Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-13
Instructive Survey of the Country's
Commercial Relations.
REMARKABLE INCREASE ACHIEVED
Our Formidable Showing Inspires
Strong Competition Abroad.
THE FUTURE CONSIDERED

The general survey of foreign trade, in
troductory to the volume on Commercial
Relations with the United States which
forced the subject Of special letters from
the President and the Secretary or State 10
Congress, has just been published by FRED
erick Emory, the head of the bureau OF
foreign commerce and compiler of this mat
ter, in the shape of a special number OF
the Advance Sheets of Consular Reports
AS the title indicates, the survey Is COM
pact presentation of the most important
and instructive features of the enormous
mass of trade information which has been
collected by the United States consuls
throughout the world during the past year.
The publication says that along with nat
ural note of satisfaction in the annual re-
ports of our consular officers for last year
there is a strong hint Of a most strenuous
competition and opposition to American
trade advancement abroad, Wnlch may
finally cOunterbaance our superior adVan-
tages to a considerable extent and check
our progress in the worlds markets. I'M
less equip ourselves meantime for the
ultimate phases of the struggle.
Our foreign trade today, as compared
with that of recent years, shows gain re-
markabe because it has been achieved with
but little effort, for it is set forth that the
appearance of the United States as perhaps
the most formidable of all competitors in
the fight for trade supremacy, as aston
fishing to ourselves as to our foreign Oppo-
nentS.
An Absorbing Question.
The question for the future, says the
publication, is whether We can hold the
position seem about to gain, by means
of our economy of production, greater la
Dor efficiency, and cheap raw materials, or
whether we shall have to arm ourselves
with weapons especially fashioned for con-
trolling foreign trade, such as more Scien-
tifc export methods, better facilities of
banking and transportation. more liberal
credits, and manufacturing for particular
markets, with intelligent regard to climatic
and race requirements.
According to United States treasury re-
turns. the imports of this country for last
year. in round numbers amounted to $3.50,
100000. and the exports to S1,4IS.OOO,0OO. an
increase of over S30000,O00 in the import
trade compared with the preceding year,
and SOD 10000 in exports. Of the exports,
the percentage of manufactured goods rose
to Il very considerable extent, and our in
dustrial growth continued last year at a
rapid pace, enabling us to take less finished
goods from other countries and to furnish
more. The relative cheapness of American
products has given them pre-eminence, 1t
is shown, and the remarkable growth of
the foreign demand for our iron and steel
is cited a striking instance of what I'M
dercutting in prices will do.
How We Are Regarded Abroad.
Foreign observers, particularly the Brit
ish and the Germans, are shown to be
keenly alive to what is being accomplished
by the greater efficiency of our industrial
methods and exhibit a purpose to profit by
them, and then to fight with our own
weapons A great number of expressions
fl ON various sources are presented, show
ing the wholesome respect and fear with
which the powers of the world look upon
the United States in the trade arena of the
universe. The concentration of capital, our
suddenly acquired financial independence,
the excellence of our foreign consular SER
vice, and. as most important, the valuable
practical business education which our sons
receive, are reasons advanced by foreign
commentaries for our remarkable advance
ment in trade. AS particularly significant,
a writer in the London Times tells of few
evenings spent with some students of
large American college, where, to his great
amazement, the youths, instead of discuss
ing the lighter sides of life, discoursed
cleverly on questions that arose out of the
business in which their sires were engaged.
This would be looked on as the worst of
bad form at an English university, but to it
is attributed American success III business.
The Importance of building up merchant
marine to further our trade with foreign
nations is touched upon at some length,
and the benefits of direct steamship trans
portation emphasized, the good effects Of
the latter being stated to be particularly
apparent IN the cases OF Peru and Tur-
key, in each Of which the establishment
of better steamship transportation facli-
ties Immediately led to marked increase
in trade To a lack in this respect is at
tributed the slow growth of our trade with
South America
Gigantic Strides of the South.
The entrance of the south into the trade
of the orient is spoken of as a novel feature
of our expansion. In the production and
expectation of cotton the southern states
have made gigantic strides of late The
acquisition of the Hawaiian and Philippine
Island, ii IS declared has converted our
Pacific slope from a mere outpost of trade
into hive of commerce. while, Cuba and