The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-02-08
AMERICAN TRADE
 STILL GROWING
Oriental Countries Show No
 Falling Off in Imports.
COTTONS GO TO CHINA
Some Reduction Is shown in Exports of Cotton Goods to the Orient Because fIte Quality Is Not What the
 orientaIs Want.

 cial.)-The commercial relations of the United States with the Orient do not show the decline that has been as serted. On tie contrary, there has been a normal growth in our share of the imports of that part of the world, ac cording to MT. o. F. Austin, chief of the bureau of statistics. department of commerce and labor, who tonight ad- dressed the Economic club of this cit5 on our Commercial. Relations With the Orient"
 Mr Austn began his address by say ing that he welcomed this opportunity to discuss the subject of our commer- eial relations with the Orient, especial ly because of the statement now ire quently being made that we are losing our hold upon the commerce of that part of the world. Ths assertion, thas we are losing our share in the lm- ports of the Oriental countries. is not, ne said, sustained by an examination of the official records down to the end of 1908, the latest year for which complete statements of those countries
 
 are available.
 While it is true that our ecords of exports to China and Japan do not show large fall in 1908 and 1909 when compared with 1905 and 1906, it must be remembered that the imports of Japan were abnormally large in 1865 because of requirements in carrying )n her war with Russia and that she 'n 1905 increased her imports from the United States, her nearest source If supplies, 125 per cent over those of 1903, making the record of our exports 10 Japan in that year abnor nally high. The reopening in 1905 and 1908 of northern China, which had been closed to commerce during the war be- tween China and Japan, made an equal ly large growth in the purchases of American merchandise for China, esps- to China 1905 were, like those to Japan, abnormally high. The exces- sive importation of American cottons into China in 1905 and 19G6--an inn portation far in excess of the consum- ing power of her cotton goods mar Net-almost suspended purchases CT American cottons in 1907 and 1908, thus causing a great fall In the value of our total exports to that country.
 Exports to China.
 While in 1909 the exports of cotton to China returned to practically nor mal conditions, this gain was offset oy the suspension of her purchases cf copper from the United States for coin age purposes, terminated by reason of the cessation of further manufacture of copper coins, and the further fact that the excessively high prices O. wheat, flour and meats in 1909 caused a marked falling off in the sales of those articles to China and the Orient generally. Mineral oils also show a fall in exports to the Orient in 1909, partly because of the fact that much of the oil now shipped to the Orient goes into bulk at about one half tn price per gallon of that sent in cans or cases, the former method of shipment to that part of the world. In the case of Japan the excessively high prices of American raw cotton caused her to purchase her supplies in 1909 chiefly from India, thus reducing by nearly S4,000,000 our 1909 exports of that article to that country while the high prices of wheat, flour meats and man ufactures of iron and steel also caused arked reductions in our sales of those articles to Japan.
 Still another cause of the recent re- duction in our exports to the Orient, especially those to China and Japan, is the large reduction in the purchas- ing power of those countries in 1868 and 1909. The financial depression which made it's appearance in the Unit ed States in 1907 extended eastward around the world, reaching China and Japan in 1908 and 1909, and was fol- lowed by a large decline in their i'm ports, those of China falling from sS49,000,O00 in 1906 to $2540C0.0 900 in 19S, and those of Japan from s246.O00,- 900 in 1907 to less than S2C0.000,000 in 1909, a fall in the case of China of about 30 per cent and in the case of Japan about 20 per cent.
 This falling off in the generala b im- ports of China and Japan. MT. Austin said, was not peculiar to products of the United States, since the official figures of the United Kingdom and Ger many, our chief rivals for the trade of the Orient, show, fin the case of the United Kingdom. an increase of but 2s per cent In the full decade ending with 1908; those of Germany, an increase of 30 per cent and those of the United States, an increase of 62 per cent in the value of merchandise exported to China and Japan, the actual gains in 1908 over 1899 being, in the case of Germany, s13,00o,0G0; the United King dom, s20o. 500, 900 and the United States. s22,50o, 900.
 Increase of Grade.
 Considering the official import figures of the Oriental countries, MT. Austin said that China's imports from the United States in 1908. the latest year for which official figures are available, showed a larger percentage of her imports drawn from the United States than the annual average of the preceding decade, and that this is true also of Japan, the Philippine Islands, and India. In the decade ending with 1907 China took 91a per cent of her imports From the United States; in the year 1908, 101a per cent. In the decade end ing with 1907 Japan took TIA per cent of her imports from the United Statesi in 1908, IFS per cent. In the decade ending - -