The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-25
CHINESE TRADE CENTRES.
TIenisin, Nicu-Chwnng. and Chef.sd
In Time of Pence.

| In Time of Peace.
| Tientsin, -Chwang. and Chefoo.
which are mentioned as the points OF
greatest activity ard danger. aside from
Pekiu. the capital. in the present trcaoies
In China. are especially important in res
lation to American trade in tina: country.
| They are in the northern part OF this
! country. and 1t Is in them that Americans
! goods seem to be In tie great st favor.
| The growth OF American trade in thae
section Is described somewhat in detail bG
recent publication Of the Treasury Bu~
reau of Statistics. which describes Tientsin
! as the most important city of rorthern
| China, being located at the head Of the
Gulf of Pe-Chi-Li and but fifty miles from
| the capital. Pekir. with which 1t Is cous
| nected by water and by railway lineS
eastwardIy to Shanhai-kwau, and an elabs
! crate railway system is projected souths
ward from this point through the populous
| provinces OF Shantung and Kiangsu to
| connect Tientsin with Shanghai.
| In addition TO these, the Grand Canal,
| the most important OF the great artificial
nected Tientsin with the Yangtse Kians
and Shanghai. Its population is in round
numbers 1oe0. 600. and its imports which
in 1858 were less than 5000. cc6 haixwan
taels. were in 1897 more than 50 .oG0 COO
haikwan taels. having thus nearly doubled
during the decade The commissioner OF
! customs. Mr.. Alfred Hippisley. writing In
1888 of the 1891 trade, calls attention to
the Importance OF American trade at that
| port, and adds that 1t Is the only trade
| which increased in 1888 over that of 1881,
| saying that American drills, American
! sheetings. and American kerosene had es-
| peciaily Increased In imports during the
year while the cotton goods from other
countries were showing a decrease.
Another interesting fact to which he
| calls attention is that the new railway
line recently built to connect Tientsiu
with Pekin is already proving extremely
| popular with the Chinese. On this sub
| ject he says:
1T Is astonishing how speedily Chinese.
despite their reputed conservatism. adapt
themselves to new environment and
| make the most Of increased transport
facilities offered them Already Pekia fruit
Is sent direct to Taku for shipment south,
and Pekin is similarly supplied with south
ern fruit. and traffic generally developed
so rapidly that it soon became necessary
to double the line"
Consul Reade OF the United States
says that Tientsin ranks in commercial
importance next to Shanghai and Canton.
and in report to the State Department,
says:
':Tientsin. by its geographical position,
10 the point Of accumulation and distri-
button OF all merchandise destined foe
the United States or intended fer con-
sumption in the northern provinces OF
China. Direct shipments from the United
States to Tieatsin are impracticable, it
being In all CAGES more advantageous TO
ship to Shanghai or Hongkong and then
transhlp to the steamers OF light draft
that ply between those ports ard Tien-
tsiu.
Ciefoo is considered an extremely im>
portant treaty port by reason Of the con-
slant and growing demand for American
goods az that point. IL is located Oh the
Gulf OF Pe-Chi-Li. comparatiy ply near to
Tientsin, but nearer to the British port
Wei-I.ai-Wei, and its Importance 10
American interests is pictured By Consul
Fowler in report to the State Depart
ment. in which he says:
1T is satisfactory to see that during
TIE six months under review the follow
ing American goods show a gain over the
same period of 1896: Drills. 1871 pieces;
sheetings. 111,ci0 pieces; kerosene Gil,
s42 $50 gallons. 1t is worthy of note that
of the thirty-six classeS OF foreign mer-
chandise, showing a gain in the table OF
imports, twenty-seven are imported from
goId-staudard countries, and only nine
from Asia or silver starliard countrtes5
this. in spite Of the enhanced values due
to the tremendous fall in silver. OF the
twenty-five classes of foreign merchan-
disc that show decline. eight are I'M
ports frcm gold standard countries. and
fourteen from silver standard countries
Nieu-Chwang. while a comparatively
small city Of but $4,000 population, is Of es-
pecial Importance to the United States as
q treaty port 1t is located at the extreme
north OF the Gulf OF Pe-Chi-Li. considerably
farther north than Tlsntsin, and IS OF
especial Importance to tine United States
because of tie demand for goods from this
country in that section. American cot
tons, oils. and American manufactures gen.
orally are in great demand in the province
OF Shing-king. of which Nieu-Chwarg is
the treaty port and most important city,
and goods reach the interior by the Muren
River, which is navigable nearly to the
northern border OF the province. The pro-
posed Russ an railway line. which is pro-
iected thru igh Manchuria and the pro-
vince of Shing-kirg to Port Arthur. passes
near Eieu-Chwang and is to be connected
by short line.
Another. British line. viii connect Nieu-
Chwsng with Saskatchewan. which is al
ready in railway connection with Pekin.
The demand for American goods al this
treaty port and the territory adjacent to
it is shown by the following extract from
the report of Walter Lay. Commissioner
of Customs at that port. written in 1898:
The rapidity with which English drills
have been disappearing may be seen By
noting that the Importation only four years
ago amounted to $4,000 pieces. while our
ing the period under review only 5000
pieces arrived The predominant position
secured by American drills and sheetings
Il new ore OF sheer supremacy. The value
OF these two items aggregates S.i25,0oo
taeIs-that is, not far short of half the
gross value of all foreign arrivals coast
wise.
Cotton yarn did not recede from the
advanced position assumed in the previous
year, for the falling off OF the Indian yarn
was neutralized by the increase in Japan
ese yarn. The inelastic character OF the
trade in wooden goods continues. The
most striking feature in the category OF
sundries is the overwhelming importation
of Kerosene oil, in which trade the suprem-
acy of American brands is exceedingly
pronounced. for the large Importation OF
526. coo gallons in 1886 mas been eciipsed
BY the 2.641. Gee gallons to the credit OF the
period under review
1.-The ret value Of the imports, which IS
practically the same as the large hgure OK
the previous year. may be considered fairly
10 represent volume OF trade equivalent
TO that year. With reference to the Lead
ing articles. native cloth, medicines. siik
piece goods, green tea. and prepared to-
bacco have gained. while raw cotton. pa
per. and sugar have lost Cotton yarns.
manufactured by Chinese mills. advaneed
: sSS faals =,