The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-06-28
THE POINTS OF
DANGER in CHINA
Something About Their Importance
10 This Country.
OUR BEST MARKETS IN EAST
Tien- Tsin is the Most Important City
in Northern China and is Also 4
Great Railway Centre-Extcnt
OF Our Trade.
OUR BEST Markets IN EAST

Tien TSiu, NewchWang ana che roo.
which are mentioned as the points OF
greatest activity and danger. ASIDE from
Pekin, the capital. in the present troubles
in China, are especially important in re-
lation to American trade in that country.
They are in the northern part OF the
country, and it is in them that American
goods seem to be in the greatest FAVOR.
The growth OF our trade In that sectloh
is described somewhat in detal by re-
cent publication of the Treasury Bureau
of Statistics which describes Tien Isln
as the most important city of northern
China, being located at the head OF the
Gulf of Pechil and but eighty miles from
the capital, Pekin, with which it IS con-
nected by water and by railway llhe.
Another completed railway hne runs
enthusiastically to Shanhal-hWan, ana
an elaborate railway system is projected
southwark from this point through the
Dopulous provinces of Shantung and
kiangsu to connect Tien Tsin with
Shanghai. In addition to these. the
Grand Canal. the most important OF me
great artificial waterways of China, mas
for centuries connected Tien Tsin with the
Ysng-Tse Kiang and Shanghai. us
population is in round numbers 1,coooU
and its imports, which in 1883 were less
than 29.C00.OO0 haikwan taels, were in 1891
more than 50, c00. coo hailIwan taels, having
thus nearly doubled during the decade
The Commissioner of Customs, MIR. Alfred
Hippisley writing in 1898 of the 1897 trade,
calls attention TO the importance of Amer
iacn trade at that port, and adds that II
is the only trade which increased in 1888
over that of 1897. saying that American
drills, American sheetings and American
kerosene had especially increased IN i'm
ports 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 ne"
railway line recently built to connect
Tien Tsn with Pel1in is already proving
extremely popular with the Chinese. On
this subject he says: st is astonishing
how speedily Chinese. DESPITE their re-
puted conservatism, adapt themselves to
new environment and make the most
of increased transport facilities offered
them. Already Pekin fruit is sent di-
rect to Tanku for shipment south, and
Pellin is similarly supplied with southern
fruit, ana traffic generally developed so
rapidly that it soon became necessary
to double the line"
NEXT TO SHANGHAI
Consul Reade. of the United States
saws that Tien Tsin ranks in commercial
Importance next 10 Shanghai! and can
ton and in a report to the State Depart
ment, says: ''Tien Tsin, by its geograph
ical position. is the point of accumula-
ton ana GlSlrlDuCOn Oh All llel S4iStiiuiS1
destined for the United States or intended
for consumption in the northern provinces
Of China. Direct shipments from the
United States to Tien Tsin are imprac-
ticable, it being in all cases more ad-
vantageous to ship to Shanghai or Hong
Kong and then transhin to the steamers
of light draft that ply between those
ports and Tien Tsn.'
Che Foo is considered an extremely i'm
! of the n
slant and growing demand for American
goods at that point. It is located on the
Gulf of Pechili, comparatively near to
Tien Tsin, but nearer TO the British port
Wei-ha-Wei. and its Importance to Ameri-
can interests is pictured by Consul Fowler
in a report to the State Department, in
which he says: at is satisfactory to see
that during the six months under review
the following American goods show gain
over the same period of 1896: Drills, 1924
pieces: sheetings, 11l,040 pieces; kerosene
oil, 942.05o gallons 1t is worthy Of note
that OF the thirty-sX classes Of foreign
merchandise showing q gain in the table
of imports, twenty-seVen are Imported
from gold standard countries and only nine
from Asia or silver standard countries; this
in spite of the enhanced values due TO the
tremendous fall in silver. Of the twenty
two classes of foreign merchandise that
show decline, eight are imports from gold
standard countries and fourteen from sill
Yer standard countries
4 TREATY PORT.
Newchwang. While a comparatively small
city of but 5000 population, is OF especial
Importance to the United States as
treaty port 1t is located at the extreme
north of the Gulf of Pechili considerably
farther north than Tien Tsin, and is OF
especial importance TO the United States
because of the demand for goods from THIS
country in that section. American cottons,
oils and American manufactures generally
are in great demand in the province OF
Shingking, of which Newchwang is the
treaty port and most important city. and
goods reach the interior by the Muren
River, which is navigable nearly 10 the
northern border OF the province. The pro-
posed Russian railway line which is pro-
jected through Manchuria and the province
of Shingking to Port Arthur, passes near
Newchwang, and is to be connected by
short line Another, British Ene, VIII
connect Newchwang with Shanhalkwan,
which is already in railway connection with
Pekin. The demand for American goods at
this treaty port and the country adjacent
IN il is shown by the following extract
from the report of Walter Lay, the com
missioner Of customs at that point, written
in 1898:
1.-The rapidity with which English drills
have been disappearing iildS nc seeii W
noting that the Importation only four years
ago amounted to $4,000 pieces. while during
the period under review only 5000 pieces
arrived The predominant position secured
bv American drills and sheetings is now
one of sheer supremacy. The value OF
these two items aggregates $1,000
haikwan taels-that is, not far short OF
half the gross value of all foreign arrivals
coastwise Cotton yarn did not recede
from the advanced position assumed IN the
previous year, for the falling OFT OF the
Indian yarn was neutralized by the in
crease in Japanese yarn. The inelastlc
character OF the trade in woollen goods
continues The most striking feature in
the category of sundries is the overwhelm-
ing importation Of kerosene oil. in which
trade the supremacy of American brands
is exceedingly pronounced, for the large i'm
portation of 526.00o gallons in 1896 has been
eclipsed by the 2,041.Oo0 gallons to the credit
of the period under review. The net
value of the imports, which is practically
the same as the large figure of the previous
wear. may be considered fairly to represent
a volume of trade equivalent to that year.
With reference to the leading articles ma
tive cloth, medicines, silk piece goods.