Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-01
GREAT TOTAL PREDICTED
FOR FOREIGN COMMERCE
Secretary RedfieId Thinks
$4,1OO, 900, 900 Mark Will
Be Reached.

| That the four-billion- one-hundred- mil
! lion-dollar mark in the foreign commerce
!, of the United States probably will be
| reached by the close of the present fiscal
| year is the belief of Secretary of Com
| merce Redfield. The Secretary has look
| ed over the figures of foreign commerce
| for the nine months ending with last
March. He found them to be of such
magnitude that he made a statement eX-
planning the figures. lest somebody mis-
understand the statistics, which look like
Greek to anybody else except a statist-
cian
The total value of the imports of the
United States for the nine-month period
covered are given as 81, 4O1, I49. 2S3. This
is an increase over the figures for the
same period of 1912 which are 81 203. 96J.
| 092. However. the figures for the month
of March only show considerable falling
off in the imports. During the month OF
March imports to the value of $155.34S.-
G9S were brought into the country, as
compared with S1J7 .J71,0 3S in 1912.
Exports Show Decrease.
The exports show total value of ST.
! a,S. OO6,373. in 1918, compared with ST.
I'll, 40S. 267 in 1912. Like the imports. the
exports for the month of March of the
current year show a decrease when COM
pared with the same month of last year.
The figures show that during March. 1912,
exports to the value of sos, All 49, We're
dispatched out of the country, as COM
pared with s1S1.374,711 for March of the
current year.
Exports of foodstuffs showed a falling
off. partly or wholly manufactured, and
crude materials for use in manufacturing.
The other exports showed an increase. In
imports. the decreases were in the classes
which fell off in the exports, with the ad-
dition of manufactures ready for con-
sumption and miscellaneous imports.
Great Britain is the largest customer Of
the United States. Canada is second Ger
many third and France fourth.
Discusses Situation.
In discussing the figures just made pub
lie Secretary Redfield said:
1T is when we come to look at the de-
tails of our foreign commerce by what
are called great groups that we get at
the most striking facts If. for example.
one is told that our exports fell off in
March. as compared with the some month
a year ago, by about S1S.OO00OO. so that
We only sold $751;. 100000 abroad in
March. that might not seem favorable
condition. But when one looks little
closer, he finds that the falling off was
almost wholly in the sales of crude ma
teriafs. for use in manufacturing. and
tndt, SO Tar from loss, tnere was an aD-
solute gain in the important items of
manufactures. which in the two impor-
tant classes of manufactures for further
use in manufacturing and in manufac-
lures ready for consumption actually in
creased in the month Of March by about
S13.Oe0.OO0. So that our manufacturers
held their grip upon the foreign markets
of the world more strongly in March
than they did a year ago.
THE figures for the entire nine months
are such as TO give just pride to every
thoughtful American to whose notice they
come Out of the total transactions of
$500. OO0. 600 there is a balance in our IA
vor of a little over $JOO,UOO.O00. But few
comparisons with 1912 make it look even
better. For example, our sales of manu-
ufactures for further use in manufac-
turing increased over S56,OoO,OOO and our
sales OF manufactures ready for use in
creased over the same period last year
SIS, 100000. an increase in these two lines
of manufactured goods alone of over
S144 100000 as compared with the same
period Of last year. This does not look
like weakness in competing power"