The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-01

 foreign commerce of the United States for the fiscal year 1oIs The figures do not dif- fer greatly from the estimates that had already been made of our foreign com nlerce. The total was in round numbers. s4. .2s0. .oo0ooo.
 Behind these figures is to be discovered the story of the striking changes in our international commerce.. particularly those which show the great growth of some ports of the country winch not long ago were of not large importance. These fig ures confirm reports which have been brought to or sent to this city from many parts of the south in the past four or five years which have spoken of the amaz- ing increase in industrial and agricultural activity in the southernAstates. If the rel ative rate of increase be continued for the next l5 or 23 years. much more than one-half of the foreign commerce of the United States will be reported from south- ern ports, and if Boston and Baltimore. together with Seattle and other Puget sound ports. aa we'll as San Francisco, likewise increase as these ports have been doing recently, then they, together with liit ooutittIn WILL iulniSn fSi9 much more lhan one-half of the foreign commerce of the United States.
 Presumptiyely the opening of the Pan- anna conal to navigation will be followed by great increase in foreign commerce to the ports of the southern states as well as to Seattle and San Francisco.
 For a city which was thought to have been destroyed, or at least greatly re- taroed by the epoch-making storm of some 10 or F years ago. Galveston has re- vealed through these Washington statis- tics amazing recuperative ability. That little city on a sandbar Is second in rank so far as our foreign commerce is con- cerned. In round numbers, its commerce aggregated for the fiscal year of 1913 s.J0,- ooe,o0o There should be a great increase in commerce after the Panama canal is open. The figures tell in one way a story of the magnitude of our exportation in raw cotton.
 New Orleans Prestige
 When the organization committee for the federal reserve board passed over New Orleans as a reserve city many of those in the financial district of this city were apprehensive that mistake had been made. They spoke of the magnitude of
 
 it's relative rank as commercial port, not knowing whether in that respect New Orleans was little ahead of Boston or whether Bostcn's foreign commerce in it's money value was somewhat greater than that of New Orleans. The presumption was that these two ports stood practically upon an equality so far as their foreign commerce was concerned For that reas- on, if for no other, it seemed as though the organization committee would have done the expedient thing if 1t had made New Orleans the center of one of the re- serve districts.
 The official reports from Washington disclose that New Orleans stands third, measuring her commercial business by dollars. Galveston leads New Orleans by about $50 0000,p0O, while New Orleans leads Boston by about $S6. 100000. Both of these seaports are steadily increasing their for eign commerce.
 Boston represents a more diversified trade than does that of New Orleans. and yet the greater part of the foreign commerce which identifies these cities is based upon agricultural commodities. With the contemplated improvements in Eoston's terminal facilities and with im-