The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-28
TRADE OF THE FAR EAST
ITS ENORMOUS GROWTH IN CHINA.
JAPAN AND THE PHILIPPINES.
American Business Men should Have
Share and Statesmanship should
Find n Way to secure 1t.


The following statement regarding the
trade of the East, prepared by an official of
the United States government, is INTENDED
to show not only the present Importance
but the future possibilities of the trade
and the value of the Philippine islands as
a commercial point of vantage. The gen.
tleman who prepared the statement did so
after a free talk with Admiral Dewey. He
says also that the minister from Japan in
formed him that the japanese like TO trade
with Americans better than with any other
people, The official alluded to presents the
case as fellows:
The public mind is turned toward the
trade of the Pacific, and it may be OF inter-
est to state the leading facts as shown py
the latest and most reliable authorities. IN
a commercial sense the trade OF the Pacific
embraces the foreign commerce with CHINA.
Japan. the Philippines, Hawaii and some
other islands. AS Hawaii is now a part OF
the United States her trade is secure. The
chief products of that island are sugar, rice
and bananas. all of which will naturally be
sions and other supplies 1t follows that the
not great at present. <It follows that the
volume of commerce Is not large, when
The capacity of country for foreign
trade depends upon the number and civili-
cation of its people. the productivity of the
soil, minerals, climate, means of transport
tation between the interior and the ocean
and the like These nations, will not buy
what they do not need under their own
modes of life. They cannot in the long run
pay for what they want in money. but must
pay with their own products. Two questions
arise:
First-What do these nations on the fur
Their side of the Pacific want?
Second-What nation can supply these
wants to the best advantage?
An answer to these questions will show
what nation ought to have the bulk of this
foreign trade In the first place. take China
While there is no official census it is re-
Gently proven from various sources that the
population exceeds 400O00OOO souls. The
area is large China proper is larger d than
by the Mississippi river, and If We included
her dependencies lying in the east and north
and sparSely settled population. the area
exceeds the whole of the United States
CHINA AND JAPAN.
The soil is fertile and for centuries has
produced food sufficient for the entire mass
of her people. 1t is not probable. therefore,
that they will, in any near time, buy large
amounts of provisions. For more than
twenty-five years the foreign trade OF China
has been under the control of an English
man-Mr. Hart-who publishes annually
customs report. From these reports 1T
clearly appears that the chief articles
bought by China are in the order named:
Cotton goods ........--..............$ s0,oOoOJ0
opium ............ ...........''..'.. fo'Vyo,VvS
Kerosene oil Observation-Disclosures. IVoD,VU
The total sum of her purchases through
seaportS at present is in round numbers or
the value lin silver of 1858. 900. There Is
an increasing demand for iron.. steel and
machinery and oil The United States pro-
duces each of these articles in abundance.
What does China have to give for what
she buys? The customs tables answer:
Silk, raw and manufactured. 900 600
Tea -----.---.-.--..- 4o,OVJ'vOV
IL tina re-
straw braids. etc. The United states con-
sumo both silks and teas in large quantities.
Nine-tenths of the cotton grown In the
world is produced in the United states.
Now. England carries 1T in bales 10 Man
chester, spins and weaves IL, carries IL 10
China and sells ii for silks and teas, whch
she brings back and sells TO US. she thus
gets the profit of both manufacture ana
The trade passing in and out through the
Chinese customs houses and across INTO
Russia and India however. 1t is estimated,
aggregates nearly s4Oo,00o,0oO lin silver an,
nually. In addition great trade f Is eaIriea
English port and no records are kept. But
her merchants state the trade aggregates
$500 600 per year.
cess of 100000 people. She imports but
little food. and that is principally rice from
Korea. The soldiers are given IN par. a
flour and meat ration. but IL is not prob
able that she will soon be large consumer
of imported food. She buys yearly:
Cotton, raw, yarn and CLOTH. .$sSo si go
Manufactures and machineries..... Il. 4se 74s
Oil (keroSene) ...................'... ludlow
And pays for her purchases with;
Silk, raw and woven. 'ess'5Vs
Cotton goods and yarn. ......... l9'9as ~ oe.
Tea ......... ...-.......-.-...-.... q sSs'goo
Goals ..................''' o'oio'' 30
Her exported cottons are sold in China
and Korea Japan has over seventy cotton
mills in operation, equipped with HoaeIrl
machinery so that she buys raw cotton
Principally. 1t will be noticed that the
United States produces what Japan buys,
but does not produce what she sells. . her
600 NN0 yearly In short, the aggregate or
the foreign commerce of Japan is suostan-
TALLY the same as China-that Is, e sorl
eign articles. while the Chinaman spends
The Philippines have an aggregate popu-
lstion estimated at about 1O0U,Wo. Inc
chief products are rice, sugar. tobacco. COT
fee. hemp and tropical fruits and the like
Manila cigars supply the East. as Cuba does
Irvine in great quantities. There are no
very reliable data touching the volume OF
the trade of these islands, but nose aro as
hand indicate that before the troubles arose
with Spain the imports and exports together
aggregated $50. 10000 a year
AN ENORMOUS TRADE.
To sum up, without being exactly ac-
curate. the present volume of trade in the
Pacific, adding imports ana exports to-
sether. may be set down as follows:
China e1oc'ov 80
japan 90
Philippines o.. 800 900
HOng-kOnS .............-''.''''' 600 90,
Hawaii ...............s...'''''''' "''VNV'N
Total 81, O67, 600, 600
OF course the trade in Hawaii and the
Philippines will grow very rapidly. japan
trade has increased enormously since the
close of the war with China, and 1t would
seem natural to believe it will continue TO
Increase The Chinese trade is the greatest
problem. The commercial nations alike see
tnat before long the present barriers Will
fall and all the seaports, rivers and canals
will be opened; railways are being puilt
and put in operation, so that the great CEN
trail part of China, with its teeming millions
of people, will be an enormous market,
whereas now foreign trade is limited 10
certain treaty ports on the seacoast.
Russia has secured Port Arthur under a
lease for twenty-five years, renewable at
her pleasure, and Is making that the Pa
cifc terminus of the Siberian Railway. Eng
land has taken the port OF Wei-Hai- Wei,
just opposite, on the same terms. Germany
has seized the port of kiau-Chau, farther
down the coast. Italy is negotiating for a
similar port and will have IL, as China Is too
weak TO longer resist. Japan acquired GER
tain trade privileges in the treaty at the
ord of rho war The nations holding these