The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-27
FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC CON-
DITION or JAPAN.


AlAO AAAotOly W V&R1h - 49,
tons with the Western world goes back te
the middle Of the sixteenth century and the
arrival on her shores OF the Portuguese
~navigators. For the next 300 years, how
ever, Japan's foreign commerce was an
insignificant and elementary institution.
In 1854 Commodore Perry, u. 8. NJ, sup
ported by a little squadron. knocked at the
doors Of Nippon with a somewhat peremp-
tory suggestion that AZ least some OF those
doors DO opened to trafio With tho outside
world. The country is now quite o
ciled to the results Of tho C~ommodore's
little visit.
The trade Of Japan was at first OF slow
development. In 1872 the total export and
import m was valued at a little
more than $40 900. 900. with imports A,SO0.oOo
ahead Of exports. Ten years later 1t reached
e3S. SOC. 900. with exports $4,000 900 In excess
of imports. The period of modern devel-
opment and expansion begins about 1885.
The Of that year was valued az q
little more than SIS .0Oo. 900. In 1894 1t passed
the t1OO. 0O0. 900 mark. Four years later, In
1893. It passed the $500. 900. 900 mark; In 1908
the $500 900. 900 mark, and in 1905 1t exceeded
$500 900, 900. The total for 1905 was s42i. 25O,-
900. From 1890 TO 1905 inclusive imports
exceeded exports by a total for the entire
period OF nearly $500. 900 900. In 1905 ex-
ports exceeded imports by about ~, SOC. 600.
Her immediate neighbors. the Asiatics.
are Japan's best customers. To them she
sold last year nearly 500 200. 900 worth OF
merchandise. The United States was Sec
ond best. with purchases amounting to
500. 0OO. 900. using Japan's export figures.
France. with $40. 000, 900. 10 third on the list.
With Great Britain. Italy n Germany in
that order coming after. From the Asiatio
coast, with a trade which extends around
to India. Japan obtains 20 per cent. Of her
import requirements. England. taking only
s per cent. Of her exports. supplies rs per
cent. OF her imports. The United States.
taking 30 per cent. OF her exports, supplies
only a scant II per cent. of her imports.
Germany. buying -. zoo. 900. sells sci 900 900.
Raw silk il the leading item Of Japanese
export q represents a little more than
o~ne-quarter Of her total foreign sales.
Silk tissues bring her nearly $40. 600. 900. with
nearly 50. 900 OF It for handkerchiefs
alone. Her teas bring her about s5. ZOO. 900;
her coal about So, 0O0, 900. her matches about
IS, SOC, 900, her porcelain and earthenwar are
about $4,000. 900. her ans 5000. 900 and her
beer $500 900. Exports OF manufactures
are reported as $50, 900. 900 out Of the total
Of 1912. 600. 600 in 1906. This Ia exclusive of
raw silk and tea. We are unable to say
how much Of this ia merchandise bought
from abroad in a finished or partly hnished
state. We can only infer that a portion OF
1t belongs in that class.
Raw cotton is the leading item on the
import list, and its value Of $40, 600, 900 rep
-. L-a - afAL II A. AAxI -.
chases. One-half of this abe buys from
British India. While a small percentage
In obtained from other sources. the remain
ing half may be said to come from the
United States and from China, In fairly
equal parts. The raw cotton Of this oun-
try is therefore about one-quarter Of her
total purchases of the staple. Producing.
as she now does. the major part of her
requirement of manufactured cotton goods.
Japan's imports Of cotton cloth are COM
paratively small. They appear as a little
more than $4,000 900 last year, much the
larger part of the supply coming from
England. She bought $is. 900. 900 worth of
rice last year, one-half of it from British
India. and half of the remainder from
French Indo-China. She bought 4 1000. 900
worth Of wheat flour. nearly all OF il from
this country. We furnish about three
quarters of her 81. OOO.O 600 worth OF kerosene.
about one-third OF her $4,000. 900 worth Of
machinery and engines, a fair percentage
Of her purchases of iron and steel in vari-
Gus forms, and are at least "among those
present" in the supply of her needs in a
long list of miscellaneous articles Of Use,
consumption and ornament. She buys
SIC, OOO, 600 worth OF sugar from Java and
$500, 900 worth from the Philippines. The
source Of her purchase of $500 900 worth of
leaf tobacco does not appear in the tables.
IL is a safe statement hat Japan's COM
MERGE is now only in its early stages. a
formative period. IL is a safe prediction
that. peace prevailing. Japan will take
front rank as a producer and distributor
Of manufactured products in the markets
of the Orient. Toward this end her "
contribution will be practically limited to
coal. water power, cheap labor and intelli-
gent business energy. All these she has
in abundance. She cannot, or at any rate
does not, produce a sufficient food supply
for her own people. She buys wheat -four
and rice and beans, condensed milk and
eggs and sailed fish. She imports her
sugar. She also buys leather for her shoe
makers and woollen cloth for her tailors.
Japan's population can maintain itself
from the natural resources OF the island,
the lot of a people forced to live under
such conditions would be quite pitiful. The
hope of the country lies in commerce. in
the purchase of cotton and iron and cop
per. their conversion into finished products
and their transportation to and sale IN the
of he East. This fact is clearly
recognized by Japan's astute leaders. and
it is toward that end that her energies and
are being and will be directed.