East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-09-29

That is the arithmetical measure
Of the commerce of the orient, says a
special dispatch from Washington.
Thus it is summed up by the official
statistician Of the governments de-
partment of statistics.
And that commerce is said to be
| yet small" as compared with the
worlds commerce.
The population of Asia and Ocean
lea is 100000. while that of all
other parts of the world combined is
only about 750,000.00O. It's land area
is 100000 square miles, while that
of other parts of the world $4,000, 900;
yet the commerce of the orient is but
paltry $4,000, 100000, while that of
other parts of the world is $4,000
| 100000.
So 1t is ceen that the average per
capital commerce in the orient is SO
a year. while the average per capita
for the rest Of the world Is $27 q year.
The trouble has been lack of rail-
roads. This lack is soon to be supplied
is being supplied.
The orient has less than one-tenth
of the worlds railways, though it has
more than one-half the worlds popu-
lation and third of its area.
| 1t is interesting to note that the two
countries in this orient which have
most railways-Japan and India
have the largest increase of trade. In
dia has about $4,000 miles OF railway
Japan has about 4500 miles of rail-
way.
The foreign commerce of China,
/ with AOn AnO tn
(but no rallways). has grown but
SlG0.000,000 since 1870: that of India
with S00,000.O00 people. and a system
of railways. has grown $25S, OOO. 900;
and that of Japan. with only $1,000
600 and a system of railways, has
grown S215.000.O00.
And how does the United States
stand to share in this commercial
prize of the orient?
All the countries and Islands of Asia
and Oceanica now import-buy from
the rest of the world-about as much
as the United States exports annually.
Our share in that market at present is
about per cent.
But the United States is better stu
ated than any occidental country to
share in, and increase that trade.
At present the United States sells 20
the Orient about S100.000.000 worth
| of goods year. while Europe sails
100000, 900. But the records of the
past 10 years show that we are gain
ing much more rapidly in this trade
than any other nation.
The imports from China, Japan and
Australia from all European coun-
i trfa, hinaH GhnuaH a n n
1908 of but 45,OOO,OOO as compared
with 1900. while the increase in i'm
portatlons by those countries from the
United States alone in the same period
was $49, 900. 900 thus showing that
our gain in their import trade was ac-
tually greater than the gain of all
Europe combined.
Our purchases. too. from the orient
have grown since 1870 from less than
$32,O00,0O0 to $190.000,000 in 1904.
We take from them large quantities
of raw silk. tea. hemp. jute. tin. goat
skins, etc. and we send them raw AMI
manufactured iron and steel. flour.
meats and rice.
No country has the natural advan-
tages which are possessed by the Unit
ed States for securing this oriental
trade, in the command which Ameri-
can merchants have of the Pacific
ocean. Our national frontage on the
Pacific is 1880 nautical miles, while
that of the United Kingdom is 10000,
of Russia 5000. Japan 5000 and China
about 5000.
| In addition to this we are about be-
ginning the construction of the 18TH
mian canal. which. when completed,
will furnish direct water communica-
ton between the orient and our pro-
ducing manufacturing sections in the
east and south. Cotton. iron and
breadstuffs will go by this route to
the orient. touching at the ports of
Seattle. San Francisco and Tacoma.
By this means alone the United
States would increase her oriental ex-
ports from 500. 100000 to $500, O,000,-
| 900 per annum.