The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-05-07
EX-MINISTER JOHN BARRETT
He Was President Ceveand's Minister to Siam-Vsited
Atlanta Last Week, Guest of Hon. Clark Howell.
Possibilities of Eastern Trade.

rs was there. He went on special mis-
sions for the government He saw all the
travelled portions OF China and Japan. He
| sent I'm his resignation after President
Mckinley took office. and IL was accepted
In 1898. He was still in the east when the
hattie CT Manila occurred. and lac went
there at once. He arrived ten Jays after
the battle. and spent a year In the Islands,
with which he was already acquainted,
having visited them five years before. lie
, lived on Admiral Deweys flagship. and
| the two Vermonters were fast friends. lie
has since written an attractive book on
the admiral entitled Admiral Dewey. a
Sketch of the Man"
On his way home Mr.. Barrett spoke 10
gatherings of business men IN both CHINA
and Japan or Americas new position IN
tho east. In one city of Japan NJ au-
dressed 1900 japanese business men. lie
stopped In London also. and spoke To the
house of parliament. where he was warm
ly welcomed by Admiral Beresford, whose
POLICY of the open door" in China he has
since opposed. and spoke also before inc
London chamber OF commerce. Since he
returned 10 the United States his time mas
been taken up by one continual series OF
speeches before organizations OF business
men, lie has spoken before nearly every
chamber OF commerce anu business cluo
ideas have net with recepuor which
has shown that American business men
are not sleeping over their opportunities
Two months or So ago L heard MN before
the southern society here express ms
views of the trade future in the east ana
tho sympathetic applause he received
showed that the men OF the south too'
were alive to the fact that that section
was to receive great benefit from the state
- 1f.sF. att
/ heard him style h.nIae!i n yankee
southerner.' which. from what know OF
him, l consider extremely apt.
1 have lotted down here some OF the
5hings ihat Mi. Barrett said 10 NE the
other night IA the course OF loHS con-
versation that are most especially inter
essling 10 the south.
Il can make the Iirect statement" said
he. THAT honestly believe that the souih
his Us great. 4 no. Il greater interest IN
the trade II the Pacific than any section
OF the United States. Ii certainly VIII Do
50 when the Nicaragua canal As bul4l.
The opportunities for The south are
First Ih,. sale of her manufactured cot
ton goods in China and the supply OF
raw cotton To the mills ~ aaIan. Second
the sale Of iron and steel. which The soGih
IS developing in such great quantities. IN
the east. Third. the sale of food PRODUCES
such IS tho south Produces. W neat Is one
OF these articles and the raising OF wheat
is, / understand. Increasing throughout
the south. Maybe the south will be call
cd on to furnish rice TO the orient. Neither
Chino nJr Japan raises Oil the rice II
needs. They import IL from the other
Asiatic countries. The demand for wheat
in Europe is not gong to decrease. ana
when II incie eases in China they will have
t. look 10 Us 10 supply IT.
The possibilities are best illustrated by
figures. Twenty years aSo the American
consuis and business agents in CHINA wero
saying emma would never consume much
Of our manufactured cotton goods. This
year. in answer TO that. We will sell over
$lsrc0.0O0 OF manufactured cotton goods in
China, the greater portion of which will
come from the mills OF thu south. This
item OF trade alone according 10 the best
experts, should I'm tho next ten years
grow 10 S25oJo.co or 100000 "a year. for
now only a small portion of these Chinese
use American cotton goods. Is this not
the golden opportunity OF the sJuth,rn
cotton mills?
Here IS an exact illustration OF the
growth Of the use OF our cotton goods:
When l first visited New Chang, the gate
way TO Manchuria. rix years ago. Amer
a,a's share in the Import trade of that
there last year our sharo was 81 per cent.
and OF that mark you. 80 per cent was
cotton gCCds. Bear this latter TACT IN
mind IL you would realize the openin-; I'm
China for the product OF cur cotton mills
The more the field in China Is studied
the more prom. sing 1t appears for our
American manufactured cotton goods. IL
You divide china I'm two and take the
great section north II Shanghai. there are
ssaH raHk ~, L.. -
goods made by southern mills. and which
can lie supplied in competition with Eu-
rope. In the southern half or China Eu-
rope Practically controls the trade.
Today perhaps uOt more than 10 per
cent OF ia3 population of China Is using
American manufactured cotton goods.
They want the coarser grades Of cotton
goods. IN the northern half Of China the
Conditions OF competition are about equal
between Europe and ourselves. Surprising
that the people OF China average. lot Us
say. - cents apiece of American goods.
there YOU have an annual consumption OF
$.p1.cyV.yyt That gives you a tat: idea Of
the possibilities along the lines OF cotton
goods. ALu you must remember jh2L tnis
market has developed up 40 tho present
point without any special effort from us.
The possibilities for the manufacture
OF steel Ia all its fosmS are equally great.
ChinA's area Is about s,0iUIO square
only 80 miles of railrOad-its total rail-
way trackago not much more ihan the
length Of the road from Atlanta 10 SaYan-
main The empire has got TO be gridirOned
NTH railways. There IL a demand now
FOR 1S.UV9 miles or railway. Just think Of
what that viii mean 10 our iron and steel
Industries IN the way OF locomotives.
rails. ir9aS. spikes. bridge materials. ears.
machinery ana iron and implements for
the Industries that Will spring up in con-
sequence OF those railroads. The cities of
China have got To be supplied wiki ear
lines. telephones ana telegraph lines.
wsIeTw0rks ana electric light systems.
AL this Is going To happen about the
time tbs Nicaragua canal Is opened, ana
then VIII begin i great era for the south.
Now, what are the possibilities Of de-
yelopins the buying capacity CT China2
Hero Is the cardinal point: The Chinese
are the greatest merchants In the world.
Forty years ago the great Yang Use val
ley was first opened up TO trade. It's trade
then was only $4,000 annually. and one
uItle steamer running from Hankow 10
Shanghai supplied the entire valley. Now
the annual trade of the valley is 100000
CO. and now great fleets OF the finest river
steamers in the world are engaged on the