The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-10-21
INCREASED EXPORTS
DUE TO WAR ORDERS
Especial Correspondence

Washington, Oct 20-Exports to
the value of three billion dollars for
the period September 1914 to August
1915 is the new record set by this
country, according to figures recently
made public by the Department of
Commerce. The nearest approach to
this record, for this particular period,
was in 1912-l913, under a Republican
administration, when exports amount
ed to two billion and a half Of dollars.
This was the high tide Of our export
trade under normal conditions. 1t
came about as a result Of our self
sufficiency at home and legitimate
trade competition for foreign markets.
1t was unattended by any Grassland
announcements, or countrywide press
agenting by the administration then
in power. 1t was made up of products
which added to the enjoyment Of life,
not largely of those used for the de-
struction of life. 1t was a normal
trade, under wise laws, efficiently adj
ministered, and not the result Of
feverish demand by war-mad nations
floundering in sturnalia of slaughter.
The figures published by the De-
partment of Commerce cover a twelve
months period when this country was
actively engaged in filling war orders
to the European belligerents, during
which time our export trade amounted
to $3,035,033, 2S0 During this peri
cd there was an increase over the
period September 1913 to August 1914
of fully one billion dollars in the value
of those articles which properly come
under the head of munitions of war.
Our total export trade for similar
period in 1912-1913, under Republican
law, was S2,498,053,721. In 1914,
same period, eleven months Of which
was under the Underwood tariff law,
our export trade fell to S2,2S0,165,791,
decrease of about $218,0O0,000. Had
there been a normal export trade in
munitions of war, our export trade
for 1915 would no doubt have fallen
below the two billion mark.
For this same period in 1914-1915
our import trade (articles which com
pete with American manufactures and
Americal labor) amounted to 1861
69S,934, compared with S1,906,657,5l5
for the same period in 1913-1914, the
first year of the Underwood tariff law,
a decrease of $237 100000, showing
the extent to which the war performed
the Office Of a protective tariff proxy,
so that it is not unreasonable to say
that the European war benefited this
country to the extent Of full one bill
lion dollars in export trade and S237,-
100000 import trade, and this does
not take into consideration the un-
doubted fact that orr import trade in
1915 wou dhave been far greater than
in 1914, had hostilities not resulted in
decreased tonnage, the
foreign manufacture Of war munitions
instead Of competitory products, and
the sending Of millions of foreign la
borers to the firing line. For the
same period 1912-1913, under the Re-
publican tariff law, our imports
amounted TO sl,7s6, 297 1853, or about
S1l6,500,OO0 greater than the 1914
1915 period under all trade demoraliz-
atoms Of the war.
This $1,7S6, 100000 Of imports in
19l2-l9l3 produced a Government rev.
enue of s31s,542,1i2, or an average ad
valorem rate Of duty Of IT'S per cent.
The 81 SOC, 100000 in 1914, under the
Democratic tariff, produced S275, $751;
SIS, Of which s5l 100000 should be
credited to Republican rates which
we're in effect for the first few months
Of the Democratic law. The average
ad valorem for this period fell TO ls.46
per cent. The 81 ,669, 100000 Of i'm
ports in le14-l9l5 produced s197,eli,-
400 Of revenue ,or an agevarge ad va
loren Of ll.s4 per cent. For the last
named period, 62 per cent Of the i'm
ports entered the American market