The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-10-07
AMERICAN BOOTS ABROAD.
A Branch OF Thi, Country's Export Trade
That Il Growing VERY Past.

The Treasury figures Of the foreign trade
In American boots and shoes show that It has
grown from 81, oss.e 49 In 1897 70 S.60s,4sS In
1890. Very recently the United States Consul
at Leipsic In a communication 10 the state
Department called attention to the increasing
German demand for American shoes. lie says
that cheap shoes may be sold In large quanti-
ties In Germany. and advises the establishment
OF n warehouse In HAMBURG or Bremen and sales
stores In Berlin. Dresden, Hamburg, eipsic
and Munich. Germany IL not one Of the coun-
tries which has heretofore contributed much
to the foreign trade In American shoes-the
exports TO II last year Of boots and shoes were
20 the value Of $780, 900 only-less than one-third
the value Of the American shipments to Mexico
The best market for American boots and shoes
at present is Australia. TO which, In a year.
s7SO,ooo worth are sent. England follows with
purchases last year Of $4,000, then the West
Indies with eOo.Ooo Canada with 100000 and
Mexico $4,000. II is a matter OF general oh
servatlon that through the substitution OF
machine-made for handmade shoes. through
the economies introduced In the processes
Of tanning and by the introduction Of Improved
mechanical processes, the selling prices OF
American boots and shoes move steadily down
ward. and no other country can compete with
viz bAdNt III z pa Nhioa
that a market is once attained
Heretofore the sales Of American boots and
shoes have been almost exclusively In coun-
tries in which English il either the language
spoken or In which mercantile business Is car
RED on in English. To other countries the
Roadway made has been slow, particularly
~ France, which took only $4,000 worth Of
American boots and shoes and 20 the countries
OF South America which, while extensive pur-
chasers Of American goods and food products,
took only 81, 600 worth. The facilities OF the
United States for supplying not only the people
Of this country but the people Of other coun-
tries as well with boots and shoes at low-notch
prices are unrivalled
The sales Of American boots and shoes in
Asia last year were to the amount Of $500, 600.
chiefly through ports under British admins
tration. and the sales In Africa we're TO the
amount Of $4,000. The American Consul In
Hong Kong. writing Of the opportunities for
alarger sale Of American goods In China. pointed
ont that Chinese do not wear leather OF rubber
shoes. All Chinese, except the coolie class,
wear shoes Of cloth. with thick felt soles. faced
with leather and Of peculiar shape. These
are made locally and ARE very cheap. Not
vithstandins this fact the shipments 81 Ameri-
can boots and shoes 10 China were 50 per cent.
greater in 1900 than they were in the year pre-
ceding, and II has been found generally that
as Occidental customs and attire are intro
dnced into Asiatic countries the demand for
American and European manufactured ar
ticles increases.
1t Is a noticeable feature Of the foreign trade
in American boots and shoes. dealers say,
that those shipped abroad from this country
are so satisfactory that a market once attained
Ia not thereafter lost, though the invasion
Of the German commercial market would seem
70 be against many serious obstacles.