The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-10-16
PROSPECTIVE EFFECT
ofthe TransvaaI War Upon the Com.
merce of the United States With
South AFRICA.

nGrce of the United states Win
South AFRICA.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 15.-some indl-
cation OF the prospective effect of the
Transvaal war upon the commerce Of
the United States with South Africa Is
found in the facts recently presented
by the treasury bureau of statistics in
Its monograph entitled Commercial
Africa in 1899" This shows that the
imports Of the Transvaal in 1897 were,
according to the best estimates, over
500, 900, of which about SS5.OOO,OO0
were from Great Britain, Sl3.5OOOOO
from the United States. s5,OOO,OOO from
Germany and the remainder from Bel
glum, Holland and France. All of these
importatlons reach the republic, which
has no seaports, through the ports Of
Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Port Alfred
ana East London, In Cape Colony; Dur"
ban, in Natal, and Lorenzo Marquez,
in Portuguese East Africa. The dlrect
lmportatiOns into the Transyaal
through Cape Colony In 1897 were $50. :
s63,lI., and through the other ports OF
Cape Colony pro69hlysap equally large
amount thpPe hfoitd Durham land
other ports Ia Natal, $1l, ,SS9,O42, and
those through BorenEo Marquee, In
Portuguese territory, sl1,e36,2SI.
In addition to this, large quantities OF
goods imported into Cape Colony, Nn-
tal and Portuguese East Africa for con-
sumption in these colonies were after
wards sold for consumption In the
TrnnsvaaI. thus making up the grand
total OF over 800, ,000, ,Q0g. II will be oh.
served from this statement that up to
the present time the importation OF
goods into the Transvaal has largely
passed through the British ports OF
Cape Colony and Natal, which Will now
be closed against commerce Tor that
state, thus temporarily changing the
course OF the supplies which the large
population there located must continue
10 have. The closing Of these ports Will
compel the Beers either TO obtain their
supplies OF imports through Portuguese
territory or else live upon what they
can obtain from their own territory ana
that Of the colonies which they may In"
wade, since both the South African re"
publlc and the Orange Free State are
surrounded by British territory on eV"
cry side except at the east, where POr"
tuguese East Africa intervenes between
the Boer states and the Indian ocean.
The total value OF goods in transit FOR
the South African republic and the
Orange Free State passing through Por.
tmE,Iese East Africa in 1887 was in round
terms SlI, 900, 900, and the imports from
the United States to Portuguese East
Africa amounted In 1897 TO &l,S0O,OO0,
and In 1895 to s., 900. OF this eXpor-
tntIon from the United States the very
large proportion was bFeadetuts,
amounting to l,227, 900; manufactures
OF cotton, 1881: manufactures OF Iron
and steel, $l5l, ,5l3; illuminating oil, Sl42. /"
ls9. and manufactures Of tobacco, $4'bS2.
AS the very large proportion OF the
goods reaching the ports OF portuguese
East Africa last year was trans-shipped
10 the TransVaal. It may be assumed
that practically all OF the goods above
named were for that territory.
As already Indicated. however. the
Transyaal has up to this time taken
n large share OF Its Imports from and
through the British colonies OF Cape
Colony nnd Natal Imports Into the
Cane OF Good Hope from the United
states in 1897 amounted to over $4,000.
0OO out OF a total OF $50, ,OOO.O 900. and OF
thIs probably one-hnlf was Intended for
consumption in the Transvnal. The
imports into Natal from the United
States in 1897 amounted to &S,2OUOOo
out OF n total OF S3O0O0,0OO, and 1t Is
probable that considerable share OF
this was destined for the Transvnal.
since the rail distance from the chief
port Of Natal to the Transvaal Is much
less than that through the ports OF
Cape Colony.
What the general effect Of the war
viii be upon the commerce Of the uulted
States with the South African republic
| which has become by reason OF It's min
ing Industries and population so large
a consumer, will naturally be a subject
OF some speculation. As already lndl'
cnted fully four-nfths Of the imports
into the Trnnsvnnl In 1897 came from
Great Britain, the total importation
from Great Britain In that yenr bcing
estimated at e1L0l2.OOO. or &s2,5Os, 900
while the next largest source OF lmpor'
tntiuns was the United States from
which the importatons are estimated
Mt P27A7. 900, or Sl3,323, 900.