The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-12
TRADE WITH THE EAST.
Opportunities TO Increase II Given to
the United states by the Mar.

| To THE EDITOR OF TIE StN-Sir. In a
| recent number OF THE SrN Mr. Charles
| VI. Pepper, former foreign trade adviser
| to the State Department.. describes the
| extensive foreign trade Of Germany and
the methods which made II possible for
| Germany to promote her overseas COM
| merce. Among them he names n system
| OF rebates adopted by the Government
| owned railways In carrying exports, the
| encouragement given to the manufacture
| of cheap imitation OF foreign goods. and
an exclusive policy in her colonies IN
| dealing with the commercial interests of
other countries.
In her efforts to promote foreign COM
merce America, | hope, will not adopt
| such methods but there are other meth
| DDS which Germany has been wisely fol-
lowing and which America might well
emulate. There Is in Shanghai for in
stance. n German bureau Of commerce
whose sole object is to study and report
on all matters relating to the trade and
Industry OF the Far East. The bureau IL
| associated with the German consulate OF
the port, but has nothing to do with rou-
tine consular work. on the other hand.
| II devotes its whole attention to the in
vestlRaton OF commercial matters When
| was In Shanghai a few years ago the
bureau had seven or eight trade experts,
all German. Under these Germans were
employed some fifteen Chinese as inter-
prefers and field agents
These men are constantly travelling In
all sections OF China and Manchuria. and
send their reports to the bureau at Shang-
hal. where they are Systematically COM
piled and forwarded To the Berlin Gov
eminent for the Information OF German
trade concerns
| presume that similar institutions are
established In other parts OF the world
where German commercial interests are
taking hold Another admirable feature
about the German trader In the East -
that he takes pains 10 study Oriental Ian
guages and tries to conduct business in
the language Of his customer. In this
respect the japanese is the peer Of the
German. Al Shanghai, for example there
Is school called Toa-do- bun-kal. main
tained by contributions from japanese
fuanciers and merchants The object Of
this school Is TO teach Chinese dialects 10
those Japanese young men who desire to
carve ont for themselves a commercial
career In China. The school also edu-
Gates Chinese who intend TO devote their
lives To mercantile pursuits in Japan
BESIDES this educational work. the insti-
tuition undertakes task similar to that
OF the German Commercial Bureau at
Shanghai namely, editing and compiling
exhaustive reports on commercial condi-
tons In China.
The world war has stopped European
export to China and Japan. The Orient
must turn to America for the supply OF
those goods which have hitherto been
furnished by Germany. Belgium, France,
Russia and Austria Hungary Great
Britain, thanks to her formidable navy
and her equally powerful merchant ma
rine. will undoubtedly continue her eN-
port trade. but this unprecedented war
cannot but seriously affect her industry
and commerce
To gauge the extent OF the Oriental
field Into which American trade may make
incursion as the result OF the war We
study the customs returns Of China and
Japan. In 1912 China imported t5aS-
35l, 600 worth Of goods. In this total Eu-
rope shared to the extent Of tl95,0O 900
and the United States only TO the value
OF so3Sl0.OOO.
or the total amount Of imports from
Europe only sl.iai.000 worth OF goods
came from non-bolligerent countries The
balance OF slSl.l5S.0oo Is divided by tho
six warning nations as follows: England,
including HonEkonR. sl44.55I. 600: Ger
many. Sl3.134 900 Belgium. s5.6Ss 600
France. sl,905.000: AuStr'a-lIungsry. ST.
47S,0Oo; Russia. sl3.79a.OOO. with these
figures before MS II seems fair 70 estimate
that ut least sl00. 600. 600 worth of mcr-
chandse Is being withheld from the Chi
nese market because OF the war bulk
OF this trade can be won by America IL
American merchants and manufacturers
will rise 10 the occasion.
Turning TO Japan we lind another splsn-
did opportunity awaiting American en-
terprise. In 1918 American exports to
Japan totalled sci .2O4.OOn In the same
year European exports to Japan amounted
to tl1O.144.OOO which was divided among
the now helllgerent countries as follows
England. SOL. 3GS, 600 France. s2,al4,O0O
Germany. s3+,l97.O0O; Belgium. s4.72i,-
600: Austria Hungary, S1.945,OO0: Russia.
$1,000 Those European countries which
are not involved in the war shared IN the
total to the extent OF Si,975.OOO.
From these figures II may br presumed
that at least $50, 100000 represents the
Import trade of Japan which has been
stopped by the war. Japan has been RELY
Ing almost exclusively upon Germany for
the supply Of auiline and alizarlne dyes
Photographic materials laundry soda
glycerlne and medical matters. with the
stoppage Of German importations the prices
OF such articles are rising by leaps and
bounds. Other principal imports from
Germany are coal tar. wrapping paper,
gas, steam and oil engines. electrical ma
chnery Iron bars and rods. rolling stock
building materials, wires, cardboard. pen
ellis and the Ike.
nsidering the enormous quantity OF
steel and iron which America Ia produc-
Ing. this country certainly ought To ex-
port to Japan more rails steel and iron
sheets, building materials and other prod
ucts OF foundries. With the expansion
OF her trade and industry. Japan is in
evltably adopting American methods ~
conducting business and Is erecting large
office buildings in Toxic and other leading
cities. The other dav met here n Japa-
nese architect who was commissioned to
study the leading newspaper buildings IN
America and Europe with view TO Sc
curing the best model for the building
which he was commissioned to erect FOR
an Osaka newspaper at an estimated cost
OF $1,000 900.
England's chief exports to Japan are
manufactured cottons, wool and woollen
cloths printing paper. iron bars and rods
rails. steel and iron pipes and sheets. and
rolling stock. The war must greatly i'm
pede Engand's export trade in these ar
tcles.
Lest we may draw from these facts
overOptimistic conclusions AZ 10 the COM
mercial opportunities offered America by
the war, II Is well to remember that Il Is
no easy matter To divert trade into new
channel British trade in Japan Isl
founded upon the firm base of systematic
efforts extending over many decades BY
reason of the treat ~ of alliance Japan ~
on particularly friendly terms with Eng
land which undoubtedly constitutes "A
great commercial asset 10 both countries
For In these days OF enlightenment Gin
spite OF the European conflagration) trade
does not necessarily follow the flag but
thrives in the groove OF international
friendship. To-day Japau's enlightened
statesmen are even advocating the eI-
tension OF the scope of the Anglo-Japa-
nese alliance. converting II into a financial
and ACOnOnlp we'll pnIlfira1 aI1ta pca