Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-02-06
OUR FOREIGN TRADE.
Report of Secretary Hay ON the Com
mercial Relations Of United States
with Other Countries

Washington, Jan. 3O.-A most i'm
portant and interesting summary of
what has been achieved by the Unit
ed States in the direction Of opening
up and extending our markets abroad
is presented in the following letter
from Secretary Hay. which was laid
before congress Tuesday, accompany
ing the annual publication known as
commercial Relations of the United
States with Foreign Countries
Department Of State, Washinhton. Jan
Is, 1s01.-The President: In accordance
with section POS of the Revised Statutes,
l nave the honor to transmit the CONNER
clal relations of the United States with
foreign countries during the year 1900. be-
ing the annual and other reports of a
comprehensive character from the con-,
sular ohcerS, together with similar re-
ports from some of the diplomatic officers,
upon the industries and commerce Of for
e1sn countries. These reports were pre-
pared under special instructions from this
department, with the object of laying be-
tore congress- with the least delay, prac-
tlcallv contemporaneous statement of the
trade, not only of the United States with
the rest of the world. but of the various
countries with each other This object, l
am happy to be able to say, has been ac-
compllshed. the date of transmission to
congress this year having been advanced
over the usual time by month. and real
lzlng the utmost conditions of promptitude
compatible with a proper analysis of the
latest returns for the year 1900. So graft
lying result indicates continued improve
ment In the activity and zeal of our con-
sular officers as we'll as in the system of
publishing and distributing their reports.
1T may be said, indeed, that while a
n o~St
der discussion for the improvement Of
the consular service. the service has to
very considerable extent improved itself
and is winning frequent expressions OF
communication from business interests
which have received substantial aid, not
only from the published reports, but also
from the individual efforts of consular Of
hcers to meet the growing requirements of
American industry and enterprise. The
practical character of the commercial in
formation obtained by our consuls and the
CELEBRITY with which it is given to the
pubic continue to excite the emulation
or foreign governments, and during the
past year steps have been taken by both
Great Britain and Germany to engraft
these features of our consular work upon
their consular systems.
THE general conclusion to be drawn
from a survey of the conditions in foreign
countries, as described in the reports here
is approaching, even more swiftly than
was expected, a position of eninence in the
WORLDS markets, due to superior quality
and greater Cheapness of many lines OF its
manufactures, which must work great
economic changes and may result in shift
ing the center not, only of Industrial but
OF commercial activity ard the money
power OF the world to our marts The
trade indications of American supremacy
curing the past year have been so marke!
that many foreign industries, according to
the reports of our consuls in Europe, are
introducing American machinery and la
bor-saving appliances and remodeling their
factory methods, and we may expect, in
the near future, more strenuous compe-
tltion for which it is important we should
prepare ourselves. AS an aid to such
equlpmen t the study of the great mass OF
information as to foreign industries and
trade conditions, which is to be found in tho
two volumes of Commercial Relations,
will obviously prove most useful to GU,
manufacturers and exporters, and l there.
| tore recommend that congress be request
| ed to authorize, as was done last year, the
printing of special edition of 10000 COP.
| les OF the Review Of the Worlds Com
merce' and 5000 copies of Commercial Re
| lations'
(signed) JOHN HAY"