The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1898-05-27
CHINA'STRADE
Next to Great Britain the United
States Gets More Than Any
Nation.
It Is Fifty Per Cent Greater Than
That of Germany---A Great
Increase,
Has Been Going on Steadily Dur.
ing the Past Ten
Years.
Cotton Cloth One Of the Great
Staples--Iron Also in
Demand.

WASHINGTON, May 21.-Mr. Hugh
O'Beirne, second secretary of the Brit.
ish embassy here, has made q report to
the British foreign office on the extent
Of between the United
States and China. The report is op.
perfume to the recent movement Of
European powers, particularly Great
Britain, Germany and Russia towards
securing territory and commercial ad.
vantages in China. Mr.. O'Beirne does
not deal with the political phases which
have made the Chinese question q fore
most topic in European discussion, but
his report tends to bring O that the
United States has such large COM.
nerclal interests in China hat she is
no less interested than the European
0owers ii the advancement made upon
China.
Inc report shows hat the present
volume Of United States trade in China
represents more than on~e.seventh of
the entire trade of the empire. 1t is
% per cent greater than the trade of
Germany with China, and next
10 the trade Of Great Britain, hat be.
ing the first IN commercial Importance.
The increase in American trade has
been going on rapidly within the last
~ years, and this increase has been en-.
tlrely on the side Of American goods,
our exports increasing while Chinese
imports We're decreasing. BY far the
most valuable branch of the trade is
that in cotton goods. Mr.. O'Beirne
showed the Importance Of the Chinese
market for United States cotton cloth
by stating that last year China took
S,,lo6, 900 out Of a total export Of $l1,.
Isl, O0O or almost half Of all our cotton
cloths shipped abroad. He a y Chinese,
especially those Of Nanchurla, prefer
American drills and sheetlngs as they
are heavier. The great lux of these
cotlons are shipped from New
York, and then via the Suez canal.
But there has been quite recently q re-
markable increase OF shipment from
the East by way IF San Francisco and
Puget sound. Continuing, Mr.. O'Beirne
says:
There IS every reason to think that
the effective opening up OF the interior
provinces to foreign commerce Will be
followed by a great expansion Of the
Chinese demand for foreign cotton, in
which the American exporters will
have a very large share Of interest.
The dense masses Of the Chinese popu.
latlon, clad almost exclusively in cot.
ton cloth, offer a practically unlimited
market for our cotton goods"
The export Of American kerosene
oil to China now rank second in i'm
portance to that Of cotton goods. Mr..
O'Belrne says the Russian oil is the
only serious foreign competitor with
which the American product has tc
reckon. In 1896, China took 49, OO, OOC
gallons of American oil, as against
5000, 900 Of the Russian oil. The
American kerosene Is shipped in cans,
almost wholly from New York t
China, via the Suez canal, while the
Russian IS sent largely in bulk in tank
Mr. O'Beirne also shows the increas.
ing value Of our trade in wheat, -four,
IRON and steel, railroad materials. HI
SAYS the Chinese show a full recognl.
ton Of the superiority OF the Ameri
can -four over their W roughly
cleaned product. He says the iucreas.
ing industrial activity OF China and
the building Of railroads Will secure Il
American makers a large proportion OF
the contracts for steel rails, locomo.
uves, etc. He remarks that the iron
ana stee. industry is one in which tht
United States have recently shown
Their ability to compete with all rivals.