Arizona republican., 1905-06-05
JAPANESE TRAFFIC
Its Steady Growth. Year
 by Year
The Share of the United States in It Increasing Faster Than That of Any Other Nation.

Washington, June 1.-The annual re- turn of the foreign trade of the em- pire of Japan in the year 1904, issued government and labor mfwypetaoinw by the department of finance of that government and just received by the department of commerce and labor through it's bureau of statistics, pre- sents the statistics of commerce of Japan during the past year, as well as data showing the proportion of its trade with each of the principal coun- tries. Japan has made rapid progress in her foreign commerce during the past decade, and her trade with the United States shows an especially rap i'd growth.
 The imports into Japan in 1904 were the largest on record, being $1S4,93S,- 900 in value. as against $157,933,OOO in 1903. S143.O56 900 in 1900, and $66.- S11 .0OO in 1895. Exports from Japan in 1904 also established a new high rec ord, being S15S 900 in value, as against s144,172, 900 last year, S1O1,SO6,- 900 in 1900, and $6S,S25,OO0 in 1895. Thus the imports into Japan have fn- creased by s11S.627,0OO and the ex- ports from Japan by SS9,167,000 since 1895.
 During the past ten years Japan has imported about $2OO, O,OOO,O00 more than she has exported, the excess of the imports over the exports averaging about O.OOO. 900 annually during that period.
 An examination of the statistics of commerce with the principal countries shows that Japan imports most largely from Great Britain. British India, the United States. China and Germany, these five countries supplying about 77 Der cent of her total imports OL the total imports into Japan in l9o4' amounting to $S4,93S,00O, the United Kingdom supplied $37,346,OOO, or 2o'z per cent: British India dnciudlng 1 Straits Settlements), S35,22S,OOO, or I9 Der cent; the United States, SZo'S4z'- | GOO or 15.7 per cent; China, $27,295'- ! 900, or 14.S per cent, and GernlaIy' | s1f,291. 900, or 7.7 per cent.
 | or the exports from Japan, amount inp +o s15S. .992. 900 in 1904. the princi- | nal countries of destination are the Irnited States. s5O423,OOO; China, $3S'- ! S57 O00; France S1S,OS7,000 Hongkong' l st4 Oc4O0O: Korea, $1O,154,0OO; Great
 Eritain sS.7S7 900. and Italy, $6,O11,OOo' i these seven countries taking about nine-tenths of the exports from Japan. IT wiu he observed that the United States is by far Japan's best custom = er exports from Japan to the OhIteu States representing about one-thlrd ol her total sales to foreign countries | Among the nations exporting goods to
 Japan. however, the United States oc- c,1piss a low rank. being exceeded m
 that respect by both Great Britain and British India.
 In 1884 the United States suppheu lS.4 per cent of Japan's imports, while the United Kingdom supplied 45 pel cent; in 1889 the United States sup piled 9.3 per cent, the United Kingdom 39 4 per cent; in 1894 the United States supplied 93 per cent, the United King dom 35.9 per cent; in 1899 the United States supplied 17.3 per cent, the Unit cd Kingdom 20.3- per cent, and in l9VA the United States supplied 15.1 pei
 cent. and the United Kingdom 2O.2 pel cent. The United States has therefore Increased its proportion from s per cen, of Japan's total imports in 1884 to II
 per cent in 1904 while the United King dom. meantime, has lost ground rela' lively. having supplied 4S per cent O. lJapan's total imports in the former
 and but 20 per cent of her total m
 ports in the latter year.
 The exports of Japan to the Ohlte'
 States during the period in question