The San Francisco call., 1898-06-12
OUR INTERESTS IN CHINA.

n EPORTS recently made to the British Foreign H Office on the commercial dealings of various nations with China of considerable interest to us inasmuch they show that trade with the country is in of that of either Germany or Rus sia, is second only to that of Great Britain and amounts in the aggregate to upward of seventh of the entire foreign trade of the Chinese empire.
 According to the statistics included in the reports which have been given out, our principal trade with the Chinese is in cotton goods. It is said that last year the China trade took from the United States up- ward of S748o,ooo worth of cotton goods or almost half of all the American cotton goods shipped abroad It IS noted that the Chinese rule and particularly those of Manchuria prefer American drills and sheet ngs to similar articles of European mako, because they heavier and of better The expert of American kerosene oil ranks second in importance to that of cotton goods In 1896 China took s3ooo ooo gallons of American oil and 28oooooo gallons of Rus sian oil that in this trade also lead Russian rivals in the Chinese market.
 For some years past our trade with China has been rapidly advancing and the variety as well as the quantity of exports to that country has increased We have considerable market there for wheat canned goods and for manufactured articles of all kinds, and recently there has been large demand for iron and steel and railroad materials The importance of this trade is fully appreciated in higher commercial circles, and earnest efforts being made to se- cure what we have and provide for its extension
 Under conditions now prevailing there can be no question but what the industrial and cvilizng move ment now begun in China would bring about very largely increased trade with this country in the course of comparatively few years, from which large benefits would to California and the whole Pacific Coast. The only cloud upon the pros pect of such increase that caused by the advance Of D,,eet rJ l. mean of course the closing of the markets to our produce so far as 1t competed with that of the Rus sians themselves
 The United States have taken no part in the game now being played by English French, German and Russians for advantage in the Orient and yet as these statistics show commercial interests there are s perior to those of any nation except Great Britain Moreover we are gaining upon Great Britain and few years more of uninterrupted development would undoubtedly give the first place in the Chinese markets.
 With the enactment of wise legislation to promote American shipping we would in short time have trade with the Orient which would put San Francisco into the front rank of commercial cities It behooyes therefore to guard those interests with wise fore sight and due energy. We need take no part in the land grabbing going on along the Chinese coast. but we should to it that our commercial rights there are not sacrificed to European aggression.
 -
 Soldiers who had their clothing burned while m the way out here may comfort themselves by the re- fecton that of the regiments had reached this city before they got enough clothes to start blaze with
 The Monterey could doubtless take care of herself in any kind of fight, but her decks are not adapted to the carriage of coal