Evening star., 1898-05-14

though small individually, sare vast in the
aggregate, and are increasing with great
rapidity-even more rapidly. than the chief
exports in commerce and trade have dared
prophesy III their widest moments of by.
pothetical reasoning - and still China is
hardly awake yet. When she does move
look oct for her. 1t will be like an ava
lanChe.
Third OF this half billion population
350.00U,0C0 wear almost nothing but cotton
clothing and use nothing but cotton ma
terfals for the hundred and one ether uses
that cloth Is put to. The average AsiatiC
wears more clothing the more he progresses
or comes into contact with foreigners. 1 dc
not know as that could be called progress
however, at least in the tropics, because
have always found that the less clothing
wore the happier l was and the more work
1 could debut that is not to my point. II
is noticeable that the demand for cotton
goods of all kinds has increased during the
last few years far more rapidly than the
population, and that sales are an as
cending scale, which means a brilliant fu-
ture for the trade in cotton goods and raw
cotton.
Condition of Cotton Supply.
Fourth. The supply of raw cotton in
China is so small compared to the total
consumption Of cotton goods that it could
never meet the demand If supplies from
other lands. like India, Egypt and America,
were cut off. 1t is true that China even
exports cotton, but that goes only to Japan
and simply for manufacture, to be shipped
back as cotton yarn or piece goods. Then.
again, cotton-growing is not science in
China, while the son and sun DO not seem
to suit il like our own favored Dixie's
warmth and fertility. The product of one
acre of good cotton land in thee United
States will equal that of five to ten in
China The time may come when China $
millions will learn how to grow all their
cotton in China's numberIess acres, but
tn
courage the planters and manufacturers of
the south in exploiting these Asiatic mar
kets And mind. please have only spoken
OF emma. Japan can never supply her own
miiis with the raw product, now over one
huhored IN number and being added to
every year. Eastern Siberia, Corea, For
mosa, Cochin-China, Siam, Straits Settle
lnents, Java, Borneo and the Philippines
are great purchasers of cotton goods, and
even II mills should be started in their cit
les, the raw product must still be imported.
VIII the South Meet the Demand.
flfth. The tendency now of the far east,
Illustrated by the development of cotton
mehufacturing in Japan with headquarters
at osaka, and by the working and con-
strucuon OF numerc1s mills at Shanghai
ana other points in Chiia-is to supply the
market ON the spot with the finished pro-
occt instead RI depending tentirely on Ell-
rope ana america. S6Dthe demand for raw
"a Japan ana emma mas suddenly
jumped ahead into considerable propor-
ton; and now comes the question: Can
an1 Will the south nteet this demand and
80 provide herself with vast new market,
us usen.uaily Tree her from absolute re-
making her great gtaple an Increased
source source OF wealth to every yeotton-producing
south? -fsf IF
India, China and Egypt.
"Siyth vTba 6o1a - y
trelied without co1patitisn. Far from it.
me cotton merchants of India, China and
Egypt are making vigorous effort to sup
ply the far eastern demand. Egypt counts
On On ner near route by the Suez canal and ber
q cap Iaoor to eventually rule the market
mhle indla and China contend that they
Hefe even greater advantage in both
THESE respects; but there are certain condi-
uons favorable to American cotton which,
Iciiowed up properly, will more than
cccnterbalance the nearness and cheaynass
u Ihdlan, Chinese and Egyptian supplies.
0he IL the quality of American cotton.
botn the Japanese and Chinese rnanufac-
turers distinctly prefer 1t. 1t il manufac-
lureo more easily and seems to make more
ana better cloth. Then, when plaeed On the
narket, the buyers prefer both the yarn
and cloth made from It.
Freight Rates Chief Esmbarxo.
Seventh. The only serious difficulty in
.he way OF American cotton Is the price,
Wnach Is made high solely by the freight
rates from the south to Japan and China
nave visited every cotton mandatory