The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-02-18
OPPORTUNITY Of
the MANUFACTURERS


Fur Permanent Increase or
oountry's Exports.
The demonstration OF what the
American manufacturer can do under
a compelling incentive such as the Eo-
rcpean war has given comes at an
opportune time. In the opinion OF y:
r. Austin statisiician OF the Nauona.
City Rank. who yesterday explained
to a Times reporter why what mas
been done In meeting the war require
ments Of the entente alice should
exert an important influence on tho
character of the future permanent
foreign trade OF the United States.
Mr.. Austin. who formerly was CHEZ
of the bureau of statistics OF the de-
partment OF commerce. said 1t was an
especially gratifying feature that In
dustrfsI mobilization had been accom-
plisned so quickly here to meet an
emergency. in view OF the fact that
the bulk OF this country's exports In
the future would have TO be in manu-
featured lines on account OF decreaS-
inK supplies OF raw materials available
for shipment to foreign markets
'"One Of the most important lessons
II the war to our industrial and imam
cisi interests" said he. ''is the case ana
rrou,ptness with which we have In
especially our expectation OF manufao-
lures The value OF them In the year
sust ended is three times as great as
In the year Immediately preceding the
war. while the quantity consumed al
home in view Of the great Industrial
activities of all sorts has also ma
terialiy increased. The total value or
manufactures exported In the calen-
aar year 1918 was Sl.i77, 900, 600. and
A.
zee Manufactures formed in 1sls
eniy ~ per cent OF cur total exports
IT domestic products. and in 1915 90
per cent OF the domestic exports
This suggestion as TO what we can
do in the enlargement OF our Indus
trial output for the foreign market
comes to us at an extremely oppor~
tune moment. The growth OF the ex-
port trade Of the United States has
-sees. a s.aa:tAs- OF SURPRISE 10 The whole
world and OF pride to our people. The
total exports of domestic products
grew from SAT- ,eo0.oo0 In the fiscal
year 1870, to ss26.ooo.ooe In 1880;
sr.37i 100000 In 1900. tI.71o. 100000
in 1910, and s2,42a.oeo.oeo In 1918,
the year just prior to the war. or
more than six times AS much In 1913
as in 1879. and nearly twice as much
as in 1900"
This great growth in American
commerce, Mr.. Austin said. vas no
particular credit 10 this country or TO
i,s enterprise as an exporting people.
He pointed out that Americas enor-
nous area. with it's varied climate and
vast supplies of agricultural and min
erai products. enabled II to produce
far in excess OF domestic requirements
the raw materials for which the world
was elamoring, namely. foodstufrs and
articles for use in manufacturing
especially cotton, mineral. and forest
cent period these natural products
formed the bulk q American exports.
however" heEsktinued. IT became
apparent that Our surplus of these nat
ural products. especially foodstuffs
wac becoming rapidly. we might say
alarrfingiy less. Foodstuffa which in
1880 formed 81 per cent OF our ex-
ports were but 40 per cent In 1900, and
81 per cent of the total exports Of
1913. The cutting up of our cattle
ranches In the West into farms for
homes OF our increasing population
was followed by great reduction In
the quantity of meats which we could
spare for export.
Fresh beef exported in the fiscal
year 1907 amounted to 2s2 100000
POUNDS. anu by 1914, the nsCHl year
ending Just before the beginning of
The war. was only 10000 pounds
while canned beef which in 1906 was
100000 pounds. WAS but 3,5oo. coo
pounds in 1914 Bacon fell from 1851,
oe0.000 pounds In 1906 to less than
200. 900, 600 pounds In 1919. and other
classes OF meats and live cattle fell off
In like proportion. Wheat exports
showed very striking reduction,
49, H. - ~, 49, al
10 educate our European friends to its
use in any considerable quantities hav-
ing 10 turn most of II into meats which
we have been In recent years -eduir
Ing chiefly for our own rapidly in
creasing population"
Mr.. Austin went on to say that the
falling of In exports OF these natural
products had not been due TO a lack
Of demand for them in other parts Of
the world. but merely to the lack OF
surplus in the United States This
country. he said. had reduced some
what its own production, while the
increase In domestic consuming popu-
iation brought the surplus which
could be spared for other countries To
very small total IN quantity OF
value Nor had the worfi shown @
Jack OF desire for these articles fo'
practically all domestic natural pro.
ducts had sold themselves without any
serious effort on our part 10 find mar
kets for them.
Cotton, 1t was pointed out. was thu
only important natural product o
which the American surplus had KEEP
pace with the worlds demand and. o
that single article among domestic
natural products. the United Slater
would probably continue to be thu
worlds source OF supply for man,
years. In all others OF the natura
products. this country requires a con
stantly increasing share for the use
Of IT'S own people.
The mea ming OF all this the falling
of OF our exports OF natural products
or At least the fail in the share which
natural products form Of our total ex-
ports 10 that II we are to maintain our
rank as an exporting nation and send
abroad enough OF our products to pay
for the articles which we must buy
from other Countries. we must In
crease vary greatly our exports OF
manufactures.
I'VE must have from abroad in the
future approximately 1000. 900, 900
vorth per Annum Of the products on
other countries. We cannot produce
within continental United States thu
great quantity OF tropical and sub.