The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-29
HE DIAMOND TRADE
FIGURES OF DEPARTMENT OF COM- MERGE AND LABOR.
The Precious Gems, Enormous in Their Aggregate Value, Come from south Africa, Australia, In-
 dia and Africa.

Washington. Nov. 2S.-(Special )- The Department of Commerce and La bor has been Investigating through the Department of State the precious stones industry of the world and the share of the United States therein. consular off, ficers in Souh America. Australia, In- dia and Africa reporting the results of their inquiries.
 In the last twenty years the exports annually of diamonds from all coun- tries into the United States have in- creased from $8,S54,925 to $26.507,7S6.
 The Department Bulletin says further on the subject:
 The value of the diamonds exported to the United States in 1903 is thus seen to have been reported as $3.322,- S66. and that of other precious stones as $2,222,60S, making a total of $5,565,- 474, which would leave the exports of precious stones to all other countries $69,3S According to our own official publications, our imports of precious stones from the United Kingdom dur ing the year ended June 30. 1903. were as follows: Diamonds, $10,604,992 other than diamonds. $1,296,305; total $11. .901.297. It Is difficult to explain these discrepancies, which are a strik- ing illustration of the inconsistency af trade statistics,
 British statistics make no mention of diamond exports to the Netherlands, Bel gum and France. nor do the official publications of those countries note the imports of diamonds from the United Kingdom, although practically all the diamonds imported into these countries are South African diamonds, shipped through London.
 As the majority of all South African monde Daqsipo thrarrb tho hands of European traders and lapida- ries, find a market in the United States, 1t follows that American dealers and purchasers have as much interest in the trade in them as even the London, Amsterdam, Antwerp and Parisian dealers and manipulators who buy and work them over and then sell to Amer ican dealers. Evidently this whole di- amond business is the closet and most powerful of trusts. for not only is the trade conducted in an "underground"' way, concealed from all public scru- tiny, but 1t seems to be managed in- dependently of all custom-houses in- tervening between Cape Colony and the United States.
 The diamond exports from the Cape of Good Hope to London in 1902 were valued at the Cape at $26 412,247. Dur ing the year ended June 30. 1903, the imports of diamonds into the United States were valued at $26,5O7,7S6, or $95.539 more than the total exports from the Cape of Good Hope to Lon don. We must bear in mind, however, that of the imports into the United States $15,574,59S worth were cut dia- monds. the balance. $10.933,1SS. being diamonds in the rough. In order to ar rive at a fair estimate of the percent age of the worlds product of diamonds which find its way to the United States 1t would be necessary to gain an idea of the increase in the value of the gems from the time they leave the Cape of Good Hope, In the rough, until their final sale to American dealers.''
 Then follows statements showing the annual exports from South Africa to London, as declared by the Cape of Good Hope customs, from the single diamond, valued at $73O, in 1868, to the 2.656.5S7 carats, valued at $26.194,019, in 1903. together with the imports into the United States in the same period.
 Touching the statistics of exports of diamonds from South Africa into the United States, the bulletin says:
 If this diamond trade, from the time the gems leave Africa until they pass