Omaha daily bee., 1906-09-17
TRADE OPENINGS IN EGYPT
United States Ba1 Only insignificant
Share at Present
GREAT BRITAIN LEADS IN IMPORTS
Turkey and France Also Contribute
Largely 10 wants of the Ancient
Country-some Prejudice
Against America.
frrom q star corrcsponden,O

for increased trade with that country,
has made an interesting report to the
Bureau of Manufactures. The remarkable
development which Egypt has undergone
in recent years Is well known, and the
opinion. is generally expressed that II Will
be many years before this development
IL I'm any way arrested, and in the mean
time the buying power of the inhabitants
is constantly increasing. The United States
does not have fair share of the trade
with Egypt The imports from Egypt have
reached nearly s1O.O00.OOo. and the average
for seven years was s775s.6SI. In return
direct shipments OF goods from the United
States rarely exceed $l.0oo,0o0, and in some
years have fallen below s5oOooo. 1t is clear
that the United States should furnish
larger share Of the Egyptian imports. That
can he done. Special Agent Pepper reports
II proper efforts are made to sell goods in
Egypt.
The total foreign commerce of Egypt in
1895 was a little more than s1oo0oo,ooo. Mr..
Pepper says 1t will in less than five years
amount to s250.0Oo00o. one-hah of which
will be imported goods. The imports into
Egypt for 1905 amounted in value TO S1O7.-
Sco.SSo of which the United States supplied
only few hundred thousand dollars worth.
For the fiscal year 1906 this country has
taken from Egypt 1881, ,e21 worth of goods,
principally Egyptian cotton. and has sold
to that country S1,1es.l2s worth.
Great britain Leads.
Great Britain leads in supplying Egyptian
wants, but Turkey supplies Sl5, 100000 In int
ports and France s12.Ooo.oOo The imports
from the United States are not Of sufficient
Importance to be ranked alone in the
Egyptian returns, and they are classed
under the head of America. AS Egypt
imports from America nearly $,0O00oo
worth of coffee. none of which comes from
the United States 1t can be seen how un-
important is our share of Egyptian imports.
France supplies iron and steel manu-
features and foodstufrs to the extent of
s3,50oOoo and Germany also figures consld-
erably in that trade. with adequate steam
ship connections the United States should
do as well almost as any European country
in supplying those lines. Egypt exported
last year s7s,O00.OO0 worth OF cotton. as
compared with sSS.0oo.0oo in the previous
year. Including cotton seed and cotton
cake. the total cotton yield for export in
1905 was sss,67e075. The Imports and ex-
ports for the current year exceed those
OF last year. With a rapidly growing
commerce the United States certainly
| should take means to secure a larger share
OF II.
IrriRation Makes Crops Sure.
The economic situation of Egypt is, that
OF great stretch OF rich AGRICULTURAL ter
ritory less subject to the uncertainties Of
crops than most agricultural regions, be-
cause the irrigation from the waters of the
Nile, which for ages have rendered the
lands fertile, frees them from the dangers
of drouth and now. because Of the compar
atively recent improvements. also from
| floods. The basic wealth of the soil Is
constantly increasing through the more
/ thorough and equitable distribution of the
waters of the great river by dams, canals
and storage reservoirs. constructed on the
most modern scientific principles.
The exports Of raw cotton, which in the
FIVE years ending with 1894, averaged SA,
10000 worth a year. had increased in the
nve years ending with 1904 to an average
of S70,OO0OOo a year. Sir William W1lcoolxs.
former director general of the reservoir
/ service, and an eminent authority on irri-
cation, estimates that the cotton crop OF
! Egypt can be increased considerably over
one-third.
The policy of the government IL paternal.
| The railways are owned and operated by
the government, which undertakes the con-
struction of new lines somewhat in advance
| Of the traf1c in sight The waters of the
Nile and it's tributaries are controlled by
! the state, which not only constructs the
dam and the irrigation works. but regulates
the use of the waters In the most minute
particulars. The policy OF the states
lated TO railways, irrigation and other pub
lie works is somewhat similar to that of
the United States In reference TO river
and harbor improvements. except that there
is no Egyptian congress to fix the amount
of the appropriation. AS a result OF trans
portation improvements It is estimated that
steel girders which now cost $50 at Khar-
toum can be laid down there at $s5 ton.
Americans Abandon Field.
American locomotives at one time had
foothold in Egypt, and American bridge
builders were in high favor. but resentment
shown by English firms has led the gov
ernment to purchase it's supplies largely
from Great Britain and Belgium. Germany
is now supplying a good many locomotives,
/ and this makes II hard to understand why
| American manufacturers seem 10 have
abandoned the attempt TO supply the Egyp-
| tian demand, though 1t is unquestionabIe
| that prejudice is shown In Egypt on the
part OF the British authorities. II is pro
posed to raise the Assouan dam twenty
| feet in height at an estimated cost of
So 10000, with the expectation that this
improvement will sufics for the perennial
| irrigation Of $4,000 acres and add SIS, 900 900
TO the national wealth. This improvement
Is said to have been determined upon by
the government. In addition there are COM
prehensive plans for the storage and dis
tribution of the waters in middle and upper
Egypt for drainage in the delta The
government reaps a substantial beneht
from bringing uncultivated lands into use
because the tax from this source amounts
to s. an acre. while in the case of land
already producing the revenue is Increased
proportionately to the added value
Machinery In Demand.
There is a wide demand, Mr.. Pepper saws
I'm that country for machinery. Dealers
in Alexandra and Cairo assert that manu-
facturers In the United States ofrer no
I encouragement for the Introduction and
sale OF their goods But there is no COM
plant that American machinery is not
equal in quality 10 that of Europe BE-
cause of the hot country. the use of aEri-
2 cultural machinery is encouraged and there
I ought 10 be a good field for American man.
ufactures in that direction. During the
first six months OF this year sss7. 900 worth
OF agricultural machinery was imported
or nearly double the amount for the same