The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-07-07
GREAT PROGRESS
IN HOME and
FOREIGN TRADE
U. S. Ranks High Among Nations
in Economic Growth

Washington, July I'm the basic
clements of economic progress the
United States ranks high among the
nations OF the world, being one of the
iiVe countries only which have an area
in excess Of three million square miles
and the only nation of the western
world Except Russia) having a popu
latiOn OF over one hundred million. In
the interchange of products among its
own people it leads the world, its home
trade at the present time being esti-
mated at nearly forty million dollars
or equal to the international ex-
changes of the world and approximate
ly ten times the value OF our own for
eign trade now valued at four billion
dollars.
That our present foreign trade is far
short of the immediate possibilities of
the nation is evident from a consider
alton OF its area, commerce, and other
economic factors in comparison with
that OF other leading countries, as set
forth in comparative tables published
in the Statistical Abstract of the
United States, 1913" compiled by the
Bureau OF Foreign and Domestic
Commerce, Department of Commerce.
Thus the present export trade of the
United States (21a billion dollars) rep
resents about $25 per capita. A per
capita basis equal TO that of Argentina
would raise the export power Of the
United States to five billion dollars,
and one equal TO that of Belgium
would bring its exports to ten billion
dollars a year; while our aggregate
foreign trade, when upon per capita
basis as large as that of Canada would
be considerably over 10 billion dollars
a year.
Strong international Position.
Other comparative tables in the
Statistical Abstract" further cmpha-
size the commercial power of the Unit
ed States and its strong international
position. In railway mileage. for ex-
ample, we possess one-third of the
worlds total, our 25S,000 miles being
ten times IA much as the mileage of
the United Kingdom and six times
that of Germany. one company alone
has 23S,O00 miles of telegraph lines, or
the worlds mail service is performed
upon routes located in the United
States, while our public debt of one
billion dollars is smaller than that Of
Italy, Austria-Hungary. Spain, Ger
many, Australia Japan, British India,
Or Great Britain, and is Sss than one
sixth that Of France, and one fourth
hat of Russia.
Temporary recessions have fire.
IAN commerce. but the tendency, ac-
aording to historical tables. published
n the Statistical Abstract, is ever
higher. In eleven years, from 1890 to
1901, our foreign trade grew from y
billion to Pa billion dollars, an in
'rease of so per cent, while in the IL
cars from 1902 to 1913, it increased
rom Pa TO "A billions, gain of 80
Ter cent.
The foundations OF this growth are
aid deep in the soil and natural re-
sources Of our country and in the char
lcter of our people. Thus the Ameri-
an Union, from thirteen states hav-
ng 1926 thousand square miles and one
million people, has expanded to As
states and the territories of Alaska,
'orto Rico, and Hawaii. with an area
f 2-3 million square miles and 100
million people. In the period since
so the value of our farm products
las risen from two billion to about
en- billion dollars year: the output
# coal from less than thirty to nearly
90 million long tons; copper from 12h
thousand to over one half million tons.