Arizona republican., 1899-05-01
Americas Invasion of That Broad
 Commercial Field.
SOME OF THE EXPORT FIGURES
United SfafeS Growing iH pop- ularify In South Africa and a Consequent Gain in Trade Tar Exceeding Even That Of Great Britain.

Washington, April 3O.- Especially An evidence of the gains which Amer ican manufacturers and producers are making in their export trade in direct competition with those of European na- tions is found in some recent figures on the trade of South Africa The British and South African Gazette. which has just reached the bureau of statistics, publishes series of articles on the imports into South Africa, in which it shows that American imports are making a greater proportion of gains than these from Great Britain. The exports of British manufacturers from the United Kingdom to South Africa in February, 1899, are shown to Ee $32,500 in excess of those for the same month of 1896, while our own ex- port figures to British Africa shows an increase in February of the present
 
 year of sS62.941 over February of last year, the general increase in our ex- ports to Africa during the eight months ending with February being about one million dollars as compared with the corresponding months of tha preceding year. The report of the Export Gazette further shows that the exports of British manufactures from the United Kingdom to South Africa in February, 1899, are esS.S56, or s455.- 200 below the amount for 1897, while the figures of our own export trade for February, 1899, shows exports to Africa of about $350, ,O00 in excess of those for February, 1897.
 No feature of the remarkable de- velopment of our foreign commerce has been more striking than the in- crease of late in exports to Africa, which are now nearly six times as much annually as a decade ago, and nearly three times what they were in 1895. In 1889 the total exports from the United States to Africa were $3,- 496,505; in 1898 they were $17,515, ,730, and in 1899 they are, up to the present time, practically a million dollars in excess of last years figures.
 The variety and quantity of Amer ican goods demanded in Africa are in- teresting and in many cases surpris- ing. Of books, maps and engravings, for instance, the exports to Africa in the eight months ending with Febru- ary, 1899, were $46,940 in value, against $23, ,S64 in the corresponding months of the preceding year, and $20, ,243 in the corresponding months of 1897, showing a rapid gain in the de- mand for our books and other printed matter. Of bicycles, the exports to Africa in the eight months ending with February were $120,9S3, against $75,160 in the corresponding months of 1897. Exports of builders hardware, which in the eight months of 1898 were S137.- 7O4 in value, were in the correspond ing months of 1899 $169,221. Of typo- writers. the sas5s to Africa in the eight months ending with February 1899, were $24,663 in value, against SIS, ,340 in the corresponding months of 1898. and s13.101 in the corresponding months of 1897. American boots and shoes are slowly gaining in popular ity in Africa, the value of the ex- ports of thsse articles in the eight months ending with February, 1899, being $61,702, against $57,262 in the corresponding months of last year. American cotton seed oil has rapidly the world, the exports to Africa in the eight months ending with February, 1899, being S63. 401 gallons, against 547 ,932 in the corresponding months of the fiscal year 1898. and 3S9, ,2S7 gal Ions in the corresponding months of 1897. Expectations of lard to Africa. which in the eight months ending with February, 1897, were S95,9S5 pounds, increased to 1,249,242 pounds in the corresponding months of 1898, and 1,924,1S2 pounds in the corresponding months ending with February, 1899. Exports of lumber to Africa increased from S27,6 in the eight months ending with February, 1898, to S95,042 in the co-respon ding months Of 1899.
 The rapid growth of our export trade to Africa is illustrated by the table which gives the value