The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1900-08-17
TRANS-PACIFICT'RADE
HAS INCREASED FOURFOLD
WITHIN SEVEN YEARS.
Importance of Manila as n Distributing
Market for China and Japan-jawah
and Australia Now Large Buyers OF
American Produce.

| American Produce.
The market which the people Of the
United States will be able to make in
the Philippines, while amounting to
many millions of dollars, is, however,
q small item compared to that which
opens to them through the possession
of the Philippines as an entire port for
the distribution of American goods In
the Orient. Grouped around Manila
as a point of distribution lies the most
densely populated part of the world.
More than 100000 900 of people form the
population of Japan, Asiatic Russia,
China, French Cochin China, Siam,
British India. Australasia, the Dutch
East Indies, ETC., all of which
are nearer to Manila, as a pant
of distribution, than any other great
commercial center, while such cities
as Canton, Shanghai and others are as
near Manila as Havana is to the city
of New York
The commerce of this section, OF
which Manila may be made great
commercial center, now amounts 10
more than $4,000, 100000 per annum,
and its annual purchases 81 200, ,OOO
per annum, or an average of $1OOOOO,-
900 month. Practically all this vast
sum which it sends to other parts OF
the world is expended for the class OF
goods for which the people of the
United States are now seeking mar
ket. Cotton and cotton goods, bread
stuffs, provisions, dairy products,
manufactures of iron, steel and wood,
the products of the farm and factory,
are demanded by the people of that
part of the world.
In most cases the apparent DISPOSE
tion is for these countries to purchase
from the people of the United States
rather than from any other section or
people. China which in 1880 took only
rs per cent Of her imports from the
United States, in 1898 took S.2 per
cent of her imports from this country.
Japan, which in 1898 took only 6.S per
cent of her imports from the United
States, took 14.4 per cent of her i'm
ports from this country in 1898. Our
exports to China, which in the fiscal
year 1898 were but $3,900,457, were in
1899 $14, 493 ,440. Our exports to Japan,
which in 1893 were S9,195,494, were
$17,264,6 SS in 1899, and in the fiscal
year of 1900 reached 100000.
To British Australasia our exports,
which in 1894 were $S,131 1888, were in
1899 s19,777, 129, and reached $25,OOO,-
900 in 1900. To the Hawaiian Islands
our exports in 1898 were $2,S27 ,663,
and in 1899 $9,305, 470, while those Of
the fiscal year 1900 were $14,00O,O 600
To the Philippines our exports in 1897
were less than 100000, and in the
year 1900 exceeded 100000. Taking
Asia as a whole, our exports, which in
1898 were but S16,222,954, were in 1899
$4S, 800 161, and in 1900 amounted to
$65 900 600, or four times those OF
1893 To Oceania our exports, which
in 1898 were $11 AIT, were in 1900
in excess of $40,000,000. Thus our ex-
portations to Asia and Oceania, which
in 1898 were $27,OOO,OOO, were in 1900
upward of $1OO,OOO,OOO, or four times
those of seven years ago.
That such fields still remain open to
us in the Orient is, however, shown by
the following table, prepared by the
Treasury Bureau of Statistics from the
latest available data, showing the val
lie of the imports and exports of the
Orient and the share of the United
States therein:
Imports. Exports.