The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-05-24
awakening Of The
Celestial Empire
Special Correspondence of The Tribune.

6peclaI Correspondence or The tribune.
Washington, May %.
u US1NEsS has been resumed in
n China apparently with increased
IL activity. The official publication
of the Chinese government, RE
turns of Trade and Trade Reports for
the Year 1901" which has just reached
the treasury bureau of statistics, shows
that railroad construction has been act
lively resumed in several of the provinces.
that practically 900 miles Of railway are
now in operation and that several hum
dred miles will be added during the pres
ent year; while the record of the for
eign commerce presented by the report
shows that the imports into China in
the year 1901 were larger than those of
any preceding year. The total value Of
the imports Is given as 26S, ,91S haikwan
taels, or s192,97S.160 against 264 0O
taels in 1899. 2O2,0OO.On0 in 1897. 17lO00.00)
In 1895, and 1862 900 in 1894 The exports
are valued at 169,65G735 haikwan taels
(s122, ,153O0W, and exceed those OF any
prior year except 1899.
From the United States the imports in
1901 were valued at 23.529,6O6 haikwan
taels (Sl6,S41 ,G0), against 16.724,493 haik-
wan taels in 1900. 22,2SS, 745 in 1899, II, 163,-
213 in 1898. and 9,263,0S2 in 1894 Thus the
imports from the United States have in
creased about $50 per cent. since 1894,
in 1901 were practically the same as
those of 1894, the figures Of 1901 being 16.
572,9SS haikwan taels, and those of 1894
16442,7SS Comparing the progress of the
United States with that Of other coun-
tries, it may be said that the imports
into China from Great Britain increased
from thirty million haikwan .taels in 1894
to forty-one millions in 1901; those from
Hong Kong increased from eighty-two
millions to one hundred and twenty mil
lions; those from continental Europe, ex-
cept Russia, from six millions to seven
teen millions, and those from Russia
increased from less than one million to
three million haikwan taels. The
growth In imports from the United
States Is larger than that in imports
from any other country, though Hong
Kong, Great Britain, Japan and India
rank higher than the United States in
the import statement of 1901.
American merchandise continues to
find favor in China, according to a state
ment of the statistical secretary, Il. Z.
Taylor, which accompanies the report.
american heavy goods.' he says, ICON
tnue to find favor drills from that
country having now reached 1,649626
pieces, or more than double the impOrta-
tions of 1900; while sheetings rose to g.
S4o.5lS pieces. Japanese goods also show
progress, Japanese shirtings having
risen from 1856 to 14.029 pieces. Grey and
white shirtings were about the same.
amongst them being included a growing
importation of American goods. Owing
to the fall in exchange and the dearness
OF cotton in America and Europe, there
was marked demand during the year
for cheaper qualities of cotton goods,
which was rather reversal Of the ten
dency of late years.
american kerosene oil was six millions
of gallons in excess of the largest pre-
vious importation. in 1894: Russian kept
Ats place, while Sumatran is rapidly
gaining, and has reached 4O.640.049 gal
Ions"
An interesting feature Of the report is
that relating to the resumption of rail-
way construction, as follows: "The
Shantung railway had 160 kilometres
completed at the end of the year, and
trains were running between Tsing-tao
and Tso-shan. This next spring 1t is ex-
pected to reach the Massu coal mines,
and should be completed as far as Chi
nan-fu, the capital of the province, in
three years. The Imperial railways Of
North China, between Peking and Tien-
tsin and Newchwang, with extensions
TO Chin-wang-tao and from Feng-tai to
the Lu-Hen railway, and extensions to
Tung-chou and Usin-min-tun, have 9O1
kilometres completed. The short line be-
tween Shanghai and Woosung, 1s kilo-
metres, is said to be paying its way now,
but nothing has been done by way of
commencing the projected railway from
Shanghai to Soo-chow, Ningpo, etc., and
1t is understood that there is some diff
Guilty In raising the necessary capital,
owing to the terms of the concession