The Paducah weekly sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1902-19??, 1906-12-26
EXPANSION OF COMMERCE.

EXPANSION OF COMMERCE.
"A study OF the foreign trade of the
various nations shows an expansion
which gives sonic indication of the
vast development in commerce and
industry throughout all the civilized
world. Familiar as we are in this
country with the great Increase in
the foreign trade of the United States
our imports and exports now aggre-
eating over $4,000 900 600, we are
not quite so familiar as we should
be with the fact that a similar ex-
pansion is going on elsewhere. The
Iron and Coal Trades Review of Lon
don. In discussing this situation,
says:
One OF the wonders OF the modern
world-a wonder much greater in its
origin, its Development and its act.
ual magnitude than any one of the
seven wonders of the Old Worlds
the extraordinary large International
trade of the United Kingdom, both
absolutely and relatively to that Of
other countries. This phenomenon
has probably been as marked in 1906
as In any previous year, II, indeed
IL is not more so.
Then pointing out that the United
Kingdom has less than one-half as
great population as the United
States, and that its resources are less
than ours. the Review shows that for
the first eight months of the presen.
calendar year the United Kingdom
has beaten the United States alike in
import and export trade. and that
the total volume of the tSo has ex-
ceeded by over 5000 .00VO00 the
value of the corresponding trade of
the United States. Commenting on
this the Review. says:
The principal elements in the huge
volume of differences represented in
these figures consist in our exports OF
coal and iron and our imports of iron
ore and iron products. In these we
are ahead of al other nations. The
United Kingdom excels in two other
directions. We consume a much
larger volume OF acknowledgements
food than the United States, and we
are also greater per capita. buyers of
articles de luxe, among which wines
and tobacco In its various. forms oc-
cupy a prominent position.
The condition which, y evails in
Great Britain as to foreis trade are
likewise seen In Germanyswhose for
eign commerce for 1906 Is exceeding
anything in the previous history of
that country The increase in the
imports and exports of Germany dur
ing the first six months OF this year
has been 100000 900 over the corr
responding time of last year. Francs
has likewise increased, and in the
first eight months of the year the
gain was $500. 600 ZOO, while Bel
GUM shows gain of SIS 900 900.
Other countries are also showing a
material increase. Egypt Japan.
British India and Canada all being in
the list OF cou tries whose foreign
trade is expanding, japan alone of
all the leading countries being the
only one that has materially reduced
her imports. Commenting on the
gain In GERMANY and France the Re-
view says:
This is a stupendous stride when
one recollects what relatively small
thing the foreign commerce of Ger
many was only few years ago. The
iron and steel exports and both the
imports and exports of coal have
played a prominent part in the Ger
man expansion Of the present year.
Alike in the i'm orts. and in the ex-
ports of coal. the development in
1906 has exceeded that OF any prev
ious year This has also been the
case with the imports OF iron ore and
the exports of ron and steel One
of the explanations Of the large in
crease in German imports has been
the greater volume of iron ore.
which Germany increasingly calls for
and has Increasing difficulty in pro-
curing. The PROSPECTS, of the future
in this respect are not satisfactory to
German ironmasters, seeing that Swe-
den and Spain are alike looking for
ward to Limitation OF ore exports by
taxation or otherwise. France is in