The Colorado statesman., 1917-03-10
Uncle Sans Experts See Great
Improvement in Foreign
Trade Conditions
LESS TALK and MORE ACTION
United States Is Now Buying Raw Ma
teriaI Abroad and Manufacturing
1t Here for Re-Export to
Europe.

The outstanding feature in the for
eign trade situation, up to this time,
of the United States, has been the in
tiles, according to Uncle Sans experts
in the bureau of commerce.
During the first year of the Euro
pean war, they point out, great en-
phasis was placed upon the opportuni-
ties of the merchants and manufactur-
ers of this country to engage in foreign
trade. In this agitation, however, it is
said, there was much that was unstable
and vague, much that smacked of loose
thinking and glittering generalities.
Recently, however, distinct change
has taken place. There has been less
unproductive talk and fewer dinners
have been devoted to the subject. More
capital has been put into actual, tan
gible development, more statesmen
have been sent out, longer credit terms
have been extended and on more care
full basis. Interest in foreign trade,
has not been confined to manufactur-
ers and merchants, but has been shared
by banks, universities, colleges, stu
hChlo anu liiC SthSl a. puDiAN' IHNSS
are the conclusions that Uncle Sans
experts have reached who are continu-
ally making careful study of this one
matter.
Third in Exports Before War.
Not only, they say, have there been
. changes in our general attitude toward
foreign trade, but there have appeared
certain fundamental changes in our
foreign trade situation. Prior to the
European war the United States was
the third exporting nation of the world.
England and Germany exceeded this
country in the volume of their exports
and also in the total volume of their
foreign trade. 1t is evident, therefore,
that the United States, contrary to the
prevailing impression, did play sig
nificant role in the international trade
of the world. Ours was not only
considerable part, but 1t had, for
number of years before the beginning
of the European war, been a rapidly
increasing part in international trade.
1t should be observed, however, the
experts state that raw materials, food
stuffs, and unfinished products played
by far the most important part in our
exports, and that manufactured goods,
on the other hand, played very con-
siderable part in our imports. The
situation, during the past year, how
ever, has shown a genuinely striking
change. Our total foreign trade, and
especially our exports, has increased
at a great rate. The United States
has had a foreign trade greater than
any other country during any year.
There has also been a marked shift
ing in the character of our foreign
trade. Most important of all, perhaps,
is the great increase in our exporta-
tions of manufactured goods and the
decrease in our importations of such
goods.
Now Import Raw Materials.
The experts point out that there is
no reason for anxiety over our imports.
The increase has been unprecedented,
but it has been of most satisfactory
character. For instance, 1T is stated,
the group of crude materials imported
during the past year for use in manu-
featuring showed an increase of $311,-
100000, and the bulk of these crude
materials do not compete with prod
ucts of home industries. For the most
part, it is pointed out, they are ma
terials that are not produced in suf-
ficient quantities to meet the demands
of our domestic manufacturers. Be
fore the beginning of the war con-
siderable quantity of these materials
were used in Europe to manufacture
finished goods for sale to us. Condi-
tions have so changed that we not only
find it profitable to do this manufac-
turing ourselves, but actually have en-
gagged in manufacturing some of the