The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-25
American Trade With Japan
by FREDERIC j. HAsK1N.
Yokohama.

ny FREDERIC j. HAsKIN.
Yokohama.
War or any other cause that would
interrupt trade relations between ia
pan and the United States would i'm
mediately paralyze the internal bust
ness economy or this country. The
United States Is Japans best customer,
and takes one-thlrd Of all that It has
to SELL These exports which go to Amer
lean markets are almost all the pro-
duct OF Japanese labor, and the increas-
ing trade with the United States means
more employment at higher wages.
Any Interruption OF this trade will
Japan, and 1t is not too much to say
that. In material way, Japans very
life depends upon the maintenance Of
good commercial relations with the
governmental policy which might tenn
to lessen the export business to Amer
lea Is too apparent to require notice;
Yokohama ranks third among the ports
OF the world In the amount of exports
shipped TO the United States; Paris be-
ing first and London second. Tho most
important item of export is silk. This
product strikingly illustrates the Jap
anese dependency upon the United
States. because the recent Wall Street
panic was more disastrous in it's results
in Japan than at home. owing to the
falling of In demands in raw silk for
the New Jersey factories. The ware.
houses here are choked with bales OF
silk that long ago should have been
on their way to America. Capital to
the extent of sa5.ooooo0 is tied up in
this way.
Notwithstanding this temporary dull
ness. the future OF the silk business in
Iapan is bright If politics or war do
not interrupt, the United States will
renew its old demand and Japan will
prosper Domestic conditions in Jap
cessful production OF silk. In most silk
leaves can be obtained in a season,
but In Japan there are three crops.
entirely worthless for other purposes,
are adapted to raising mulberry shrubs,
and eventually will be put to this use.
Much OF this land Is located around
mountain. Cheap labor is another adj
vantage Japan enjoys over other silk
producing countries. Here the farmer
raises SILK worms us side line, the
women and children gathering the
leaves and feeding the ravenous little
worms that make the silk.
Tea Is the second item OF importance
In, the exports from Japan to America,
but the future OF this business is not
SO promising. For several years past.
the volume of the shipments, and there
Is still general feeling of depression
in the trade. The causes of this stag
nation seem to be the strong competi-
ton of Ceylon and Formosa, and the
unfair business methods of the Japa-
nese firms.
Though Japanese porcelain has mar
ket In all parts of the world. the United
states Is much larger consumer than
any m :. Q. other country; IN fact. almost half
OF Yokohama goes to America. This Is
another industry that probably will
nave large development because Of
Its ADAPTATION to local conditions The
artistic temperament Of the Japanese
workmen makes them very skilful dec
orators, and wages are extremely low.
| because the business Is conducted as
household industry. While most OF the
work IS done by hand one large mach
| modern factory employs fully 1000
operatives. and its entire output goes
TO the American market in competition
with the cheap product Of Germany.
the. United States are made by women
and girls in country homes in the vlcin-
ity Of Osaka The bone used in the
man ,l;s. sN OF these brushes is
China, and the brlstles from Russia.
The reason that this has become the
centre Of such an Industry, in the ab-
sence Of all the raw materials needed
Is the abundance Of cheap labor,
l =
that is steadily Increasing. is the man
ufacture of certain kinds Of linen
goods. The material for these articles
is imported from Great Britain, sent
to the country districtlof Japan, where
men, women and children do the en-
broidery and drawn-work on it, after
(which it frequently finds its way back
to the country Of its origin. This
work is very highly priced for. ladies'
waists, and the country people who
tedlously work out the exquisite pat
day. While this may strike. an Amer
| lean as starvation wages, it&is quite
the contrary In rural Japan. The ma
stives are very deft in this kind of nee
die work, and their habits of living are
extremely frugal. While all the mem
ployment, their total income rises to
an amount that Is considerable, when
Judged by Oriental standards. About
S2O00.000 worth of this work finds is
way into the United States every year.
Ta item IL the eSpoT1s from b ap
are extensive forests of hardwood, both
4 in, Northern and Southern Japan, anu
4 lumber from them can he laid down In
lCalifornta in large quantities at lower
: cost than oregon. pine, This imported
making furniture. and also for build-
ling cars, The oak ties from Japanese
| forests are far superior to the Pacific
soft pine. While the importation OF
i these hardwo DDS Is only In It's infan,.
viii draw quite heavily upon tie Jap
\ anese supply In the future. y
The principal items that the United
I States sells to japan are cotton, flour
1 kerosene and manufactured products
), LOT iron and steel here As no = ilka-'