The sun., 1901-10-09
RAPID GROWTH OF OUR COMMERCIAL SUPREMACY.
Of Ameri
BY E. C. ROWLAND.

BY e. Z,
What are the chief causes Of the splen-
did advance of the United States in COM
mercc? That advance has been made
within the last decade, and chiefly within
the past five years. 1t is an advance
the statistics Of which are presented and
analysed elsewhere with Illuminating de-
tail as to the divisions of our trade in ar
ticles that we buy, in articles that we sell
and as to the geographical distribution OF
our commerce.. These statistics are elo-
quent Of national prosperity that has
grown by leaps and bounds. They tell
the tale of the progress of the United
States from the position of debtor ma
ti0n to that of creditor nation.
SO rapid has been that progress that
one school of political thought in this
country. the Democratic, would have
scoffed at its prediction, decade or
even five years ago, as the fiction OF a
dreamer 1t is not probable that even
the keenest and most far-sighted among
the prophets of the other school OF eco
nomc doctrine, the Republicans, would
have ventured in those years OF depres-
sion Immediately preceding and including
1896 to forecast that the beginning OF
the new century would behold the ex-
ports Of the United States nearly at the
value mark of billion and half OF dol
lars and actually in excess of the exports
of the greatest trading nation in the
world-Great Britain. But these are the
facts. Their frequent review and itera-
ton almost fail to make them famlllar 70
the national consciousness, because the
achievement has been SO rapid as to make
its realization difficult
-
10 n large extent the narration OF this
tale of progress carries its own philoso-
nhv. But beyond and behind the facts
there lie the reasons that explain the re-
cent past. and that point with unernns
finger TO the yet brighter hopes OF INC
future. Chief among these reasons, ana
40 obvious as to time as to bear almost
pIarjnply the relation of cause to erect
Is the tariff legislation that marked the
beginning of the first Mckinley admin,
istration. 1t was with the return OF onI
national policy to the sane protection oi
domestic Industries that our manuiac
tures bounded into renewed life and at
tanned wider variety and q surplus vi
production available for foreign markets
IL is important to bear in mind, i'll TINS
connection, the extreme youth OF ths
United States. A single century Is Dn
n page in the history of wholesome ant
progressive nation. During that tune
this nation, expanding almost thirty-fol'
in population, has only partly subdued
savage continent. Its natural resources
are only partly developed Its untouched
agricultural wealth, in lands yet to b'
made to blossom, is capable of support
ing double the present population of tn
country. 1t was not until 1892 that on
exports passed the billion dollar mark
The years before had been those of sell
development and only in part those o
self-supply. The nation had struggled
to feed itself and had scarcely the tim
even TO partly clothe itself. What
had not time to make for itself, it bough
abroad. That is why our exports did no
exceed our imports until 1874. Durin
all that period of youthful self-develoI
ment, moreover the nation was borrow
ing money in the form of the investmen
of foreign capital in building its railways
1t is in the payment of interest and !
the redemption of those securities, an
in the toll we pay to foreign shipowner
for carrying what we sell and what W
buy, that we settle the bulk of the ba
ance of trade in our favor
That process, itself result of our sy