The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1917-06-08
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 100000 worth of
American chewing gum will reach for
eign buyers in the current fiscal year,
according to estimates made at the
bureau of foreign and domestic COM
merce, department of commerce.
During the first nine months Of the
fiscal year the shipments aggregated
$685. 800 in value or more than $780,
600 a month; and, if kept up, will
make for the complete year total
trade 500 times as large as in 1894,
when chewing gum first appeared as
separate item in the published official
statistics.
The chewing of gum chicle is
habit peculiar to the United States,
and it's introduction into other coun-
tries has been slow. In 1894 exports
totaled $2,659, only to drop to $1,709
in 1895 and $3.50 in 1896, and to dis
appear altogether in 1897. In 1898
the trade revived, with shipments
amount to $S05. The next year
witnessed jump to $19,991, but this
figure could not be maintained, and
exports in 1900 amounted to but ST.
725, in 1901 to 81, csc, and in 1902 to
$9,062. Since that date the trade has
experienced sundry ups and downs, ex-
ports amounting in 1903 to $27, 242;
in 1904, to $10,S65; in 1905, to $14,-
923; in 1906, to 16,431; in 1907, to
$25, 223; in 1908, $24, in 1909, $42,-
sos; in 1910, $53,493; in 1911, $780,
129; in 1912, $164,311; in 1913, $780,
944; in 1914, $178,63O; and in 1915,
1921 ,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-
ton is now found in every quarter of
the globe. Of the exports in 1901,
SAIL worth went to Europe, 1881 to
North America, $3O5 to South Amer
lea, 1927 to Asia, $1,O29 to Oceania,
and 81 ,423 worth to Africa.
In 1915 the shares of these six grand
divisions were Europe $96,949, North
America $52,S29, South America So
$50, Asia So, 424, Oceania $116,432, and
Africa 5000; in 1916 Europe $751;
058, North America $66, 1853, South
America $54,3S4, Asia $50, 1853, Oceania
$160,310, and Africa $1,000; in 1917
(f1rst nine months of fiscal Year,, Eu-
rope 1896, O49, North America $103,-
997, South America $17,951, Asia $14,-
53S, Oceania $7S,020, and Africa $751;
O05.
While chewing gum is neither NUM-
ton 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.
Because of the inclusion, in census
ing gum with the production of "con-
fectiOnery" 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 small fraction of the total bust
ness done by American chewing-gum
producers. Some idea of the outpat
can be gained, however, from the i'm
ports of chicle gum.
Perhaps S,25O,OO0 pounds could be
taken as fair present-day average of
the amount annually used by the Amer
lean industry-a quantity that would
make 175,OO0OO0 fve-cent packages.