The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-04
FIGURES GIVEN ON COTTON BUSINESS
Uncle Sam's Exports Are In-
 creasing Steadily
IMPORTS STATIONARY
China Continues to Rank First as Americas Market for Cotton Cloths-Our Imports Come
 From England
Fly c. D. STEWART

Fly C. E. STEWART
 Washington, December 3.-(Special)- Imports of cotton manufactures into the United States, the producer of 70 per cent of the worlds cotton. will approximate s10,0oo,OO0 in value in the calendar year 1912. while the exports will probably ex- ceed S00,000.000. Imports are coming in at about the same rate as in 1910 and 1911, while exports are rapidly increas- ing. In the 10 months which ended with October of the years named imports or cotton manufactures were valued at s53,- 100000 in 1910. s53 75o.0o0 in 1911 and s5o,75o.- 0Oo in 1912, while exports have advanced from s2s 600. 900 in 1910 to $s6. 10000 in 1911 and s44. .0oO.oo0 in 1912, thus justifying the above estimate of the statistical division of the bureau of foreign and domestic commerce, which places the years imports and exports of cotton manufactures at s7O, ,0O0.o 900 and s50.0Oo0o0 respectively.
 For a longer period the 10 years from 1897 to 1912, it Is found that imports have increased from S32, ,Oo0,00O in 1897 to an in- dicated total of s7o.ooo.o0o in 1912. gain of about 120 per cent, while exports have in creased from SIS, 800 000 to $50, 0,0OO, gain of TO per cent.
 Worlds Production
 The worlds production of raw cotton for mill consumption is, according to the figures of 1911, 22.9 900 bales, of which 15,546.000 bales, or 70 per cent of the total. were produced in the United States; g. 5140O00 bales in British India:9 1,450,000 bales in Egypt, 100000 bales In Russia and l, ,5S7.000 bales in all other countries. Of the cotton produced in the United States about two-thirds is exported. chiefly to England. Germany, France and to other European countries, from which we in turn import large quantities of cot ton manufactures, mostly of the higher grades Thus of the $56,000,000 worth of cotton goods imported Tn the period from January l to October 31, of the current year. $31, ,000,00o was the value of faces, edgings and embroideries, while the re- mainder included 5000 600 worth of cloths, s3. S33, 600 worth of thread. s2.50O,00O worth of stockings and hose and $500,0oO worth of handkerchiefs and mufflers.
 Europe supplies most of the cotton goods imported into the United States. and as yet takes very small proportion of our exports of similar class. From the United Kingdom we import annually about $20. 1000 worth. chiefly cloths and laces; from Switzerland about $15,OO0.0O0 worth of cotton goods; from Germany sl6 000. 900; from France $10.000000. Swift zerand is the leading source of imported laces and embroideries, having supplied last year $13,000,000 worth, against S.G0,- GOO from France s7,5o0,000 from Germany and nearly $6,5 900 worth from the United Kingdom
 China Still Ranks First
 China continues to rank first as mar lSet for our cotton cloths though exports thereto in the current year are consid- erably less than in certain earlier years. n tl,e l.1 lot, ,bar. tH.a total was 6i, ,0000o0 yards. against S5,0o0,o00 in the corresponding period of 1911. Other important markets include Canada, to which the exports increased from 9,0O0,- GOO yards in 10 months of 1911 to N,O00,OV0 in like period of 1912; Cuba, from 20,GOO,- 900 to 27,O0oO00 yards; Colombia, from H. 00O000 to 22.000.00o yards; Alden, from 16- 0000o0 to 30,000,0OO yards and the Philip pines from S600O,O00 to 100000 yards. Our cotton clothing and knit goods are ex- ported chiefly to Canada and the United Kingdom. Practically every civilized country is represented in the list of com- munites to which American cotton goods are exported, and while in some cases the totals are relatively small, they are sufficiently in size and growth to give promise of great future expansion, and therein lies the hope of disposal of the fu ture growth in the size of cotton crops of this country, not only made possible, but inevitable by improved methods in the cultivation of land.
 The United States ranks third among the worlds great importers of cotton goods, the total for 1911 having been $66. 100000 compared with S161 000.000 for In dia and s94, 900 for China. In exporta- tfon of cotton manufactures the United States, while making steady progress is far behind certain industrial countries of Europe. In 1911, for example, our total was $46,O00, 600. compared with 6S,00O0O0 for France, l22,000.0O0 for Germany and s5s4,- 100000 for the United Kingdom.
 Up to this time our cotton manufac- turers have been chiefly occupied with supplying the home market only a small part of domestic production entering the foreign trade. In 1909, for example, when production of cotton goods exceeded $62S,- 0O0,0 900 in value. exports were but S34oOo,- 00O or about per cent of the years out put As matter of fact, and the chief producer of cotton In the world, and Ly virtue of the climate and conditions in all probability likely to retain the su- premacy, the United States ought also to occupy the leading position as man. ufacturer and exporter of cotton goods.