The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-22
70 STUDY CHINESE TRADE.
COMMISSION PROPOSED To INQUIRE
INTO ORIENTAL COMMERCE.
VIII He Conducted Along the Lines
Heretofore Followed by Commits
sions Prem European Countries

Special Dispatch to the Post-Inteihgencer.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 2i.--'rhe PROPOSE
ton for the appointment OF commission
to study the commercial conditions ia
China an japan. embodied In sundry
bills now before congress. Is along lines
similar to those already adopted by sew
eral of the active commercial nations Of
Europe The document recently issued by
the treasury bureau of statistics. Com
mercisl China in 1854" shows that expert
ments made by other nations In sending
commissions TO the Orient have been very
satisfactory
The British commission. or Commercial
mission" as II was called. spent . part
OF the years lsss and 1887 In China slone.
devoting eight months TO q trip from
Shanghai up the Yangtxe river, to the
head OF navigation, thence southwark
to the head OF tina West river BY which
they returned TO the scahoard, reaching
Canton and Hongkong after eight months
of travel and study. and giving 90 the
British public "a very elaborate and eN-
tremely valuable report on the wants
consuming power and general conditions
Of the people Of Central and Southern
China, their trip having carried them
through the most densely populated part
OF that country.
French and German Missions.
The French mission was absent from
France nearly two years. returning In oc-
tober, 1897 after a thorough Investigation
of agricultural. industrial and CONNER
ctal conditions. which Is not to be made
public, but recorded for the use OF the
several chambers of commerce which
shared In the expedition. The French are
somewhat wary Of the publication OF the
report of this commission, SINCE COM
mission sent 20 China IN ists for the pur-
pose OF discovering means OF extending
French trade. published an elaborate re-
port which Ii said TO have become more
profitable to England than to France
The Germans, prentins by this example,
have also omitted to give to tho general
public the result of the work OF their
commercial mission which returned to
Germany In 1889 after fifteen months
study OF China and other Eastern Asiatie
countries. This German commission was
especially thorough In its work collecting
large numbers OF samples of the goods
required and used by the people OF the
countries which they visited and Great
Ing from them an exhibit which Is only
open TO those persons actually interested
In the trades concerned and to members
| of chambers OF commerce and certain on
cials, no other persons being admitted,
| while copies OF the report are only pub
| lished for private circulation. The Nord
| Deutsche Zeitung OF April 20, 1893. states
| that the exhibit Includes over - 90 sam
| pies. which show that the collection il
| the result 90 close STUDY OF competent
men who thoroughly understand their
| work and that the exhibits show FIRST
| what European and American Roots sre
| exported to Eastern Asia. and second.
| what goods can be purchased there.
Province of the Commtsston.
The pending measures as introduced
| only provide that the commission shall
| VISIT China and Japan. whose Imports
| form but about one-third Of those OF the
| Orient whose trade the United States.
| with a Nicaragua canal. may be expect
| ed to command American products Gre
| finding a rapidly enlarEirx market IN all
| Of the countries Of the East. and especial
| w In Asiatic Russia, Manchuria. Korea
| Siam and Australia, while the enormous
| market offered by the British and Dutch
| East Indies r. also worthy OF attention
| The following table, prepared by the
| treasury bureau OF statistics from the
| latest available data, shows the value OF
| the imports and exports OF the territory
| In question and the share OF the United
| States therein: