Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-02-14
OUR FOREIGN TRADE
VOH ] VTIGIOIV TnHDI
Foreign Countries Fighting Us
With Our Own Weapons.
Competition Growing Stronger--In-
crease of Merchant Marine.
A, Interesting Survey Of the Worlds Com.
mercial Relations.

Washington. Feb. 13.-The general
survey of foreign trade Introductory
to the volume on Commercial relations
with the United States" which formed
the subject of special letters from the
President and the secretary of state 70
Congress, has just been published bv
Frederick Emery. the head of the
bureau of foreign commerce. and COM
pier of this matter, in the shape of a
special number of the advance sheets
of consular reports
The survey is u compact presentation
of the most important and Instructive
features of the enormous mass of trade
Information which has been collected
by the United States consuls through
out the world during the past wear
The publication says that along with n
natural note of satisfaction in the an
nual reports of our consular officers for
last year there is Il strong hint of "A
most strenuous competitor and opposi-
ton to American trade advancement
abroad, which may finally counterbal-
ance our superior advantages to Il con-
siderable extent and check our progress
equip ourselves meantime for the ulti-
mate phases of the struggle.
our foreign trade today. as com
pared with that Of recent years shows
Il gain. remarkable because it has been
achieved with but little effort but it is
set forth that the appearance of the
United States is perhaps the most for
midable Of all competitors in the fight
for trade Supremancy is as astonishing
To ourselves as To the foreign oppon-
rnts. The question for the future. says
the publication We seem about u gain
BY means Of our encOnomy of produC-
ton. greater labor efficiency and cheap
raw materials, or whether We shall
have to arm ourselves with weapons
especially fashioned for controlling
foreign trade such as more scientific
export methods, better facilities Of
banking and transportation, more lib
eral credits ANA manufacturing for par
ticular markets with Intelligent regard
to climatic and race requirements.
According to United States treasury
returns. the imports Of this country
for this year i'll round numbers.
ports. l.i7S. 0100O0. on increase Of over
$50. 900 900 in the import trade as com
pared with the preceding year ana 81
500 $50. 600 in exports. OF the exports
the percentage of manufactured goods
rose. to a very considerable extent ana
our Industrial growth continued last
year mt a rapid pace, enabling Us 10
take less finished goods from other
countries and to furnish more. The EEL
ative cheapness of American products
has given them pre-emlnence. II IS
shown, and the remarkable growth OF
the foreign demand for our iron and
steel is cited as a striking instance OF
what under cutting in prices VIII DO
Foreign observers, particularly the
British and the Germans, are shown TO
be keenly alive to what is becoming
accomplished by the greater efficiency
of our industrial methods and exhibit
a purpose to profit by them and then to
fight US with our own weapons.
great number of expressions from va
riouS sources are presented. showing
the wholesome respect and fear with
which the powers of the world look
puon the United States in the trade
arena of the universe. The concentra-
ton of capital, our suddenly acquired
financial independence. the excellence
of our foreign consular service, ana
as most important. the valuable prac-
teal BUSINESS education which our SONS
receive. are reasons advanced by Tor
eign commentators for our remarkable
advancement in trade. 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 DIS
cussing the lighter sides of life. dls-
coursed cleverly on questions that
arose out of the business IN when their
fathers were engaged
This would be looked on as the worst
of bad form at an English university.
Int to it is attributed American success
in business
The Importance of building up a mer-
chant marine to further our trade with
foreign nations is touched upon at some
length, and the benefits of direct steam
ship transportation emphasized the good
effects of the latter being stated to be
particularly apparent in the cases of Peru
and Turkey, in each of which the estab-
ton facilities Immediately led to a
marked increase in trade. TO lack IN
this respect is attributed the slow growth
of orr trade with South America.
The entrance of the South into the trad =
Of the Orient is spoken of as novel feat
IRE of our expansion. In the production
and expectation OF cotton tnt southern
states have made gigantic strides OF late:
The acquisition of the HaWailah ana
Philippine islands. ii is dec AIRED. has con-
yerted our Pacific slope from mere out
post of trade into a hive of commerce,
while Cuba and Porto Rico offer the
Southern states convenient stepping,
stones to Latin-.American trade.
If is stated that Africa is rapidly be-
coming a promising field for American
enternrise wherever artificial restrictions
are not imposed. The war in South Africa
has deranged trade there, but great in
crease, i'm American trade is looked for
when peace shall have been restored.
on our own continent We still control
more than one-half of Canada s trade
with Mexico our trade relation are most
SATISFACTORY and our goods appear to be
making steady progress in Central Am l.
lea. in the West Indies and especially
The British possessions our trade is con
stantly growing. In Cuba and Porto Rico