The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-10-06
ANSWERS POPULAR CHARGES.
DENIES INTERFERING WITH LIE.
CLIMATE TRADE.
Note Gives Figures OH Exports to
Show Great Increase i'm American
Foreign Commerce.


answer to reports widely circulated
in this country that she has been in
terfering with legitimate trade of the
United States with neutral European
nations for the benefit of her own
exporters is given in a note handed
to Ambassador Page at London by
Sir Edward Grey, the foreign minis
ter, and made public here tonight by
the State department. Data and fig
ures are quoted at length to prove
that where British exports and re-
exports have increased the growth
of similar trade from the United
States has been many times as large,
while in many cases there have been
vast increases of American exports
compared with decreases in those
from the United Kingdom.
The note, which is in response to
the British ambassadors report of a
reference at the state department to
the Unfavorable impression created
here by reports of increases in British
trade with northern European coun-
tries since the war began, suggests
also that statements concerning Great
Britain's policy have been inspired
by German agents.
August 13 is the date of the docu-
ment, which was transmitted by mail
instead Of by cable.
The British statement takes up in
detail the amount Of exports of cot
ton. rubber, lubricating oils, tobacco
cocoa, coffee, rice wheat and barley
to the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden
and Denmark, contrasting the in
crease in American exports for jan
uary-May, 1915, over the same period
in 1914, with that in British reex-
ports to the same countries. The
hgures show that in nearly all these
commodities American exports have
increased much more than British
reeXports.
Dealing with cotton the figures
give for January to May, 1915, COM
pared with the like period Of 1914,
an increase in British reexports of
6O3,995 centals (about 100000 bales)
while American exports increased by
S,194,461 centals (about 600, 900
bales).
The statement further says that
British reexports Of rubber to the
northern European countries have ac-
tually declined, though reeXports to
America have increased and Ameri-
can exports to northern Europe have
increased nearly forfold.
American exports of lubricating
oils, says the statement, have in
creased by 3,757,593 gallons, while
British exports have increased only
7O3.37O gallons.
The British increase in unmanu-
factured tobacco was 2,937,2i4
pounds, while the American exports
increased by 6,eS1,S4S pounds.
In cocoa British exports increased
by 100000 pounds, while American
exports went up from 1900 to 49,
O16,OOO.
British coffee exports increased
from S0,4O7 hundredweight in 1914
to 2G3,4SS in 1915, while American
exports rose from 1876 to 2S5, $50.
In rice the British reexports in
creased 1884 hundredweight, while
American exports gained only 27.53S.
The statement explains this on the
basis of the diversion of Indian rice
from Hamburg and other continental
ports to British ports.
The British increase in wheat flour
exports was 47,054 hundredweight;
that of the United States 2.555,593
hundredweight. British barley en-
ports gained 249,512 hundredweight;
those of the United States 2,O16,S92.
The note concludes:
Everything in the statistics I have
quoted tends to show that the mer-
camille community of the United
Safes has made profits proportionate-
ly equal to or greater than those of
the mercantile community of Great
Britain in respect to all those de-
mands which have inevitably arisen
in scandinavia and the Netherlands
as consequence Of the closing of
German ports. The total volume of
the trade of the United States with
these countries has increased 300 per
from the accompanying table, taken
from the United States official
Monthly Summary of Foreign Com
merce' which shows the comparative
value of the total exports of the
I II T,,ttA