Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-05-12
JAPAN AWAKENING
Is a Good Time for United States.
ans to Look a Little
Out.
MACHINERY WILL BE IN DEMAND
For the Jap Sees That it Beats Cheap
Labor Wherein Lies Our
Chance.

Washington. May 12-An interest
ing resume of the trade of the United
States with Japan last year is af-
fOrded by an extract from CONNER
cial Relations of 19O1,' just made pub
lie. The inability of cheap labor to
compete with machinery, it is stated,
is shown in the fact that the greater
part of Japan'S exports hitherto has
consisted of raw materials, while the
largest item of manufactured goods
has been cotton yarn, which is shipped
almost exclusively to China, Il country
noted, as Well as Japan, for its cheap
labor. One OF the most hopeful fea-
lures of the situation in Japan is the
recognition of this fact by the edu-
Gated classes. Prominent lawyers
statesmen and business men are be
ginning to agitate questions of policy
with regard to labor, machinery and
foreign capital, and the agitation may
be expected to bring about beneficial
changes in the near future.
We Should BE on the Alert.
Japan win thus offer asgrowing mar
ket for machinery. The United States
already leads in the exports of electric
light apparatus, mining machinery,
paper making machinery, watch move
mentS, watch cases, and bicycles, to
Japan; in weaving machinery. spin
ming machinery. fire engines and
pumps, tools and implements of farm
ers and mechanics, sewing machines,
and Photographic apparatus. we hold
second place; but our proportion of
these exports is advancing steadily. As
the people OF Japan come to accept
and act on the doctrine-nOw being
taught by her most thoughtful citi-
ZenS-that her future prosperity de-
pendS largely on the substitution of
machinery for cheap labor. she will
need TO purchase these lines of goods
in greatly increased quantities, and
the United States should be alert to
gain her share of the trade
Our Commerce With Japan.
Already our commerce with Japan,
including imports and exports, is
greater than that of any other nation
The revival of business in Japan con-
sequent upon the resumption of traffic
with China viii result in an enlarged
demand for raw cotton and cotton
warn, and the satisfactory adjustment
of the finances is expected to give
impetus to railway construction. ship
building and the manufacture of iron
and steel. and Incidentally to increase
the Importance of many articles.
JAPAN LIKES OUR LOCOMOTIVES
viii Sell Her Two-Thirds of Her Pur-
chases of Rails.
Inquiry made in Japan as TO the rel
ative merits of British and United
States locomotives proves that, general
conditions being equal, the United
States locomotive is preferred. Japan
ese railway officials express a prefer
ence for Ii, if for no other reason than
that orders are more quickly filed and
more readily conformed to in details of
manufacture. Other points of advan-
tage also are recognized. The Unit
ed States sends about two-thirds of the
iron rails imported to Japan, and the
same proportion of the nails, having
won this last trade from Germany,
which five years ago controlled the
market. We also sent the largest val
uation of iron pipes and tubes to ia
pan last year; until then this import
always had been greatest from Great
Britain.
Imports of typewriters from our
country represent over so per cent. of
the total. Efforts are making to per-
feet machine in the Japanese Ian
guage, as there would be quite a de-
mand for Japanese typewriterS. Our
trade in Formosa is growing. a lead
ing merchant is laying in a large stock
of United States bycicleS, the only
stock of wheels in the island, and with
the gradual Improvement in roads,
there is reason to expect a consider
able demand. The government post
and telegraph office has supplied its
at the capital with United
States wheels. The sugar mill, which
the consulate was instrumental in in
from the United States, has
proven its superiority to the crude ma
tive apparatus and large orders are
coming here.
In spite of the higher price of our
flour the Australian product cannot
with it, and this demand in
Japan is expected to Increase enor-
nous. as the use of this cereal is
spreading among the people. The need
of foreign capital is the important
economic question in Japan, for al
though the revenue is in excess of the |
the government has un-
dertaken the prosecution of many en-
terprises which are usually carried on
by private capital. One of the prin-
cipaI demands of foreign capital would
be met by the passage of a law TO per- |
init alien owneship of land and the
adoption of such measure is urged. |
With this change accomplished Japan
will offer an excellent field for for
eign capital in the hands of a judicious
manager.
BaiIey's View of the Matter.
Washington. May 12.-The resolu- |