The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-27
An Opportunity That l. Greatly Neg
Iected Through singular Lack
of Knowledge.
BRITISH HAVE A MONOPOLY
AsIATICs ARE THE BUYERS AND
WOULD WELCOME Our GOODS.
Practical Information a. TO Condi-
tions That should BE of Much
BENEFIT TO Americans.

Correspondence OF the Indianspoli Journal
! SINGAPORE, March Sir Frank Swee-
tenham, Governor OF the Straits Settle
ments. in one OF his stories on Malay lie.
| tells of a visit to England some years ago
in which, in a ride 10 a meet OF hounds, no
| was joined on the road by a substantial fell
| low-countryman, who began 10 quiz him in
regard to this colony. The inquirer was
surprised to learn that il was not a part
! of Canada, having supposed II 10 be an
other name for the English possession
| across the Atlantic. When the talk turned
on silos. which the elderly man said ne was
| introducing in his trade, and the younger
expressed fear that nothing could be done
! i'm that line in the Straits the other said:
'Ah, then 1 am not interested M the place,
and quickening his pace, rode on. This
! little incident" comments the Governor is
| typical: but it is British not TO know. and
also British not to wish to know. Perhaps
| it is as well; too many questions are often
trying
There may yet be many substantial people
| in England as i'll informed as the Cover
nors friend OF other years, although coli
ony whose trade returns approach e6o,ooo.-
| OOO annually, having become the clearing
house for Asia is not so likely now as then
| to be known there only by name The Incl
| dent would seem to typify present Amer
| lean information, however, in regard TO tins
| colony Possibly Americans should not be
| expected TO know much OF a region 10
| which trade interests do not attract them.
| When a letter this week from d prominent
| New York house suggested that this place
might be station for recruiting trade from
| China and Mozambique, the recipient
| scarcely smiled. American letters geo.
graphically as deficient Nave drifted in
| with the mails for years. Ii may not be
| beyond bounds To say that the number OK
| letters that reach here from the United
| States correctly addressed is smaller than
| II was fifty years ago. when the Straits
! Settlements Colony was in its commercial
| infancy; for early accounts of trade de-
! Velopment rank American with British
shipping. Decay of The merchant marine
resulted nowhere in more serious loss 10
American shipping than in these waters
for i'm natural course it would have in
creased hundred-fold, as did the shipping
| oil Great Britain, instead Of dwindling TO a
level with that of countries commercially
hfth-rate Without entering into geograph-
| ical detail, il may be said that the nearest
| point at which China trade may be touched
|
Manila is I,40O miles northeasterly; that
the nearest port in India is yet further
westward, and that If this radius were
swept around it would include within it
territory tributary to Singapore trade. cons
prising sumatra. the Malay peninsula.
Siam, Borneo, Java, Celebea and thu
smaller islands OF the Dutch Indies. There
has been civilization Of Indian origin be-
tween this LATITUDE and that OF South
China from a remote period. occupying tho
belt now covered by the French possessions
| and Siam, and Maays have lived I'm the
| peninsula that carries their name for eight
| or nine centuries; that letter ad-
| dressed to Panama, New York, would not
be worse directed than those that come To
Singapore, China. The term Straits Settles
ments is much a postal entity as China,
and the chief towns in the Settlements ara
Singapore. Penang. Malacca, picketing the
Strait OF MALAGA and dominating 40 miles
CT the Malay peninsula, which. although
under British advice and influence, main<
tains sovereignties nominally native. Ma
lacca survives as d relic of political folly
Singapore and Penang. both OF them
islands, stationed like sentinels at the iva
ends of the strait, 400 miles apart. catch the
business. There is little of it. coming OF gO-
ing, from which one or the other OF them
does not derive some benefit. 1t all goes
irto the returns for the colony.
TRADE IN BIG FIGURES.
The figures herewith given are Ia silver
money. worth bullion. Imports last year.
exclusive of treasure, reached in dollars
290, 1874, 652, an increase Of 50. 104922 over i'm
ports of the preceding year. Exports
amounted. exclusive Of treasure, 10 49,
$1,000 silver dollars. an increase over ex-
ports of the preceding year OF silver doI-
lars 25,061, 795. In that year the harbor re-
turns at San Francisco showed s52 ships
in and ga out, with tonnage respectively OF
LAST, $40 and LAOS. 452. The port of Singapore
had in the year four times the tonnage OF
San Francisco and fifteen times the NUM-
Der OF vessels. To this considerable CO.
lonial trade the United States is credited
with sales from Atlantic ports OF merchants
disc OF a silver dollar value OF 1.s9S. $50. aud
from Pacific ports Of 1874 Exports to tbs
United States reached a silver dollar value
of %, $50, 5l5 TO Atlantic ports. and OF I.0iO.-
461 TO Pacific ports.
Probably these figures understate the vol-
ume Of American trade in these ports; but
transhipments at Hong-Kong which credit
TO other fags deliveries here from the Pa
cihc coast are doubtless more than BALI
anced by the New York purchases of
Straits tin through London. Thus while the
American trade doubtless exceeds 10000
silver dollars. the proportion OF imports and
exports, IL scrutinized 10 the last degrees.
would continue 10 show that Americans
buy fifteen times more goods here than they
sell; and that naturally and inevitably the
bulk Of the business with this commercial
area must be done through Atlantic po-ts.
/ High expectations may be justified con-
corning Pacific coast relations with China,
| Japan and Australia. Products OF that
coast. such as -four. canned salmon fruits
| and possibly meats. can find in most Of
those markets, and here also. ever in
creasing demand. But manufactur> rs east
OF the Rocky Mountains can reach the At
/ lantic cheaper than they can tno Pacific,
| and steamer freghts from Paeinc points
TO destinations beyond Hong koIg have not
yet been able 70 compete with freights
from Atlantic ports 10 the same points.
There has been abundant room 30 Tar Tor