The Wichita daily eagle., 1904-03-11
COMMERCIAL ORIENT
Trade Statistics in the Region
Where War Is.
WORK WILL BE OF INTEREST
Tells All About Past Conditions
and Present.

Washington, March Commercial
Japan in 1904" Commercial Russia in
/ 1904" Commercial Korea in 1884," and
/ Commercial China in 1904" are, the titles
/ of monographs just prepared by the de-
partment of commerce and labor through
its bureau of statistics. These mono
graphs which discuss commercial and
other conditions in the countries in ques
ton, are now in the hands OF the print
ers and will be published as a part of
the monthly summary of commerce and
finance, a portion i'm the issue to be made
within a few days. and the remainder in
the issue at the close of the present
month. They discuss commerce and com
mercial- conditions III each Of the coun-
tries in question not only at the present
time, but the history of their commerce.
their trade relations with the various
parts of the world and with each other
the total value of their present com
merce compared with that of earlier
years. their trade with the United States.
with other leading countries of the world.
and with each other Many other i'm
portant facts regarding conditions in
those countries are also discussed. such
as railways. telegraphs. routes ~ com
munication, manufacturing industries. the
class of merchandise imported. and the
class OF merchandise exported.
The total commerce Of the territory
fronting upon and Immediately adjacent
to the scene Of present hostilities ag-
gregates. in round terms about $eco 1900.
Of which considerably more than one
half is imports. Japans commerce is
about equally divided between imports
and exports, but in the case Of China and
Asiatic Russia imports greatly exceed ex-
ports. and that is also true Of Hongkong
which passes most of its imports on into
China and draws from China most Of the
articles which become its exports Prob
ably three-hfths Of the total commerce
of the countries in question. taken as a
whole, is in the form OF imports. and
the United States is year by year supply
ing a larger share Of those imports OF
the countries in question and gaining up
on other countries in the relative share
which it supplies thereof OF the ex-
ports from the countries named the
United States is the largest single puT-
chaser. The tea. the raw silk. the manu-
featured silk. the rice. the uattings and
other products Of this character which
form the bulk Of the exports OF China
and Japan go more largely TO the United
States than 10 any other single country
Of the world. while as 20 Asiatic Russia
and Korea their exports are at present
so small as 10 lac Of little importance in
a discussion of the commerce Of the
countries in question.
The more important Of the exports Of /
the United States 10 the section in qiIes-
tion are cotton and cotton goods kero-
seae. -four. lumber. manufactures q iron /
and steei. manufactures q leather. and /
tobacco. Raw cotton exported 70 this I
particular section q the world goes /
chiefly 70 Japan. and the market II japan Z
for American cotton Is Influenced largely .
BY the SurTlls q cottoa iu India which 4
is q shorter staple and therefore q .
lower price. IN years of short sgpply II {
India Japan turns 70 The Cai;ed States (
for its raw cotton. but in years of nie1ti- 4
n, supply i1 India q large propoTtic1 ~ !
the rsw-cotton purchases of Japan arc I
;he product x India Il cotton manu- /
features Ch!ns 5 the most important Gus +
toner The exports of cotton nsaaufac- +
tu-es 20 China 81 the past year have
materially fallen - though the redEc-
tion II imports q American c9ttons l1t8 4
China Is ~ greater proporflo1ateIy tran 4
the reduction n such imports from other .
Tais reduction y tr1portst5o1s I
of cotton goods iato China IS due 81 na-s
n H. .7rserrfz-f ---sFs-f--. .-sF-r r.eo
prevailed during the year. and - par
to th4 Increased ir.po-tztio1x q c5Itoz
warn and increased domestic grodsct!5z 4
e cotton gods
kerosene IS n even mere important Z
fem II 0u- exports 70 the orient ard 4
II this article tnc trade = barely ho5z-
ing is ovn, keFQssns from RusssA and