New-York tribune., 1900-05-23
GERMAN TRADE HOVEUENTS.

We commented recently upon the marvellous
rise Of the German Empire, upon the rise of
the German nation, in commerce and industry,
politically and socially since the present empire
was created That development has, in fact
been one of the most impressive and significant
phenomena the world has seen in the last thirty
years. Some fuller details, showing more pre-
cisely the direction and character Of German
commercial progress at the present time are
now al hand in official statistics.
Germanys foreign trade has been steadily in
creasing in the last three years. Imports and
exports have increased in about the same ratio,
and maintain about the same relation to each
other, the latter being approximately three
fourths as great as the former Last year the
excess of imports over exports was more than
S2S7, 600, 900. There seems 70 be little reason
for expecting a reversal of these conditions
and the establishment o. trade balance %
Germanys credit, at least, not in the near
future. Present indications are that the en-
pire will have to keep buying more than 1t
sells.
Prominent among the imports are foodstuffs
Although largely an agricultural country, and
largely dominated by Agraran politics. Ger
many does not produce enough food TO supply
the wants of her own people, and there is no
Immediate prospect of her doing So She is it
is true, increasing her product of wheat and rye
But at the time she is still more largely
Increasing her purchases of corn, at the rate in
fact, of millions of dollars a year Germans are
beginning to realize how desirable an article Of
food our great staple is, and are finding it to
be cheaper than their own wheat and rye To-
day the empires imports of corn alone are al
most as great as its entire exports of all agri-
cultural products. We nav consider it, then
as of the countries that to a certain and
probably an increasing extent are dependent
upon for food.
Another large item Of imports is that of raw
material for manufactures, including coal for
fuel. The quantity of coal imported, as we
have hitherto set forth, is rapidly increasing
That of iron, in and in pigs is also increas-
ing. There a decline last year in raw cot
ton. but at the same time an advance almost
twice as great in wool Not the least interest
ing item in the list of imports is that of ma
chinery. implements and vehicles, the finished
products of American manufactures That
item, in spite of Germany's industrial progress.
is increasing steadily and has now attained
large proportions
Turning to exports find. as was to he OK
pected that the trade in textile fabrics and
in iron and machinery of certain kinds is rapidlv
| increasing That in agricultural products is
increasing very slightly That in the importa MT
item Of sugar is falling off at a rulnous rate be-
cause of the decreasing demand from the United
States. The general conclusion Is that Ger
many is, and is likely to remain a manufa ctur-
| ing rather than an agricultural country that
she looks largely to the United States for mar
kets in which both to buy and to SELL and
that she is, consequently, closely and materially
affected by movements of trade and Industry
here. especially by those that tend to a fuller
supplying of our own wants, as in sugar and TO
a more effective competition with the Old World
In manufactures