The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-05-27
d AEIMER,lC,AisETRApEI!I

H.
WITH China -Itis srore Than Ons.seventl,
or the Entire Trade Of the Emplre--im-
portsnceof Onr comms rciai Relations,
WASHINGTON, D. G, 1, May cs.--Mr,
Hugh o.Belrne. second secretary OF the
British embassy here. has made a re-
port to the British Foreign office on the
extent or commerce between the United
States and China. The report Is oppor-
tune TO the recent movements OF Euro
pean powers. particularly Great Brlt-
min. Germany, and Russia towards Sc.
curing territory and commercial adj.
lyantages IN China. Ne. o'BeIrne does
not deal with the. political phases which
hayeimade the Chinese question a fore
most topic in European discussion. but
his report tends TO bring out that the
United States has such large CONNER
cial interests in China that she is no
less interested than the European
powers In the, adyanccments made up
on China. E Il, 49,,
The report shows that the present
volume of United States trade In Chi
ma represents more than one.seventh
OF the entire trade OF the empire. 1t Is
60 per cent greater than the trade OF
Germany with China, and comes next 10
the trade of Great Britain, that being
the Grst In commercial Importance. Tho
American trade Increase has been 60
ling on rapidly within the last ten years
and this Increase has been entirely on
the side OF American goods, our exports
increasing while Chinese Imports were
Decreasing. By far the most valuable
branch OF the trade Is that In cotton,
goods Mr.. O'Be!rne showed the i'm
tportance of the Chinese market for
United States cotton cloth by stating
that last year China took s7.4S6, 900 out
OF a total export OF sl7,2S1, 900. or al
most half of all our cotton clothes ship.
ped aboard. He says the Chinese es-
peclally those OF Manchuria, prefer the
American drills and sheetings, as they
are heavier. The great bulk of these
cottons are shipped from the New, Eng
land mills to New York and then via
the Suez canal. But there has been
quite recently remarkable increase of
shipment from the west, by way of San
Francisco and Puget Sound.
& Continuing, Mr.. O'Belrne says:
There is every reason to think that
the effective opening up OF the interior
provinces to foreign commerce will be
Z followed by great expansion OF the
Chinese demand for foreign cotton, in
which the American exporters will
have very large share OF Interest. The
dense masses OF the Chinese population,
clad almost exclusively in cotton cloth,
offer practically unlimited market for
cotton goods" 80
The export OF American kerosene oil
to China now ranks second In import
lance to that OF cotton goods. Mr.,
O'Beirne says the Russian oil Is the on
ly serious foreign competitor with
which the American product has 10
reckon. In 1895 China took 33,000.000
gallons OF American oil as against 2Ss
100000 OF the Russian oil. The Ameri-
can Kerosene is shipped in cans, almost
wholly from New York and Philadel-
phia, via the Suez canal, while the
Russian Is sent largely In bulk, In tank
steamers.
Mr.. O'Beirne also shows the increas-,
ing value OF our trade in wheat. flour.
iron and steel, and railroad materials.
SuyS tIlt .SHileSe. SIluN d'lull sTeCoB-
milton OF: the superiority OF the Ameri-
can Hour over their own roughly cleaned
product. He says the increasing indus
trial activity OF China. and the build
ing OF railroads, will secure to Ameri-
can makers a large proportion of :. the
contracts for steel rails, locomotives.
etc. He remarks that the iron and
steel industry Is one In which the Uni
ted States have recently shown their
ability to compete with all rivals.
il In particular, Mr.. o Bel:ne points out
the Importance of Chinese trade upon
the development of 'ou. Pacific coast
states. He says: y
ut must be noted that the Pacific
states, though ut present taking little
part in the business. are perhaps more
nearly concerned In its ultimate devel-
opment than any other section OF the
country. These states are possessed of
enormous natural resources, and their
manufactures while still OF minor I'M
portance, are computed by Mr.. Mulhall
to have quadrupled In twenty years.
These should In the course Of time, find
an advantageous market in the far
east; and the Chinese demand must ex-
e-cIse q great influence on their even
tual development. The Pacific seaports
have already begun to feel the benefit
Of the China trade"
The TALK OF THE CITY.
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