Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1907-08-04
GREAT INCREASE
 IN EXPORT TRADE: Our Commerce With Non Contiguous Territories Becomes Enormous Some Of Increases.
 TRADE FOLLOWS FLAG United States Now Sends S25,00O,O00 Worth of American Goods to Porto Rico-The Imports Also In-
TRADE FOLLOWS FLAG

Washington, D. C., Aug, 3.--A wonderful era of growth in the iin+ port and export trade of the United States with it's non-contiguous ter ritories has developed. With the exception of Alaska practically a" of this territory has been acquired by the United States within 5he past decade, yet the commerce. which has ben built up in the few years amounted in the fiscal year of 1907, ended June 30th last, to s142, ,000, 900.
 To appreciate properly th's ina-- mense commerce, it must be under stood that ten years ago we practi ecally had none of it. Of course, there was a little trade between America and the territory now chased as n0n-contiguous prior to it's acquisi5ion by the United States; but it has increased enormously in .e the years since the Spanish-Ameri- can war
 Few people i'll this country, en- grOsseU as all are in the affairs at home-parsonal and governmental pay much heed to what is going on between the United States and it's outlying territory, unless they happen to be interested i'll the rela tions in financial way. Many per sons talk among themselves of the disadvantages of the outlying poses Government, without taking into ac- count the immense advantages which through increased trade Quite nat urally, it cannot be determined by ore figures whether the advantages offset the disadvantages or not be- cause the control which America exercises over it's non-contiguous possessions is not merely matter of dollars and cents. The responsi- bility of this country over the for eign peoples who are now under the American flag cannot be expressed wholly in a financial way. It is clear, however, that the people in America in many respects, have been benefited by tn acquisition of new territory, not only in a financial but in sociological, way. The country has developed through the weight of responsibility placed upon it and it has taken it's place among the great Powers of the world in the promotion of the cause of hu manity
 The cold figures show conclusive ly that the United States has not suffered appreciably on account of the acquisition of these outlying territories During the past year our exports to these territories az gregated more than s67,000, 900 as compared without about $10,00O,- 900 in 1897; while the imports into ! E1fe United States from the territor ies amounted to little less than $75,OOO.O00, against about s24000- 900 ten years ago. These figures for imports do not include s1S,000,- 900 in gold brought into this coun- try from Alaska, where in one year it was dug out of the ground. The amount of gold mined in Alaska last year alone was far more than the United States paid Russia for the whole territory.
 The k l. table increase in trade with any of the present non- contiguous territories of this coun- try has Deen with Porto Rico Ten ys&rs ago, Americas import trade with the island amounted to only $2,OOO.000 annually; last year it
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