The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-23
OUR sIe TRADE WITH JAPAN.
Surprising Growth of Our Exports of Iron
and notwithstanding Figures.


and notwithstanding Figures.
Some idea Of the remarkable growth Of the
exports Of American cotton and American steel
TO japan Is gained from advance sheets Of the
Estate Departments volume. Commercial Re-
latlons OF the United States In 1893" which
include reports from Samuel s. Lyon. the
American Consul at the important port OF
Kobe. Included in Mr.. Lyons district Ia the
city OF Osaka. the largest manufacturing centre
OF Japan. Mr.. Lyon says that the superiority
OF American products In many lines is freely
admitted. Recently, at Toxic. a critical test Of
English and American locomotives resulted
in favor Of the American. 1t was especially
noted that the American locomotives worked
more economically. Tests of American ma
chinery have been very successful. The Con-
sui says that American exports to japan would
be greater still IL American merchants would
only seek the japanese trade.
American cotton is driving the cheap cottohs
OF India ana China out Of Japan. New mills are
being built all the time In Japan. and better
yarns are demanded. Not only is our cotton
demanded because OF Its high quality. but the
spinners have found that the working Of
American cotton both reduces the running en-
rcnses OF the mills aud increases their capa-
city to turn out the finished product. In 1896
the United States shipped 81 ,060.930 worth OF
raw cotton to Kobe. nearly doubling the export
q the year before. The export IN 1897 was
Tie fSi1f first six sn m% 'oetSsSe Of 81 1874 Ii t9 the Value eo Of ths
cotton received at the port from this. country
Was S32lO.OO0 nearly double that OF the first
While the, import OF American cotton in the
f to - h ,S16 q 'd6 l1s p6 ysa5 nG mers sha IRON 1r;G 2j0Uo'1 tSo
tt,welIthai and the imiort from Ghina fell from
only sliRhtiy under he Indian; poss s.ooio, GS5
ing OF in the import from, China Is largely
caused by the recent establishment Of factories
ar tn sha stG sn efbl wn,se %s Of t the lack SEn of speStsi
increase from India. is found In the fact that
there is a growing demand IN Japan for the
lean cotton; The annual report Of the foreign
Chamber Of Commerce at hob" states that. in
using f0per cent. of American cotton against
II TO 10 per cent; In former years
strides. For ' exampie. 'I american ,An naifis f have
driven German nails out q the market at one
to- sS Kobe IN ne ths arss se hai ft Of 1857 w %nd " oil ns exs
port was $53.7p5.' 4 year later the returns rms
G sa9w an eA A%sFi 81 on Siye ssrss e sSJ dI zS,I and dnS 4
WIN WITT En 'alssf%is:S Wills VII lso' IL isS yS" sSlppsi
1887 we shipped three-fourths and in the first
hall Of lSoS we lacked only a f.fth Of e1ualling
r Railways S1n' pro jsae 'a IN . Japa n"'r sw ait mora a
better financial condition. than ever be-
fore. The value OF American locomotives
S14.453; in 1897. 500. 100; in 1898. S144. 293.
We sent locomotives to Japan. in 1897 valued
England. The import Of American locomotives
ut Kobe alone was S3O5.S31. American pig
iron. too. Is finding its way into Japan. although
the export Of p~igliron from this country is Of
very recent date. While In the first half OF 1897
we shipped only 81. $3.50 worth OF pig iron to
Japan through the port of Kobe. in the COR
responding period of 1888 the export was
S46.51S.
Complete returns Of Japan's for
1897 show that the United States lead all
other countries in the following exports to
Japan.