Evening star., 1901-03-19
EFFECToF BOXER TROUBLES
ENORMOUS Loss CAUSED To- AaIERI-
CAN TRADE.
Probably No One Country Suffered So
Much as the United States

The State Departm has received from
United States Consuls Fowler at Chefoo
and RagsdaIe at Tien Tsin interesting re-
ports intended to show the effect of the
| Boxer troubles in North China upon
United States trade. with particular regard
| to what Americans lost In America through
| the outbreak, rather than in China, the
latter phase having been previously dealt
with at some length
A resume of the trade returns in North
China entire, comparing the quarter ended
June 80 last with that ended September 80,
shows an almost complete annihilation of
the American import trade, and, in Consul
Fowiers language, gives good idea of
what a mob in China can do in interfering
with trade" The greatest loss was felt
in cotton piece goods, and the cessation
of this class of imports. says the consul,
must have been most keenly felt in the
southern states.
The Heaviest Sufferer.
Probably no country in the world, Con-
sui Fowler states, suffered so much as did
the United States, for the scene Of strife
covered practically the entire American
field of trade. In compiling the statistics
the amounts are indicated by gallons"
pieces" or set out in Chinese money, so
that an estimate of the actual value Of
the losses sustained is not easily available
But the comparative tables lnOlcdIlnS
greatest increase in our trade with China
ever known at the beginning of 1900, and
setting forth the most serious losses to 1t
at the end of the year, are sufficiently i'm
pressive to serve the purpose.
At Chefoo, which, compared with the i'm
mediate northern ports, was peaceful, there
were more riots and tumults than ever
known before. and the various American
mission losses will probably total $150,0O0
in gold. After the 18th of June. the i'm
ports at Chefoo ceased, all commercial
transactions being absolutely nil.
Loss of Lumbermen.
The effect of the Boxer movement is
shown to have been felt much earlier and
more seriously at Tien Tsin than at Che
foo. Ships loaded with Oregon lumber
reached Taku and were unable to land their
cargoes, thus entailing an enormous loss
upon the American lumber trade, and one
American firm paid over 5000 gold on
demurrages alone from this account. be-
sides losing the sale of the lumber destined
for Tien Tsin.
At Niuchwang which saw less fighting
than Tien Tsin, the trade was completely
interfered there. it is stated. was Russia,
that government seizng the port early
as August 4. On the 10Th Of August it had
control of the custom house.
Duties Collected Decrease.
The total collection of duties for all China
during the quarter ended september ~ last
showed loss of 2,459,591 haikwan taels as
compared with the same period Of 1899. The
figures submitted, Consul Fowler points out.
do not fully show the American losses, for
there are immense quantities of nerchan-
disc which were held up in the various
ports, and which must be worked off before
importations can begin again. The losses to
the cotton trade alone are estimated atsover
100000.
Export Trade Injured.
United States Consul Ragsdale, stationed
at T4en Tsin, submits statistics showing the
consequences of the Boxer troubles as re-
CARDS the export trade from that port. The
country north of Tien Tsin, where the prin-
cipal articles of export are produced, he
says, is now overrun with ex-Boxers and
ex-soldiers who have turned bandits, and 1t
will be exceedingly difficult for merchants to
get goods out of the interior or into 1t. The
supplies for the United States troops in
China which have come into Tien Tsn, says
Mr.. Ragsdale. have attracted the notice and
envy of all other nationalities, including the
merchant as well as the soldier. The enor-
nous discrepancies between the export fig
ures at Tien Tsin for the present and for
last year show a startling array of losses
and the outlook for 1901, says the consul, Is
foy-o 10