The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-06

There is a market In China for many
millions of bushels of American wheat
and corn annually. The rich Chinese
prefer wheat and -four from the United
States to all other brands. CLOCKS,
watches and lamps from the Unlted
States and likewise our axes, are at
the top of the market Scattered all
over the empire, in Chinese employ, are
Yankee engineers, mining eHperts anu
high-grade steelworkerS. Indeed, Amer
lean influence in all branches of busi-
ness is felt in China to-day as It never
was before. In 1890 China sold TO the
United States $6,000,000 more worth OF
products than she bought from this
country. Six years later her imports
from America had trebled, the balance
of trade in favor of the United states
being half a million gold dollars per
annum. From this statement 1t Will
appear that we are already getting
grip on the trade of China. And, by the
way, a Philadelphia firm has furnished
the locomotives for the Tientsin-P Picking
railroad now in process of completion.
Z Already we are sending enormous
quantities of flour and kerosene to
China. The Cinnamon have way or
refilling the empty American oil cans
with a wretched quality of stuff from
Russia or Sumatra, and this does the
trade damage. 1t is recommended by
the State Department that the oil pro-
ducers in this country should take mea-
tablish at profit oil depotS in China at
points suitable for distribution, and it
would be a good idea to give to each
considerable purchaser cheap, non
combustible lamp. Many fires are
caused in Chinese cities by defective
lamps. 1t ought to be mentioned, Incl
dentally, that experts in this country
do themselves much injury by sending
low-grade wines and "rotgut' whisky
to China A Chinaman knows what
t., fkn ORR
applies to wines.
In one respect the United States
holds a unique position in the view of
those Chinese officers and people who
know anything of the outside world.
More or less in dread of all the Euro
pean powers, they fear nothing from
us. We are known to be rich and
peaceful, and nothing we have done ex-
cites suspicion in the Chinese mind.
We are regarded as friends, and in so
far as that is concerned what we nave
to offer will be welcomed. But, as to
commercial methods in the Orient,
American merchants have good deal
to learn. For one thing, they ought to
send agents with samples, and not
mere illustrated lists of goods and
prices.
All over the immense oceanic area
called Polynesia there are markets for
American goods. 1t is not question
merely of the Philippines, but of hum
dred other groups of islands. Samoa is
a promising field and so likewise is
Fill The trade of Fiji to-day is second
in the Pacific only to that of the Ha-
waiian Islands, Immense quantities
of kerosene are used in Polynesia, and
all of 1t comes from this country. other
articles imported largely from the
United States into the scattered lands
of Oceanica are flour, canned and dried
fruits, canned fish, Holsters and oysters.
American textile fabrics, on the other
hand are practically unknown In tnat
part of the world.
There is a great American opportun-
ity in Siam, which is a much bigger
country than most folks realize. Larger
than Japan, it is the third independent
kingdom of Asia, having 100000 in
habitants, with an area about equal to
that of Texas. The city of Bangkok
has population of 900, 900. However,
the market is peculiar, demanding
cheap things, without regard to quail
ity Flour canned goods. watches.
clocks, sewing machines and electrical
machinery are already largely imported
from America.
One suggestion offered is that one or
more vessels might be equipped as
floating expositions and sent to visit
various ports in China and elsewhere In
the Orient, In order to show the natives
samples of the various manufactures of
the United States. This would be
convenient and comparatively cheap
method of bringing American products
before the expected consumers. Every
available scheme pointing to this end is
well worth considering, inasmuch as
this country is to be no longer her
NIT nation but has definitely decided
upon an entrance into rivalry with
European powers for the trade of the
world. RENE BACHE.