The times., 1898-12-12
A TREMENDOUS MARKET.
Trade Opportunities Adjacent to
the Philippines.

Nearly a billion dollars worth of goods
are every year imported into the countries
commercially adjacent to the Philippine
Islands and more than half that amount
is composed of the class of articles pro-
dueed or manufactured in the United
States ard offered for sale by its people.
Two tables have just been prepared by
the Treasury bureau of statistics. pre-
senting some startling facts as to the con-
Stunning power of the countries in easy
reach OF Manila as an entrepot and dis
tributing point
From Manila TO Hong Kong and Canton,
the gateway to southern China, Is but
half the distance from New York to Ha-
yana, and from Manila 10 Yokohama. Port
Arthur. Shanghai. Bangkok or the Strait
Settlements is in each case distance but
little il any greater than that from New
York to Havana. The great ports and
cities of British India and Australasia.
while somewhat more distant are much
nearer to Manila than to any other gen
eral distributing point for the great class
es of merchandise which the countries in
question produce.
The importations into these four coun-
tries. Japan. China. British Australasia.
and British India and Strait Settlements.
as above indicated, amount TO nearly a
billion dollars year. Those OF Japan.
which decade ago We're less than fifty
million dollars. are now more than one
hundred million dollars and steadily in
creasiDg. Those of China have increased
% per cent in the last decade and now
amount to nearly two hundred million dol
lars year. Those OF British Australasia
are about three hundred million dollars
a year, and those OF British India and the
Strait Settlements, which show an in
crease of about 10 per cent. in the decade.
are three hundred million dollars an
nualiy.
More than half this enormous sum of
the imports of these four great countries
are. as above indicated; classes of arti-
c,es produced in the United States and
offered for sale by her people. OF cotton
and cotton goods alone the imports into
these four countries amount in round
/ numbers TO ;0.0oe.oo1 per annum and of
this amount but little over $40 600 900 worth
is from the United States, the great cot
ton producing country of the world. I'M
ports OF iron and steel into the four coun-
tries in question amount to over s3o.eJ0 900,
and of. this s., ,000.0o9 worth comes from the
/ United States. The imports of leather
and manufactures amount to s. dOl 0D1
and less than F.0o0.0ce of that sum from
the United States: wood ard manufac-
lures thereof 20 about sS.0O0.0o0 annually:
and less than 81 100000 of il from the
: United States: machinery. not included
under the head OF iron and steel manu-
! faetures, to S20.0O00l9 OF which less than
I 81. .000.01J were from the United States:
chemicals. drugs. etc. amounted to more
+ than $1,000 600. with less than 81 f00 so of
; II coming from this country. OF the ST.
ooy.5go worth of mineral oils imported into
the four countries in question. the United
States furnished over one-haIf last year.
OF the Sl3.0cD.0oo worth of breadstuffs fur
rished To those countries. our share was
! less than s5.9Oge0 worth, and OF the 81. .00o
I 000 worth of coal we furnished less than
{ l per cent. OF the S. .0o9.oco worth of pro-
I visions, we furnished but little more than
$50. .00c worth. OF tine eleven great classes
OF articles. manufactures Of cotton. iron
and steel. leather. wood. machinery.
chemicals. mineral oils. breadstuffs. pro-
! visions. coal and raw cotton, China inn
I ported in 1897 s90.O0oOB0 worth and Of that
; sum sl1, ,Oo0.eS9 worth came from the
United States. Japan imported in 1884,
/ s5s. s.eto.o9O worth. and Of that sum 2.o0e,
! 0oe worth came from the United States;
British Australasia imported Ssi. .Oo0 tJe
( worth OF which sI2ste.eSo worth came
! from the United States. and British India
sl0.co0,eoo worth. of which $s.5Oo.Oo0 worth
was furnished by the United states