Spain and 1867 vessels the flag of other
nations The average yearly tonnage for the five
years 1S91-95 was 1874 s39 while that for the pre-
ceding five years only % 400 $50 This increase
was due TO the growth In the tonnage OF the Span
ish merchantmen.
On December 81. 1926. the latest date for which
there are available statistics the merchant marine
of Spain comprised l.7s3 vessels. having aggre
gate tonnage of 1852 Compared with the stats
tics the figures for 1895 show a slight increase
in the size Of the feet and a rather marked one In
its tonnage. The steam vessels increased from l3l
in 1856 to 523 in 1895 Ii Is shown that for the five
years from 1891 10 1895 inclusive the Spanish ship
ping has carried on business somewhat more extern
sively from the customs districts along the Atlantic
than from those the Mediterranean Sea The
ships entered and cleared the Atlantic amounted
annually to 49, 74 against 1918 along the Medi-
terranean.