Los Angeles herald., 1910-11-21
JAPAN USES LESS
AMERICAN COTTON
Shipments Of Products from the
United States to Orient Show
a Big Decrease
EUROPEAN TRADE INCREASES
imports of AsiatiC Merchandise
INTO Eastern Countries Gain
Ten Per Cent
Especial TO The Herald)

Especial TO The Herald)
WASHINGTON. Nov. 2O.-Official
returns of the foreign commerce OF
Japan during the eight months ending
with August, 1870 compared with the
corresponding months of earlier years,
have just been received by the bureau
of statistics of the department of COM
merce and labor. They show that inn
ports from Europe decreased from
S64,000, 900 in the eight months of 1908
to $54, 900 in 1910; those from Amer
lea CHIEFLY the United States) from
$31,000,0 900 to $17,000,000, while imports
from Asia increased from $62,00O,O0O to
$4,000, 600, and from all other countries
CHIEFLY Egypt and Australia) from
$4,000, 900 to $5,500,000. In other words,
during the period under consideration
European merchandise showed a loss
of Is per cent, American products a
loss of 43 per cent and Asiatic products
a gain of 27 per cent, the decrease in
the total imports being S1-3 per cent.
The share which Asiatic merchandise
forms of thes total imports of that
country has risen from less than 40
per cent in 1908 to over so per cent In
1910, while Europa,s share has fallen
from 40 per cent in 1908 to 80 per cent
in 1910 and that of America from IL
per cent in 1908 to IL per cent in 1910.
British India leads all other coun-
tries in the value of its imports into
Japan, being credited ir the eight
months under review with $45.000.00O.
against $32, 100000 from Great Britain,
1000 600 from the United States, $16,-
100000 from China, $14,000,000 from
Germany, s5,000000 from Dutchs East
Indies, $4,000,000 from Korea, $S,50O,0O0
from Kwantung Oiao-tung peninsula)
and $3,O00,00O from Belgium. These
figures represent in each case, save
that of India, a decrease when COM
pared with those OF like period of
1908. Imports from Great Britain in
that period have decreased $S000,000,
those from the United States $13,O00,-
900, Dutch East Indies $4,000, 900 and
Germany $4,000, ,000 while those from
India grew from $21, 900 in eight
months of 1908 to 45.000,000 in the cor
responding months of 1916
RAW COTTON INCREASES
This large increase in the 1910 inn
portations from India occurred chiefly
in raw cotton, due largely to the high
prices of cotton from the United
States. Japan draws largely on the
United States for raw cotton, though
in those years in which prices of
American cotton are exceptionally
high the shorter stapled and lower
priced cotton of India is drawn on.
The quantity of raw cotton imported
into Japan from India in the eight
months of 1910 was $50, 100000 pounds,
valued at $44000,000, against 167, 100000
pounds, valued at $17,000,000 in the
same months of 1908; while that from
the United States decreased during
corresponding periods from 87,000,000
pounds valued at $11.000,000 in 1908, to
S4,000,000 pounds valued at $5,000,000 in
1910. Thus the quantity of cotton
drawn from India more than doubled,
while that from the United States fell
off more than one-half. Concurrently
with Japan's increased imports of raw
cotton have occurred decreased i'm
ports of cotton goods, the loss falling
chiefly on Great Britain, the eight
months imports Of cotton cloths from
that country representing over 80 per
cent of the totaD having dropped from
$4,000, 900 in 1908 to $4000,000 in 1910. In
this trade the United States did not
share to any appreciable extent.
Under the head of iron and steel
practically all the important classes
show decreased importations, espe-
cially those from the United States.
Imports of machinery and engines from
the United States in the eight months
under consideration decreased from
100000 in 1908 re S1,250,00 in 1910;
locomotives and rolling stock from
$1,000.000 to less than $4,000 and
rails from $1,000,0Ge to $24S,000. Iron
nails show an increase from $3.50 900 to
'$520,0O0. Decreases occurred in imports
of iron and steel manufactures from
Great Britain, Germany and Belgium.
KEROSENE IMPORTATION
Kerosene imports from the United
States during the eight months under
review increased from 2S,250,O00 gall
Ions, valued at $3,000,000 in 1908 to 35,-
100000 gallons, valued at $3,75O,OO0 in
1910, while those from Dutch East In
dies decreased meantime from 20OOO,-
900 gallons, valued at $2,O0O,00O to 49,
100000 gallons, valued at $1,25O,OOO
Flour imports into Japan show a
marked decrease, those from the Unit
ed States, which supplies fully 95 per
cent of the total, having fallen from
245,000 barrels, valued at $1,000 900, in
the eight months of 1908, to 1884
barrels, valued at 100000 in the same
months of 1910. Imports of leather
goods from the United States decreased
from $5SO,000 in the eight months of
1908 to $477,000 in the same months of
1910, while those from British India in
creased meantime from $11S.0OO to
$4,000
Exports from Japan in the eight
months of 1910 show a general in
crease compared with like periods of
1908 or 1903, having been in the eight
months of 1910 S142,000,0O0 against
$l26, 0,0O0 in 1909 and $120, 900, 900 in
1908. All the grand divisions partici-
pated in this increase. Asia from $685.
100000 in 1908 to $62, ,O00, 900 in 1916:
Europe from $25,0O000O to $33, 900, 900;
America .(chiefly the United States)
from $SS,OO0,0OO to $4,000, 200, and ali
other countries from $3,50OOOO to $5,-
000,000 ~
The principal articles exported to
the United States in the eight months
of 1910 are: Raw silk, $24. .25O. 900: silk
manufactures, $1,500,000; tea, $4,000, 900;
mats and mattings. 1000, 900; porcelain
and earthenware, $1,O0O,O0O; copper in
gots, $2OOO,000, and straw plaits and
braids S750 000