The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-19
A PROPOSED COMMISSION.
The study OF Commercial Conditions
Of China and japan.


The proposition for the appointment OF
a commission TO study the commercial con-
ditions in China and Japan embodied In
sundry bills. now before Congress Is along
lines similar TO those already adopted by
several OF the active commercial nations
OF Europe.
The document recently issued by the
Treasury Bureau OF Statistics. Commercial
China in 1892" shows that experiments
made by other nations in sending commits
sons to the Orient have been very salts
factory.
The British commission, or commercial
mission" as 1t was called. spent part OF
the years 1896 and 1897 in China alone. de-
voting eight months to a trip from Shang
hal up the Ysngtze River TO the head OF
navigation thence southwark to the head
OF the West River. by which they returned
TO the seaboard. reaching Canton and
Hongkong after eight months OF travel and
study. and giving to the British public
very elaborate and extremely valuable re-
port on the wants. consuming power. and
general conditions OF the people OF central
and southern China. their trip having car
ried them through the most densely -popu-
lated part OF that country.
The French mission was absent from
France nearly two years. returning in Oc-
| 'ober. 1897. after q thorough investigation
OF agricultural. industrial. and CONNER
cial 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 commits
, sion. since commission sent to China II
1913 for the purpose OF discovering means
of extending French trade published an
elaborate report which is said to have be-
come more profitable to England than to
France.
The Germans. profiting by this example.
have also omitted to give to the general
public the result OF the work OF their
commercial mission which returned to
Germany In 1899. after fifteen months
study OF China and other Eastern Asiatic
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 creating
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 officials.
no other persons being admitted. while
copies Of the report are only published
for private circulation.
The Nerd peutsche Zeitung" Of April
90 1899. states that the exhibit includes
over $4,000 samples. which show that the
collection is the result CT close study OF
competent men. who thoroughly understand
their work, and that the exhibits show.
first. what European and American goods
are exported to Eastern Asia. and. second.
what goods ear be purchased there.
Tie pending measures as introduced only
provide that the commission shall visit
China and Japan. whose imports form hue
about one-third OF those Of the Orient
whose trade the United States. with a
Nicaragua Canal. may be expected to COM
msnd. American products are finding a
rapidly enlargiag market in all Of the
countries OF the East, and especially in
Asiatie Russia. Manchuria, Korea. Siam.
and Australia. while the enormous market
offered by the British and Dutch East
Indies is also worthy of attention