The Colorado statesman., 1917-06-09
United States Finally Introduces
Habit Into Almost Every
Country.
GREAT INCREASE IN EXPORTS
Total Foreign Sales for the Fiscal
Year 1917 500 Times as Large
as in 1894, Uncle Sam
Reports.

Well over S1,00OO00 worth of
American chewing gum will reach for
eign buyers in the current fiscal year,
according to estimates made ut the
bureau of foreign and domestic com
merce, department of commerce.
During the first nine months of the
fiscal year the shipments aggregated
S926,500 in value or more than $780,
900 a month; and, If kept up, will
make for the complete year a total
trade 500 times as large as in 1894,
when chewing gum first appeared as u
separate item in the published official
statistics.
The chewing of gum chicle is a
habit peculiar to the United States,
and its introduction into other coun-
tries has been slow. In 1894 exports
totaled $2,65S, only &c drop to $1,709
I'm 1895 and $3.50 in 1896, and to dis
appear altogether in 1897. In 1898
the trade revived, with shipments
amounting to $S05. The next year
witnessed a jump to S19,991, but this
figure could not be maintained, and
exports in 1900 amounted to but $S,-
725, in 1901 to $11,6S6, and in 1902 to
$9,062. Since that date the trade has
experienced sundry ups and downs, ex-
ports amounting in 1903 to S27 7,242 !;
in 1904, to $10,S65; in 1905, to $14,-
923; in 1906, to $16,431; in 1907, to
$25, ,223; in 1908, $24, 131; in 1909, $42,-
S06; in 1910, 500, ,4S3; in 1911, $780,
100; in 1912, $164,311; in 1913, $780,
Oh; in 1914, $17S,630; and in 1915,
$2S1, ,433. In 1916 the trade more than
doubled, reaching a value of $574, ,423,
and this record total has already been
surpassed in the first nine months of
1917.
Spreads All Over Globe.
The use of American chewing gum
has gradually spread until this confec-
fion is now found in every quarter of
the globe. OF the exports in 1901,
$4,711 worth went to Europe, S3,S21 to
ica, S297 to Asia, $1,029 to Oceania,
and 81, ,423 worth to Africa.
In 1915 the shares of these six grand
divisions were Europe $96949, North
America S52, 800, South America $5,-
030, Asia $3,424, Oceania S116432, and
Africa $6,169; in 1916, Europe S251,-
O5S, North America $66,16S, South
America $54,3S4, Asia So, ,463, 0ceania
$160310, and Africa $1,000; in 1917
(first nine months of fiscal year), Eu-
rope S696,040, North America $103,-
997, South America $17951 Asia S14,-
53S, Oceania $7SO2O, and Africa $16,-
o05.
While chewing gum is neither muni-
tion nor ration, the increased exports
TO Europe during the past two years
have generally been attributed to the
soldier" demand, and official statis-
tics bear out this view, as the Euro
pean shipments went principally to
England and France.
Industry Is Big One.
enumerations, of the. output of chew
ing gum with the production of ICON
fecdonery" of all kinds no figures of
the extent of this industry in the
United States can be given; but no
official data are needed to convince
one that the foreign trade forms mere
ly a small fraction of the total busi-
ness done by American chewing-gum
producers. Some idea of the output
can be gained, however, from the i'm
ports of chicle gum.
Perhaps S,250,000 pounds could be
taken as a fair present-day average of
the amount annually used by the Amer
team industry quantity that would
make 175.O00.000 fve-cent packages.