The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-05-29

Heavy Increase in the Exports of
tie Empire During the Last Ten
Hcnrs-EGcct of Boxer Uprising.
What the United states Is Doing.
| The State Department has received
! from H G Squiers. the Secretary of the
| American Legation at PekiH, a copy OF
! the official report OF the trade of China
! for the year 1900. issued by the Imperial
| maritime customs. bfr. SquieTs notes the
/ progress made in the United States com
meTce during the last ten years. and calls
attention to the fact that the gain is re
| ally much larger than indicated, mas
much as a large part of our trade passes
| via Hougkong and is credited to that
/ port.
| The following paragraphs and figures
! are taken from the report enclosed by
| Mr. Squiers:
| The great expansion of Cnina's for
| eign trade shown by the statistics for
! 1899. was continued during the first half of
/ 1890; but the disturbances in the north,
+ which became serious in June. not only
/ stopped for a time all trade al Much
/ wang and Tientsin. which had shown
} such Improvement during the previous
, year. but naturally had a depressing eff
/ feet throughout the ports. The idea that
/ the Boxer movement against the Chris
/ tan converts could be successfully en-
pIoyed in the deIiverance of the country
4 from foreign dictation and interference
/ was accepted by only a limited party in
/ Pekfn and by certain officials in the north
I eTn provinces. Elsewhere, it was foTtu-
nateIy received with a skepticism which
proved sufficient to save China from a
/ general war, and trade went on as usual,
| hamDered only by i want of confidence
! engendered by the uncertainty of the po-
| liticaI outlook In the south, a rebellion
| which at one time looked serious was
promptly suppressed by the authorities,
| but caused some disturbance to trade IN
| the districts affected. The Zangtze Val
/ ley was KEPT wonderfully tranquil, and
! one or two abortive attempts at iasuTrec-
| ton were Immediately cuelled- The power
| Of the officials to preserve order has new
| ct been more strikingly manifested That
| trade was not more rufnousIy impeded.
| always excepting the actual area Of hos
/ tiIitfes. during year which was SO ex-
ceptionally trying to merchants and so
full Of unrest for the popuIace, shows its
! vitality and how quickly it viii revive
/ when peace is restored We may hope
that the Chinese Government under the
: pressure of circumstances, will now
. awake to the necessity of developing the
resources of the country. and We shall
. then see China becoming more wealthy
/ under the stimulus Of apparent misfor-
tunes The strength OF the Chinese lies
. in their industry and commercial apti-
I tude, and not in their capacity for war,
| and the cultivation of friendly relations
with foreign Powers viii serve them bet
ter than the vain policy Of exclusion and
resistance to progress
= al. Of he = n
venfent opportunity for a general review
of the progress Of trade. The record Of
tn principal articles imported from 1891 10
/ 1850 shows that, with some exceptions, the
/ trade in cotton piece goods has remained
practically stationary, and III some items
has even fallen of The exceptions are
American drills, jeans, and sheetinEs,
/ which show q strong advance, and cotton
/ flannel principally American and cotton
hastings, which are evidently Increasing
in favor. English shirtings and T cloths,
with English drills, jeans and sheetings,
I have made no Roadway. japanese cotton
goods seem likely to find an enlarged mar
Ilet. English cotton yarn has not progress
ed, while Indian and japanese yarns have
I advanced rapidly. The trades in wooden
! goods and metals are not growing. Can
dies, cement, clocks. and watches, anime
dyes. window glass. paints, and perfumery
have gradually increased in demand;
/ while -four, kerosene oil, matches, and
soap have been imported in much larger
I quantities every. year.
AS regards heavy cotton goods, the ex-
pansion in American manufactures at the
expense of British is natural, and must
be expected to continue Indeed it is re-
/ markabIe that the Lancashire goods have
held their own so well The rapid growth
ca has resulted in a production IN excess
Of domestic requirements, and America
mas become an exporter under favorable
conditions Proximity to China, cheaper
/ freights, and the evident advantage Of
1 using Indigenous cotton are all factors
/ which win contribute TO the future ex-
B2uSiou OF American trade. In fancy cot
( ton goods, such as hastings, Lancashire
/ can hold its own as these goods are most
J y manufactured from Egyptian Cotton
{ English cotton yarn cannot be expected
/ to make progress in the Chinese ma het
( against the competition Of the Indian,
I japanese, and local mills The demand IS
4 for low counts, and while the principal
/ business Of the English mills is in high
! count yarns. the mills Of India Japan,
and China are prOFiaeC with machinery
/ specially arranged 10 meet the demand for
coarse yarns in the Eastern markets.
/ Tables Of the trade by ports are given,
/ showing that the imports increased from
134 640-2sS haizwan taels N 1880 TO %. tSl ~
/ taeIs in 1863; also, a statement Of the value
} in pounds sterling. the taeIS having been
J converted a the aveTa &c rate Of exchange
/ for each year. The sterling value Of the
! import trade it is shown, has not increas-
t ed during the decade-the figures for 1899
being E34 go. 800 (S1eg, SI9, 373}, and for 1900
/ G34, "a. 365 (Sl69, l3t- $3.50. The figures for
/ 1898 il is true, were 81, 2S2 502 (S2Sf. 3d.
$50; but that was q remarkable year
( The report continues
/ Reference to old price lists shows that
( silver prices generally have risen in sym
. pathy with the fan in exchange, and the
+ sterling conversions more fairly represent
. the course Of trade than do the silver ng-
Z ureS. At the same time, II must be
I Inembered that the value of goods from the
! Straits is not affected by sterling ex-
] change while exchange with India. al
| forced up the value Of the rupee, has not
I followed the exact course Of exchange
with Europe and America Japan has now
! q gold standard, but the currency scheme
| adopted left her exchange with China al
/ most at par. In some directions, also.
/ there has been q reduction in the sterling
/ cost Of production. and the rise in silver
! prices has not quite kept pace with the
I fan in exchange. While. therefore, the
I sterling conversions are offered as inter
/ esting and as better basis for COMPARE
tiTely accurate index OF the changes in
| the bulk Of the trade. There has been an
/ increase, and the Chinese are gradually
! purchasing more foreign goods and they
/ are demanding a better class Of cotton
! goods; but the table seems to show that,
Z owing to defective means Of COmmunica-
! ton and the cost of carriage, each port
[ supplies only a restricted district. When
( the populations Of such districts are salts