The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-23
EXPORTS TO THE ORIENT
MARVELLOUS GROWTH SHOWN IN A
VERY FEW YEARS.
Increase Is Particularly Large to the
Islands of Eastern Seas-Amer-
lean Trade with Japanese.
ecial to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, April 22.-The announce
ment of large wheat shipment to Japan,
sent from Pacific port, lends interest TO
some figures which the Treasury Bureau
of Statistics has prepared regarding the
growing demand for American foodstuffs
and manufactures in the Orient. Nearly
SC, 600, 900 worth of flour went to the Orient
last year. against about 100000 worth in
the preceding year. and nearly all of IL TO
China, Japan and Asiatic Russia. the large
proportion of that which reached China
passing through Hong Kong, to which it
was accredited in our export statements.
Shipments of breadstuffs in the form of
wheat to the Orient, however, have been
in the past rare. and the large shipment of
wheat just announced shows the growing
demand for cur breadstuffs in that section
of the world which buys annually billion
dollars worth of goods, and which has
been, in the past, taking less than per
cent Of it's purchases from the United
States.
That our sales to the Orient are rapidly
growing. however, is shown by the latest
export statistics. They show that while
there has been a continued growth in our
exports during the past fiscal year, by far
the largest percentage of growth has been
in our trade with the Orient. To Europe
our exports during the eight months ended
with February increased ga per cent. as
compared with the corresponding months
of the preceding fiscal year: to South
America, per cent; to North America,
1873 per cent; to Asia, 50 per cent; to
Oceania, 81 per cent, or to Asia and
Oceania combined, "A per cent; while to
Africa there was a slight reduction. owing
to the disarrangement of commercial reia-
lions there by reason of hostilities. Taking
our exports as a whole, 1t is found that the
increase during the eight months has been
per cent, while, as already indicated, the
increase to Asia and Oceania has been A
per cent.
This increase in our sales to the Orient
occurs in every country classified under the
head of Asia and Oceania, to China, the
increase being from $9,247,7 38 in the eight
months ended with February, 1892 to SIC, :
1856, 4S5 in the eight months ended with Feb
ruary, 1900; to the British East Indies. from
81 Sac, 1876 to &c. 124, 1853: to Hong-Kong, from
a. 1872 072 to S. 1876, 162 to British Australasia,
from SIPS ,365 to 81, 999, 4O3; to the Ha-
waiian islands, from s5,60S. 600 to sS,546 $50,
and to Japan, from S10, 505.S54, in the eight
months ended with February, 1892 to $751;
344. 179 in the eight months ended with Feb
ruary, 1900.
This phenomenal increase in our exporta-
tfens to the Orient. and especially to Japan,
is the more surprising because of recent In
formation from Japan, which shows that
the general importations of that country
tariff which is mildly protective. The total
imports of Japan in the year 1899 were
220, 367, 622 yen against 277 SOP 157 yen in the
preceding year. the value of the yen being
an q T. hot hi 10 Inn 1y,
is decreasing her general imports, she con-
tinues to rapidly increase her imports from
the United States.
The remarkable growth of our exports
to the Orient, however, only becomes fully
apparent when the figures of the present
exports are compared with those of few
years ago. For instance. our exports to
japan in the fiscal year 1893 Were but IS, 1885,
494, and in 1899 they were SIP 6SS, and
seem likely to be 100000 in the fiscal
year 1900. To China our exports of 1893
were s39O0.457, and in the present fiscal
year will be in round terms $4,000, ooo To
Hong-Kong our exports during the period
have doubled, being $4,2l6.e02 in 1893, and
promise to be IS, 0O0. 900 in the present
fiscal year. To Australasia the exports of
1898 were 1892, 22S, and promise to be fully
$24 000. 600 in the present fiscal year. To
Asiatic Russia the exports of 1893 were less
than a quarter of million dollars, but
will reach fully $2000,000 in the fiscal year
about to end. Even more remarkable, how
ever is the growth in our exports to the
Hawaiian and Philippine islands. To the
Hawaiian islands the exports of 1898 were
81, S27 569, in 1899, $9.305470, and in the fiscal
year 1900 promise to be fully $i2,00000
while our exports to the Philippines
which in 1893 were but $154,37S, will in the
present year exceed s2,000000. Considering
our exports to Asia and Oceania, COM
bined the total for the fiscal year 1893 is
s27 42 1871, for 1899 s7S 176, and for the fis-
cal year about to end will exceed 500 900 600
The following table shows our exports to
the principal countries of Asia and Oceania
in the fiscal years 1S93 1885, 1899 and 1900
the estimate for 1900 being based upon the
actual figures for the three months Of the
war alrea DIV reporfed.