New Britain herald., 1915-09-17
UPS AND DOWNS IN
 SPANISH TRADE
Generally Speaking, Country Has
 Increased Expectations

1 Correspondence of the Associated Press.l | Madrid, Aus. 30.-The Monthly
 Statistical Review of the Foreign Commerce of Spain, government 1 publication, the current number of
 which has just been issued, is full of
 surprising information. It shows the
 most Extraordinary ups and downs in
 spain's foreign trade for this year.
 as compared with the period just an-
 tedating the war. Generally speak
 ing, the figures show a considerable
 dimunition in importations and
 very material increast in exportations l during the first six months of 1915,
 as compared with the first half of 1 1914.
 1 From January to June, 1914, Spain imported to the value of $114,642,- ] 900 (taking the peseta at it's normal
 value of $.193), while in the same period of this year the importations
 totaled 7.0O0-a drop of $4,-
 S25,000 for the half year. On the | other hand, the exports for the first 1 half year of 1914 were only $91.2S9,- 900, while this year the figure
 
 915,000, constituting an influx of $11,3s7,000 into the pockets of the Spaniards instead of a trade balance against them of $23,353,Oo0, as was l the case last year.
 However favorable this may be for some of tho Spanish population, it is
 nevertheless one of thh moving causes of the present financial crisis l in the government of the country, l because it has worked decrease in the customs receipts of from $20,- 1 45S,O00 to $13,124, 0O0-a deficit in the assets of the government of ST. 334,OO0 which 1t is forced to make up with more direct forms of tax ing an already overtaxed people. Cotton and Wool.
 The decrease of imports does not, however, include certain raw ma- terials, such as cotton and wool. The l manufacture of cotton and woolen goods are two of the most important industries in Spain. Before the war there were about 10000 cotton and about 5000 woolen looms in CataL- lonia. To feed these in the first half of 1914, $14,66S,00O of baled cotton was imported and $S,S78 of plain, unwashed wool. Under the stimulus of the war, however, in the first six months of this year $27,599,O0O of raw cotton and $1,447,500 of un- washed wool went into the country from abroad,
 Some idea Of what became of this | enormous increase of imports may be 1 obtained from glance at the in- 1 crease of certain manufactured arti- l cles of these two classes of raw ma- l terials. For example. the exports of White cotton cloth in the first six from $273,2s1, the figure in 1914, to $3,4os,510 in 1915; corduroys and similar stuffs have gone from $7,72o to $2,21s,5o0; piece goods and under wear from $s65,oo0 to $s,1S4,5oo; stockings, gloves and cotton knit goods from $120,04e to $s17,715.
 In the field of woolen goods the fig ures are equally surprising. The ex- ports of woolen yarns in the first six months of the year have risen from $41,6SS ill 1914, to $490,606; woolen blankets from $5.s75 to $6,s79,579; woolen knit goods from $16,5S5 to 1 $3,132,0o4. But woolen goods with 1 an admixture of cotton have ad- 1 vanced in Spain's export even more l in proportion-from $102,994 in 1914 1 for the first six months to $5,3O5,- 1 636 for the same period in 1915. In ! sum, the balance of excess of ex- | ports over imports in the field of cot l tons and woolens was, in the first 1 half Of 1914, $2.3S6,059, while this l year in the same term it has amount ed to s20.3S6,O5s. I
 Pig Iron Exports.
 One other example of products of l use in war by the exports of which l Spain has protited is given in iron. Pig iron in the first half of 1914 l was exported to the extent of $123,- 9o6, while this year $1,022,90O worth | of pig iron left the ports of Spain l tured iron, however, is the most ex- traordinary example of mushroom increase. The first half of 1914 only ] $9,071 of this prouct was exported, l while in the same period of the pres 1 ent year over q hundred times that ! amount has been shipped abroad. l
 On all articles not in some way connected with the hostilities in Eu- | rope the decrease in exportation has ] been almost equally surprising, and 1 as these, in total, amount to more 1 than the specialized products of | utility in war tie indications are not 1 such as argue great prosperity for | Spain. Tn general the decrease is | about one-third, though in certain 1 luxuries it is decidedly lower Gold i and silver, jewellery and and silver | plate, for example, in the first six months of 1914 were exported to the |