The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-08-19
JAPAN WANTS OUR EXPORTS.
Mr., Kondo Says Wonderful Possibilities
Await American Exporters

NEW YORK. August S-A shiEuo
kondo. president OF the Japanese-A Ameri-
can Commercial and Industrial Associa-
ton, with headquarters at Toxic. Japan.
Il In America attempting to interest the
American manufacturers In the possiblli-
ties 81 trade with Japan. which he de-
clares has been gaining wonderfully each
year since 1870. and holds forth these
exceptional inducements TO American ex-
porters, II the American exporter knew
the real conditions Of the Japan field.
Mr., Kondo says confidently, American
exports TO Japan would increase cnor-
mously. American headquarters have
been temporarily established In this city.
When Japan was opened by the United
States In 1851" Mr. Kondo said last
night, 'she took the position OF an elder
sister and We have always so regarded
her We have exported to the United
States more than to any other nation.
But We do not find that the United
States exports to Japan in equal
ratio. Until about 1890 we bought little
from the United States. We had heard
that wages and the cost OF living were
/ comparatively high here. So We conclud-
ed that manufactured articles must be
high priced. Until about 1890 also the
United States did not take much interest
In the possibilities OF our markets. Its
merchants were cOntented with the do
nestle trade"
1t impressed Mr.. Kondo that the igno-
rance OF American manufacturers had
much To do with their indifference to the
Japanese field and the Japan-American
Commercial Industrial Association was
formed in 1876, largely to disseminate
trade information. One OF its important
implements Is the Japan-American Com
mercial Journal. monthly publication
dating from January OF this year and
published half in English, half In Jap
anese Mr. Kondo Is It's editor Germany
has long had a similar publication issued
at Berlin, and the British have two-one
at London, the other at Toxic.
Japanese exports to the United State
have Increased 65 per cent since 1896, Mr.
Kondo says, Last year they amounted
to S262lS,@2, Almost an equal increase
In the American export trade into Japan
has been noticed the last two years. In
lS6 the United States exported to Japan
to the amount of $S,16S,SO4, in 1877, the
figures are NS5l12 26S Only Great Britain
China and British India made sales as
large In 1897, and In neither case was the
increase In imports as large,
The total increase in imports from all
parts of the world from 1896 TO 1897, were
2S per cent The gain of Great Britain
was only 10 per cent, We can buy from
the United States Just rs much or more
than we export to her, Mr., kondo said,
1T is only a matter of time, The ex-
perence OF American paper manufacture
ers Is an example, Formerly We got all
OF our paper from Germany and Eng
land-that Is. what we did not make our
selves newspaper stock. writing paper
ana all kinds except wrapping, paper In
1876 the Japanese,A Commercial
and Industrial Association T0llected sam
plies of the products of the American pa
iper mills and Spread them out in its
sample rooms at Toxic! Then we called
the Japanese paper dealers together and
explained, after which We went to see
the American makers They said they