Evening star., 1901-03-02

dom. Germany, France and Russia, 1t is
easy to measure the growth of their export
trade during the last quarter century and
to compare II with that of the United
States.
The united kingdom in 1875 exported do
meStic merchandise to the value of SlOS7,
100000. and in 1900 her exports of domestic
merchandise amounted in value to Sl.4lS,-
00o.ooO She has thus increased her exports
in the quarter of the century 1891 ,0O0. .0oJ.
80 per cent. Germany's exports OF domestic
merchandise in 1910 were SGOi 600 600. and
In 1900 basing estimate upon the nine
months figures already received, amounted
TO S!oo,oOo,OOo, an increase Of 1898, ,O00. 600,
or 6l per cent. France exported in 1873 do
mestic merchandise valued at STAT 600 600,
and in 1900 her exports. basing an estimate
upon eleven months figures already re-
ceiVed. Will amount to $7S5 OOO OOo an in
crease of S3s,OOo.oOo. 5 per cent For
Russia the earliest available figures for ex-
ports OF domestic merchandise were for 1881
Wnen ner exports OF home products amount
eu 10 S24',WOOOO, and in 1900. basing an
eStlmate upon the latest available figures
Will amount in round terms to $3.50 900 OOo
an increase OF little over SlO0.G0.OO0, or
AZ per cent in the twenty years for which
data are available. The United States ex-
ported in 1875 domestic merchandise valued
at $49I ,263. 1871, and in 1900 the exports of
home products amounted to 81. Ash 0l3. .659 in
value, an increase of $3.50 T49922 or 1872 per
cent.
Thus when We compare the growth in our
exports of domestic merchandise during the
ihSl iudi ltT century with thOSe OF the other
great nations which may be 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 to consider wheth-
er our producing powers are likely to con-
tnue and whether we shall, while contin-
uing to supply other parts of the word, in
crease or decrease In our power to supply
our own wants. We have already seen that
we are now producing more of the great ar
ticles which the world requires than any
other nation, and Ii may be said that
supply of those articles Of coal, of iron OF
copper Of a soil capable Of producing cot
ton, of an area which will produce wheat
and corn and food for live stock from
which the provision supply Is obtained-is
almost unlimited, far exceeding at least
that of any other part Of the world whose
producing capacity has been sufficiently de-
veloped to enable us to measure its natural
supplies.
In the power to turn these natural pro-
ducts into the form required for consump
| ton We are apparently at the very begin
| nlnS or our career as a great manufacture
| ing nation. Given the natural supplies the
| coal with which to produce the power to
| bring them together and turn them into
| the finished product, the best machinery of
the world and the most skillful workmen,
| and 1t would appear that the future OF our
| manufacturing industry is assured.
| But when we add to this the enormous
latent supplies of power in our great water
| falls and water courses, and which we are
| now beginning to turn into account by
| creating with it a Observation-Disclosures
| may be transmitted a wire to any given
point where it is required for manufacture
| ing, transporting, lighting and even heat
| ing, the future which opens before our
manufacturing possibilities and probabili-
| ties Is immeaSurable.
| When we consider further that we shall
| in a few years be producing within the
| United States many of the articles for
| which we are now sending millions and
| even hundreds of millions Of dollars abroad
sugar to supply our entire population,
| and perhaps that of other countries; silk
| and tea, if we but choose to utilize the eli
| mate and soil and conditions which nature
| has given us. and which we have not here
tofore utilized merely because other coun-
| tries produced those articles more Cheaply
than well-paid labor afford to pro-
duce them-we may assume that as the
| years pass We shall be not only more self
| sustaining and sef-reliant, but that our
power of supplying other parts of the world
| with natural and manufactured products
| will increase enormously. and that we may
| thus safely assume that commercial
4 supremacy and growth will be maintained.