New-York tribune., 1901-03-03
LEADER OF THE WORLDS MARKETS.
HOW NAY THE UNITED STATES RETAIN THAT PROUD Posi-
TTON. WHICH SHE HAS RECENTLY WON?

the growth OF their export trade during the last
quarter century. and TO compare il with that of
the United States The United Kingdom in 1919
exported domestic merchandise to the value OF
81 .0S1 000G0 and in 1900 her exports of do
nestic merchandise amounted in value 10 ST.
as. 100000. She has thus increased her exports
in the quarter Of the century S33l,OOoOOo, or 81
per cent. Germanys exports of domestic mer-
chandise in 1870 were S601 100000, and in 1900,
basing an estimate upon the nine months fig
ures already received, amounted TO S1,ooDoOO.-
600 an increase of 1898. 600 000, or GA per cent
France exported in 1919 domestic merchandise
valued S141,O00000, and in 1890 her exports,
basing an estimate upon eleven months figures
already received. will amount TO SIs5,oo0,oO, an
increase Of S;}SU00000. or > per cent. For Rus
sia the earliest available figures for exports of
domestic merchandise We're for 1881. when her
exports of home products amounted S241,-
100000, and in 1900, basing an estimate upon
the latest available figures. will amount in round
terms to S3J0.000000, an increase of little over
SlG0000000. or - per cent in the twenty years
for which data available.
The United States exported in 1870 domestic
merchandise valued at S497 ,623, 731, and in 1900
the exports of home products amounted to ST.
453ol36J9 in value. an Increase of $500, '49922.
or 1872 per cent.
Thus. when we compare the growth in our
ports Of domestic merchandise during the last
quarter century with those of the other great
natiorS which may he considered friendly
rivals in the contest for the worlds commercial
supremacy. We readily see that our growth has
been far in excess of that of any other nation
1t remains then simply 10 consider whether our
producing powers likely to continue, and
whether We shall while continuing to supply
other parts Of the world, increase or decrease in
our power TO supply our own wants We have
already seen that now producing more
Of the great articles which the world requires
than any other nation, and it may be said that
our supply Of those articles-Of coal. of iron, of
copper. Of a soil capable of producing cotton of
an area which viii produce wheat and corn and
food for ike stock from which the provision sup
ply is obtaned-is almost unlimited far exceed
ing al least that OF any other part of the world
whose producing capacity has been sufficiently
developed TO enable US TO measure its natural
supplies In the power TO turn these natural
products into the form required for consumption
We are apparently at the very beginning of our
career as a great manufacturing nation.
Given the natural supplies. the coal with
which 10 produce the power bring them to-
eether and turn them into the finished product.
skiIful Workmen. it would appear that the
future Of our manufacturing industry is assured.
But WheE add To this The enormous latent sup
plies of power IN our great waterfalls and water
courses, which We are now beginning to turn
into account by creating a force-electricity-
which may be transmitted a wire TO any
given point where il is required for manufaCtur-
ing, transporting. lighting and even heating, the
future which opens before our manufacturing
possibilities and probabilities is immeas sura BILE.
When We consider further that we shall in few
years be producing within the United States
many OF the articles for which we now send
ing millions and even hundreds of millions of
dollars abrOad-sugar to supply our entire popu-
laton, and perhaps that OF other countries: silk
and tea, if we only choose 10 utilize the climate
and soil and conditions which nature has given
Us, and which We have not heretofore utilized
merely because other countries produced those
articles more cheaply than well paid labor
can afford 10 produce them-we may assume
that the years pass We shall he not only more
seif-sustaininS and self-reliant. but that our
power Of supplying other parts Of the world
with natural and manufactured products will in
crease enormously, and that may thus safely
assume that our commercial supremacy and
growth will he maintained.