The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-19
MARKETS FOR AMERICA.
The Prospective Value of Recently
Acquired Po--e~Sion.


! The prospective value OF Cuba. Porto
Rico, and the Hawaiian. Philippine. and
| Samoan Islands as markets for the prod
uets Of the farm and factory in the United
| States is illustrated by a recent publication
in the "Honiteur Oficiel du Commerce. an
official publication OF the French Govern
ment. which discusses at considerable
length the consuming powers Of those ISL
| ands their consequent economic value to
| the United States. and the prospective in
crease in their consuming powers through
enlarged production under American capt
| tai The statement is as follows:
At present the imports of these eouu-
tries amount to about Sio0 600. 600. Those
OF Cuba were. in 1892 (which was an aver
| age good year,. So. lOl .6s2 OF the Philip
pines. in 1896 s2s. Sl5, 075: Of the Hawaiian
| Islands, in 1898, 81. $50. 500. and Of Porto
I Rico, in 1896. sS,656.57s. The imports.
however. show already an increase as is
seen by the American export figures to
these Islands, those to the Hawaiian Isl
ands for 1899 being sss05.47O. as against
S5.9O7 1j5 for 1898 and 81 $40 .075 for 1897:
those to Cuba. $1S.616.3I7 in 1899 as
against $9.5Gl CSC in 1898 and $S.259. 77s in
1897; the respective figures Of exports to
Porto Rico being 81 SIS SIS for the year
1899, as compared with si505.94s for 1898
and S1,9SS. SIS for 1897. There is no doubt
that with an increased productive power.
which must naturally be followed by in
creased consumption. the volume OF the
foreign trade of these islands is likewise
bound to increase considerably.
The consumption of foreign products by
these Islands is made up almost equally OF
articles Of manufacture and OF agriculture
of the temperate zone. Out OF $50 ~. 32l
worth of products exported from the
United States to Cuba in 1894 the value OF
9.440.95 was in products OF agriculture.
and out of S1S,61s.S77 worth Of exports for
the year 1899. SO. 1884, l3 worth belonged to
the same category. The exports from the
United States to the Pearl Of the Antilles
are made up principally of cereals, live
animals salt meat, cotton goods, machin-
cry. footwear. instruments, etc.
Spain. under normal conditions. sold an
nually to Cuba. Porto Rico. and the Phil
ippines about 10000. 900 worth OF goods.
principally manufactured articles. besides
wines. oils, flour, meats. and vegetables
Out OF 135. 600 pesetas worth of mer-
chandise shipped from Spain to Cuba in
1896, about fifty millions represented the
value of products of agriculture. The pro-
portion was nearly the same in the case
OF Porto Rico and the Philippine Islands.
Speaking generally. we may assume
that under normal conditions the surplus
production of Cuba and the Philippines be-
fore the war amounted TO about Sl25.00O,-
600 annually. and their consumption to
500 600 900. but that their productive pow
er is capable of great Increase. which in
turn will cause a similar increase in con-
sumption. About one-half Of the imports
into these islands was Of Spanish origin.
and the other half came from other cOun-
tries prOpoTtionate to their proximity or
distance Thus the United States furnish
ed the greater part of the imports into
Cuba and Porto Rico, while the Philippine
Islands received whatever Spain was I'M
able to furnish them with from HongkOng.
Shanghai. Yokohama, Singapore. Calcut
ia. and Australian ports"
The following figures. compiled by
the Treasury Bureau Of Statistics, shows I
the exports from the United States to I
each OF the islands. The statement COW
ers the seven months ending with janu- |
airy, 1900 and compares that period with /
the corresponding period in earlier years, /
thus indicating the growth in exports from 1
thu United States to those islands since /
1897.
The principal exports to the possessions |
are as follows:
Animals. Cuba. s2.O5O. 292; Porto Rico.
s1.f6i; Hawaii s167941; Philippines SlG7.- /
SOC.
Breadstuffs Cuba. 81 .79S 9G5; Porto Rico. /
$4GO.2 Hawaii s605. i9O Philippines, /
$ll6.543.
Iron and steel-Cuba. S.. csc sol; Porto /
Rico. S34O. 100; Hawaii. S2.72S,522: Philip
pines. S2gl 1876
Provisions-Cuba. 80 as 1873; Porto Rico.
sl16, $40; Hawaii, s246494; Philippines
$22. $50
Total of all exports for the seven months:
Cuba SIS. 405, 154; Porto Rico. S2.264.2i3; (
Hawaii. S7.501 219: Philippines, 81. 552. 122