The times., 1899-12-31
Commanding Oceans and Cnens

columns of the daily papers news items
TO the effect that Russia has given sim
gle order for $4,000 tons OF Ame lean steel
rails for her Trans Siberian Road; that
China has given single order for eighty
one American locomotive; that Finland
has ordered thirteen consolidated engines
for her state railways; that a syndicate
in the Argentine Republic has given
single order for palace cars, passenger
coaches, and street cars to the amount OF
s. coo COO and, what is most significant OF
all, that the great Midland Railway OF
England and Scotland has given . large
order for American locomotives.
These are but a few of the news items
that appear from day to day. illustrating
in most gratifying way the growing
world power and prestige of the Republic.
and its Industrial and commercial expaa-
sion.
It's Foreign Commerce.
The annual exports of domestic mer-
chandlse-which is the feature Of foreign
commerce of chief interest to our pro-
ducers and manufacturers-haye passed
the billion dollar mark, never to return,
the value OF the same for the year ending
June 80. 1899, being 81. .203 ,931 222.
Now what is wanted for the Twentieth
Century is a billion foreign customers.
They are already in existence. and facing
our shores as may be seen by a glance at
the accompanying map.
Asia has a total of $40, 600 600 consumers,
the great majority Of whom are in the
countries resting upon the Pacific, with
their principal seaports facing America.
Europe has a total Of $50 600 00O consum-
ers, the great majority OF whom dwell in
r-fss +frfr~ hA
with their principal seaports also facing
America
Africa has total Of 127, ,OG0, 600 consum-
ers. a large portion OF whom dwell in the
countries fronting upon the Atlantic.
Together they aggregate over a billion
consumers, and, with the exception Of
those in Europe, who, at present are our
best foreign customers are inadequately
supplied with the commodities which the
United States has in great abundance,
and would like to sell
How 10 reach these open and valuable
( trade fields is the problem awaiting solu-
ton. II devolves upon US to make the ad-
! yances. and show our wares This cannot
( be done by sitting STILL nor by swimming
4 across the Pacific. Neither can it be de-
pending upon the merchant vessels OF Eu-
rCpean commercial rivals. It can only bt
accomplished by a large and well equipped
/ American merchant marine, conducted IL
the interest Of American producers, Amer
Jean manufacturers, and American mer-
chants Wnen that is provided our annual
domestic exports viii soon grow from ont
billion TO two, three, and still other bill
lions in value.
This is a matter of transcendent pract-
cal Importance which requires the attention
Of the world power Republic.
Another matter which requires immedi-
ate attention, the further neglect of which
viii be . GiseFedit to American enterprise
is the construction Of the Nicaragua ShiI
Canal connecting our Atlantic and Pacific
coasts and bringing the markets Of the Ori-
ent within reach of New York, Philadel-
phia, Baltimore, Norfolk, Charleston, Sa-
vannah, New Orleans, Galveston, and other
cities on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
The lines on the map between New York
and San Francisco illustrate the present
situation, and the proposed remedy. a
saving Of 10 900 miles each way and 20 00(
miles on the round trip in a voyage be
tween our two coasts. and a similar saw
ing Of distance between the Atlantic sea
board and the markets Of Asia, is a very
important item in the expansion OF Ameri-
can commerce.
It's wealth.
At the time of the census Of 1880 the TO
tai value of real and personal property il
the United States was $50, ,O37, ,091, 854, 0
an average of over $1,000 for every man
woman, and child.
The eminent European statistician, Nj
Mulhall, who, like the lamented Gladstone
is very fond of saying kind things abou
America, has given a more recent estimat
Of the national wealth and conrasted
with that of other countries. The show
ing is as follows:
United States ................... SsI $50 600 90
Great Britain ..................... 5000 90
France a. $50 90
Germany ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 40,2G0 0O0,G9
Russia 32II2J 90
In other words its wealth Is greater tha
that Of Russia and France combined, dou
bic that Of Germany, and so, 600 000, 90
greater than that of Great Britain
This is a world power which command
respect 1t is a wealth which enables III
United States TO build its own Ship ca
) nails, and provide its own merchant ma
rine, regardless Of other nations.
It's Twentieth Century Mark.
When the twentieth century mark I
stamped upon the Republic its world powe
will assume still larger and grander pro
portions, for it will be a century of eXDan
, sion in the broadest and fullest sense {
that word II viii be expansion OF prod
ucts, Industries commerce, foreign mar
Q kets, transportation lines on both land an
sea- wealth, education, science, inventions
e literature, and art. He reads current his
e tory to little purpose. and fails to propesl
g interpret the signs OF the times. who zoe
y not see a marvelously prosperous futuI
O for our marvellous country.
There is another mark which the ne
. century will stamp all over the Republi
III. .,.g
a soon be billion dollar corn crops, and,
little later, billion-do wheat and cotto
e crops, two and three billion-dol expor