The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-07

An accompanying outline map shows
these important junction connections upon
which now seems to depend the transcos,-
tnental projects and the elevating OF the
transpacifc commerce into the same I'm.
portance an that Of the transatlantic, The
heavy black lines indicate the connec-
tons. An additional one shown IL the
short line from Mojaye, in California, to
San Francisco, which the Santa Fe has
recently acquired from the San Joaquin
Valley road. 1t will be- remembered that
this road was built by the citizens OF
California in competition with the South
ern Pacific to break its heavy freight
rates. and paral'eled the Southern Pa
eirc.
So many and such vast capitalistic in
terests drifting toward the Coast must
mean commerce.. There Is no mistake and
no conjecture in the statement. The big
railroads arc not crossing the country for
the proitiess sake OF mere railroad build
ing. or for the sake of some distant f,,-
ture They are after a trade which they
know viii develop rapidly into large pro-
portions, because 1t has already taken on
the aspect of swift advancement The
countries of the Orient and the islands OF
Oceanica do an importing and exporting
business at the present time asgregatine
more than two thousand million dollars
annually. sum imposing enough to re-
flute any impression that many years mus,
pass before the trade with that section
OF the world will be worth a vigorous:
struggle
The percentage OF the United States !r
these imports and exports In small. BIT,
that is because the United States has had
little practical interest IN the countries
from which they come and for which they
are destined. Since Admiral Dewey's vie
tory At Manila the face OF things has been
changed. and by the acquisition Of the
Philippines the United States formally
enters the Eastern hemisphere. Il places
itself in position to enjoy the commercial
countries having Dependencies namely
that 1t furnishes 20 per cent OF the
exports Of those dependencies In The
case Of the Philippines this would he ar
increase from slightly over q. 90 90 In the
gross annual value 10 nearly So sss usss
That In Itself il sufficient to warrant a
railroad scramble for strategic position.
Americas total share in ,ranspacinc
trade In kNT was only about tiso aD00 ou.
OF the total g Hs 1so,aCe In value. or almost
7 per cent How much greater II might
he 10 exemplified by the trade with Japan
where the United States enjoys over =
per cent OF the total. Japan IL the one
portion OF the original Oriental wilderness
which has given In to the pressure OF MOI.
erH civilization.
When China Is touched up with the p,
generating influence when Korea hs.
made progress siong the interesting lines
upon which sire has set out, and when "a
Petersburg gets to the sea at Nfadtyos
iek there may he other Jauaus for
American enterprises. Certainty ~ shf
kingdom of the Sunfower with IT'S cdr.
eiImscrshed limits of IL - square miles
can furnish The United States forty MIL
Hon dollars worth Of merchandise 90 All
sorts. chiua. with ia four million square
miles Asiattc Russia. wfsh its ssn and
one~haf million square miles and .as
other countries with their ten mtIliea
square miles can run The grand sum up
20 enormous figures
Jap&n's total exports and imports .x-
randeS from stse tsa,os TN fs1r go s-s =
go liz ssss ASafvica's p"reeH age tfcreas-
ting prGporstenately- british Australasia
does an annual business on shA ocean of
more tnsn halt hsillon collars and
America gets tweaty~nine million dollars
out OF II. British Iatia ana the East In
eies 80 over txse GO an Of sea business an
nsaaIty AID America &c, nfseen and a half
rlisi;crs 90 Il. China does teT7 40 an ara
America gets only eighteen ard aasf
millions os II. No ere can calculate Of
course. what America VIII or viii ncs
command in the exports and imports q