Arizona republican., 1899-02-17
GROWTH OF TRADE
America Exceeds World in
 increase of Commerce.
Japan's Gain in Exports Shows Higher Percentage but She Has Not Capacity of This Country 10 Supply Home Market.

Washington, Feb. 16.-(SpeciaL)-
 The Yankees of America and the Yan-
 kees of the orient have out-expanded
 the world in the last decade in the
 growth of their commerce and especial l ly their export trade. From 1888 t0
 1897 the exports of the United States
 increased more than 50 per cent and those of Japan more than 60 per cent.
 Tn the matter of imports, however, the
 Yankees of America exhibit far greater ability to supply the home demand
 than their namesakes of the orient, the
 imports of the United States in 1897
 being but about per cent in excess of
 those of 1888, while the importations Of
 Japan show an increase of more than
 120 per cent.
 Some tables just prepared by the treasury bureau of statistics compar- ing the growth of the commerce of the United States with that of other na- tions show clearly how the United States has surpassed her neighbors both in Europe and other parts of the world in her export trade during the decade, and that she has at-the same time made greater progress in supply ing the home demand, her increase in imports in 1897 ever those of 1898 being less than that of almost any other na- tion.
 A comparison of our foreign com merce with that of other nations pre- sents some interesting facts, both as to present conditions and comparative growth. A decade ago France, Germany and the United King dom exceeded the United States in their exports, those of the United Kingdom being more than double our own. In 1897 those of the United States were greater than those of France or Germany, and but 26 per cent less than those of Great Britain, while in the calendar year just ended our exportation of domestic products actually exceeded the export of domes- tic products by the United Kingdom. A detailed study of the commerce of the great European nations from 1888 to 1897 shows that none has made so rapid progress in exports as the United States, but that in most eases they have increased their imports much more rapidly than we have. From 1888 to 1897 our exports increased 51 per cent, while these Of the United King dom fell off 1. f per cent. France showed an increase of but 1O.S per cent; Meth erlands, 33.6 per cent; British Aus t:a'asia, 9.9 per cent; Belgium less than l per cent, and Russia a decrease of S~1 per cent. Germany showed a gain of 13.5 per cent from 1891 to 1897, the figures for earlier years not being in form to permit an accurate and just i comparison.
 In imports the United States showed l an increase of but 5.6 per cent from 1888 to 1897, while the United Kingdom l showed 16.3 per cent; Netherlands 34 | per cent and Russia 51 1 per cent. Ger l many showed an increase of 10.8 per l cent from 1891 to 1897, France, Bel | gium and British Australasia showing | Q slight decrease in their importations from 1888 to 1897 China increased her i imports 184 per cent from 1888 to 1896. | and Japan increased he's 1219 per | cent, while in experts China increased 1 1S.1 per cert and Japan 63.1 per cent. | No other country shows so large an in i c1 ease in exports and so small an in crease in imports meantime as does i the United States, while no other is i able to present a record such as that which CUTS has made in tho fiscal year 1898 of exports double the amount of imports.