The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-05-15

contained in recent figures compiled
by the bureau of foreign and domesti
commerce. department Of comerce
Vhry show that over Sl7OOOOo0
worth OF American merchandise la
been exported to Panama and tn
Canal Zone during the last ten years
and that s24. 900. 600 worth Of product
OF Panama entered the United State
during the same period. The recor'
of our trade with Panama begins witt
1904 In that year our imports Il
the Isthmian republic were valued q
about $2,5OOOOO. In 1907, the year Il
which actual canal building opera
tions began, the total rose to $500
600. and in 1912 and 1913, respectiyel!
the exports were only little unde
S25. OOO, 600 in value, the crest of The
movement having been reached ii
1912. Our exports to Panama thus
incl eased nearly tenfold in ten years
while imports from that country stead
! iIv grew. though at much slower
rate, from less than 100000 in 1904
and 1905 to a little less than $1,000
600 last year
That this remarkable expansion Of
our export trade with Panama was
largely due to purchases of supplies
for canal construction and commissary
is apparent from comparison of our
own figures with the corresponding
import statements of the Panama gov
ernment The latter indicated for
1912 only $5,50O,O00 worth of imports
from the United States and S4,5OO,OOO
from other countries, an aggregate i'm
portation of $1O,OOb,OOO in value, or
less than one-half the declared value
of cur known exports to Panama.
Additional evidence that the goods
shipped to Panama from mthis coun-
try we're incidental to the require
ments of canal construction is deyei-
oped by study of the character OF
the articles making up the trade i'll
question. The largest items contrib
uting to the $24,000,000 worth of our
products shipped to Panama last year
and of the $170,OOOOO0 worth sent
thither during the last decade, are
structural iron and steel cement, dy-
Mantle, electrical machinery, miscel-
laneous iron and steel goods, coal
lour and meats.
ruring the last ten years the United
States has exported to Panama 50,
goo, 900 worth of cement to be used in
concrete work on the Canal Zone, SIS.
goo, 900 worth of bituminous coal, near
ly $7.000,000 worth of boards and
blanks. $6,5O0,O0O worth of structural
iron and steel. $4,500,000 worth of
flour and $3,OOO,OOO worth of fresh
beef A single year showed a record
of S25OO,O0 worth of structural iron
and steel and over $1,000,OOO worth
each of electrical machinery, castings,
and coal, also considerable quantities
of cotton goods, patent and proprie-
tary medicines, earthen, stone china
and glass ware. cars and carriages,
SOAP. cigars and cigarettes, paints,
fish. butter potatoes and other vege-
tables Trade with Panama has here
tofore been handicapped through the
lack of adequate dock and bonding
facilities, but improvements in this
limo are reported by consular officers
on the lsthmus. In fact, with the
opening of the canal the character OF
exports thither must materially
change Large shipments OF coal will
be necessary tor bunkering ships. De
pots and warehouses may also be es-
tablished for the distribution of goods
to many countries
Bananas represent half the entire
value of merchandise exported from
Panama. Last year The total exceed.
ed s-.OoO,OOO Except for about $1,000
900 worth of American-made articles
returned To the United States, the re
manning inward shipments are reia-
lively small They consists chiefly OF
cocoauuts, hides aud skins crude rub
ber vegetable ivory coffee and cabi-
net woods 1t is estimated that $500,