The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-04-19
TRADE WITH THE ORIENT.
Address of Prof. :. waterhouse, q
Distinguished Educator.


Prof. 8. Waterhouse OF Washington uni
tion on the subject. Trade With the
Orient" saying:
Mr. President and Members OF the
Transmississippi Commercial Congress-
The total foreign commerce of the United
States is now more than $1,000 000, 0G1 a
year. But even this aggregate. though
bswilderingly large, Will increase.
growing population, constantly swelling
the products OF mine, field, ana workshop,
Will furnish still vaster frelghts for our
merchant marine. Though the Unitel
States far SURPRISES Great Britain In
wealth. yet England has always main
tanned its commercial supremacy. But
this ascendancy she VIII not much longer
retain. In 1899. the exports OF domestic
merchandise from the United States and
the United Kingdom were, respectively,
81 1853 4S0, GOO and sl,2S7970,0 900. The dif
fenence in favor OF Great Britain was less
than $S4 .5000 900. In a very few years,
the United States will stand at the head
of the world, not only Ia opulence, but
also in trade. Even now, In many
branches of production there is Il surplus
of our mineral wealth. the increased yield
OF wider tillage and the marvellous
efficiency OF our Industrial machinery VIII
soon produce commodities that will far ex-
! coed the needs of domestic consumption.
| An extension OF our foreign markets will
then become a commercial necessity. In
what marts shall we sell our surplus? Our
/ excess of cereals Will mostly go to meet
the insufficient food supplies Of Europe.
The European consumption of American
| agricultural products now average more
than $500, 100000 year. OF this total,
Great Britain alone Annually consumes
upward OF Si00, 900 OF American pro-
duce. Ultimately the competition of Rus
STA, india, Australia and South America
may endanger our present control OF the
cereal supplies OF Europe. But for many
years to come the farms OF the Unitei
States will furnish q large part Of the
food OF Transatlantic nations.
But 10 the case of manufactures, the
, conditions are different. Though tht
European demand for special wares mad,
In this country is largely increasing ye
American breadstuffs will always be ,
far more important element OF our Tuns
atlantic trade than American manufac,
lures; for In almost every branch OF in
dustrial art. the manufacturers OF Europ,
, not only satisfy the wants OF home con
, sumption, but also invade this markets q
, other lands. Even Ia the Unfsed states
- wi Va AhN abNANS VI AhAhtN are en-
, bellished with the exquisitely beautifu
fabrics which European skill has fash
a ioned and myriads OF articles which ough
n to be made in our own manufactures ar
4 now imported from the warehouses O
i Europe. Therefore. as European nation
make more merchandise than they cor
sumo. aud as they are active competitor
OF the United States for the trade OF tn
r world, It Is idle 10 expect to sell in thel
I markets all the surplus OF American man
+ ufactures.
! In what part OF the globe, then, shat
2 this country seek that expansion OF com
( merce which will absorb the overproduc
I tion OF its manufactories9 The gestur
} Of the famous statue which Benton i'm
: agined to be standing on the eress OF tn
! Rocky mountains and pointing TO tn
Orient" implies the answer v this ques
. tion. The Orient properly include
!. D'ipan. China, tn Philippines. Anam
|, the Malay peninsula, Sumatra. Java
y Borneo. celebes. New uinea, Aus
= tralia, Tasmania, New Zealand. az
! the thousands OF islets which Ii
I. In the adjacent waters The archi
! pelagoes which contain these groups {
! islands are very extensive The distant
|, from the north point OF japan to th
: south end OF New Zealand Is more tina
i, 5000 miles. The population Of the main
IL lands aud islands Comprised within thss