Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-12
SOME STRIKING FEATURES
Interesting Figures Issued by Blu
reau of Statistics
FROM MANY FOREIGN CL1MEss
Sources of Supply of Principal
Articles Imported Into the United
States and Amounts.

Nv a somewhat NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. VOL
ume just issued by the bureau OF sta
tistics OF the Department of Commerce
and Labor entitled Imports of Merchan-
disc Into the United States by Articles
and Countries During the Years Ended
June 30 19O4-19oS." The purpose of this
volume is 10 present exact information as
10 the sources of supply of the principal
articles imported into the United States.
TO this end tables are presented show
ing In each case all of the countries from
which the article in question Is drawn
and the value thereof from each country
in each year during the hVe-Sear perioo
under consideration.
These tables when carefully studied pre-
sent some interesting facts with reference
10 our import trade. For instance OF
the %, OOO.UN pounds macaroni ana SIM
liar preparations imported in 1908 at
value of 81, 600 OoO o.. 100000 pounds came
from Italy. four and one-third million
pounds from France and 1oI.Uo pounds
from Japan. Automobiles also form an
interesting record. the value OF imports
amounting to 100000 in 1907. but falling
to soJO0o00 i'm 1908. OF this $2.GO.UO
worth imported in 1908. i.1Jo,OOo was
from France, one-third of million dol
lars worth from Italy and one-fifth OF
million dollars worth from the United
Kingdom.
One would scarcely expect that In this
land of soda fountains the quantity or
soda water imported would be OF sufnclent
Importance TO form an appreciablc rec
ord yet the quantity imported in 1905
under the title of lemonade, soda water
and other similar beverages was more
than one-half million pint bottles, valued
at So, 4l2, of which $345l4 worth came
from the United Kingdom. In addition
TO this there were imported In the same
year 100000 quarts of mineral waters.
valued at more than sl,0O.Gp. This
came chiefly from France and Germany,
the value of the mineral water from
Germany in 1908 being S504,1 and from
France sf26.O56.
Cocoa Growing in Favor.
Cocoa is evidently growing in favor
with the people of the United States, the
value of this article imported in 1905
being s14 80 COO, against $4,000 in 1904.
1t comes chiefly from South America and
the British West Indes-A, 10000 worth
from the British West Indies, in 1908;
100000 worth from Brazil. sl.21 900
worth from Portugal. a little less than
two millions from Santo Domingo and
about s1.5o00OO worth from Ecuador.
OF the S67 900 600 worth of coffee import
ed in 1905 S4S,OOO,0O worth came from
Brazil. nearly 5000 600 worth from Vene-
zuela. about s.. $50 600 worth from Mexico.
100000 worth from Guatemala ana
practically 81 10000 worth from Colon
bi. The quantity imported In 1903 was but
S.poaoOO0 pounds, against 100000
pounds in 1907 and I ,O4SOOOOOO pounds IN
1aO1 the last mentioned year being the
only one in the history of the country in
which the importations of coffee amount
ed to as much as 1.0OO000.00O pounds.
One would scarcely expect that the
United States would be large importer
of copper products. as she produces more
than one-half of the copper of the world:
but the publication under review shows
that there were imported into the United
States in 1905 practically oo,oooeOo pounds
fNrsR rSnr 30
in pigs, bars. ingots. etc. and S1WOO
worth of other manufactures of copper
This ore came chiefly from Mexico. Can
ada Newfoundland. Chile, Peru and
Compa ratively small quantity, about D.
OO0UO pounds, from Germany OF the
14lO0O.OoO pounds of copper in pigs. bars
ingots. etc, imported last year as'W0 o o,
pounds came from Mexico D,OWUo
900 from Germany, 100000 from Spain
and 100000 from the United kingdom
Copper From PARKWAY Japan.
Even from PARKWAY Japan there came
nearly 100000 pounds. valued at over
s1,ooO,oOO: from Australia, still farther
distant 81 ,oO0 900 pounds, valued at about
$4,000; while French Oceania, Portu-
guese Africa, Santo Domingo, Haiti. Cuba,
San Salvador, Nicaragua. Costa RIGA,
Guatemala and Panama also contributed
small quantities. This large importation
Of copper In ore and pigs is due chiefly to
the superior facilities of the United States
for smelling and refining. the ore coming
I'm to be smelted and the pig copper to be
refined and the precious metals extracted
therefrom.
One would not expect to see any con-
siderable quantities of raw cotton import
ed when this country produces three
fourths Of the cotton of the world; yet
10 INN
was over S14.OOO,00. and In 1907 practi-
caIly s.o0OOoO0 While the cotton i'm
ported is popularity supposed to consist
exclusively: or almost exclusively or cot
Peru Haiti British India, the United
Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands
al sent US cotton in 1908 that from the
Iuropean countries probably originating
chiefly in Egypt or other parts of Africa,
while 5S.Ooc,oO pounds came direct from
Egypt
Curiously too, in this land OF great
cotton production and manufacture there
was imported. in the five years ending
June 81. 1905 no less than $15o.0OO.OO0
worth Of cotton laces. edgings. embro.d-
cries. etc, Of which SSs $4,000 came In
1905 and practically s4O.O0OoO0 in 1907.
Switzerland supplied a larger share of
these highgrade cottop manufactures than
and ether country. the value from Swift
zerland alone In 1908 being $4,000 600:
while from France came practically 3d.
900 900 worth. from the United Kingdom
$3.50 900; from Germany four and one
third millions. and from Japan 100000
worth. In practically all these cases the
countries sending this merchandise to
the United States buy the bulk of their
raw cotton from us and send back the
finished article to the value of from
$4,000. 600 TO $40. 100000 per annum.
Falling Of in Diamonds.
Diamonds show a marked falling OF
in the imports of 1908, those uncut be.
ing valued at less than S4,5OO,O00 in
1908 against more than $1l,00OO0O In
1907: and diamonds cut but not set, 80,
900 600. against S24 100000 in the I'M
rnediately preceding year. OF the uncut
diamonds imported in 1908. two ard
one-third millions, more than one
half of the total value. came from the
United Kingdom. while of those cut
but not SET S3,500.0o0 worth came from
the Netherlands. where diamond cutting
is an important industry; 81. $50. 600 from
Belgium, also a place of Importance in
this industry: 1900, 900 worth from
France and 81 100000 from the United
Kingdom; practically none of the dia-
Inonds imported coming direct from the
diamond fields of the world-Soutt
Africa and Brazil
Eggs also form quite an important
item in the import as well as the export
trade, the number imported in 1905 be
ing nearly 5000. 900 and valued at over
$4,000 while in addition to this there
were $4,000 worth of yolks of eggs
cd of wi