New-York tribune., 1918-04-07

ala not quite see what was coming. by
February 10 it became more and more
clear that the Presidential proclama-
tions in America did not mean rigor-
Gus shutdown of the import of silk
into the United States, and the silk
market in japan showed the radical
change in sentiment by violent re-
bound in prices on the Silk Exchange.
Since then even trace of panicky
sales has completely vanished. But
there are a number of trades which
are not consoled by optimistic talks.
The toy industry serves an illustra-
ton.
Conquering Germany's
Toy Markets
The toy industry in japan has en-
Joyed tremendous boom since the
opening of the world war. With the
disappearance of the toys made in
Germany the call for Japanese TOYS
came from all over the world. In 1915
the total exports of our TOYS was
valued at about 4,533, 900 yen; in 1916
they rose to 7,640,000 yen, pretty near
~ lOO per cent, and in 1917 thew
mounted still higher. This is signif
cant, because in 1917 England shut
down on all importation of unneccs-
sary goods. In spite of this British
embargo the total toys Japan exported
that year were valued at s8.4O9 900 ven
ana the reason-the chief reason, any-
the United States. -0''
IN 1916 America bought 2.430 O0o
yenl's worth Of Japanese TOYS. In tbo
IIollowlng year her purchase of the
Japanese toys amounted to 3.790.O0O
yen. That was more than 40 per cent
OF the total export of the Jananeso
toys for that year. N''''e
Now comes this American regulation
OF imports through license. Tovs ara
bulky things. America is said to have
aeclded to take this drastic measure
iargely because she wishes to save as
na;1. naucn lrelght tonnage of ships and
rall|ay cars as possible-the tonnage
needed FOR the transportation of troons
and munitions. And there is no room room
Tor debate as to whether the TOYS are
aartllcles OF daily necessity or not.
Everything looks like midnight to the
toy makers in Japan lust now VIC
There is another line of trade which
Is Is, not at all happy-the mating tra,le
rms IS the second blow which it has
recently received. In 1916 the total
oSport e ao OF this line of goods reached
oo'1oo'o0O oo yen In 1917 it slid down to
11,I3o,oOo yen. The British trade cm-
Fargo 1i' nealth that blow. And unlike
.ne 10Y business, it could not find
ANOTHER market to make good the loss
The American regulation is tha Has. sec.
ond blow. Mating is not a yerv I'M
rortant article of Japanese export to
pe sure-that much is apparent from
the total of the annual sale. not on;to
3'oo0,0OO yen. What makes the Amer
lean trade regulation so vital to th;s
partlcu!ar business is this fact: That
the United States has been and is Cas
heeued IN so many other things) the
icaolne customer for this line of
japanese goods. In 1916 the American
amounted to 1,69O,OOo ven: ,ast 't('t.anE voaS
1T amounted to 100000. In both
years America took more than so nor
ccnI NJ or the total exports.
me Japanese papers which have
reached this city recently carry tho
news OF many cancellations Of orders
!or Japanese mating placed by Amor
lcan Importers. And that makes the
Japanese mating MANUFACTURED al
most desperate. They frankly dcclare
,hat IN case the American trade rern-
laton would reduce the amount of
american import of mating to ons-
nan OF the former years, then it means
nothing less than fatal blow to thc
''attlnss business in Japan.
another article which will be laroclv
anected by the American regulation is
matches. Since the Swedish nroduct
disappeared from the United States hee
cause OF the war conditions, Japancsc
matches have enjoyed period of nm.
preceden nted prosperity in this country
but If the War Trade Board were to
decree that the American demand
should be satisfied by the home nrod-
ucts, goodby for the dream Of Tho pcou- cou
guest of the American market hv
Japanese matches. For there "s 10 ny ny
question that matches take up much
space space both aboard ship and in
Iirelght car. And to tell the truth
the match manufacturers of .Jannn
you'd not get much sympathy even
from the Japanese themselves.
me unspeakably inferior grade of
matches with which the ret r;cbl
quick commercial thugs Aooded tho
american market is nothing short of
crime. 1t has done more to smirch
the fair name of Japanese merchants
than anything which has happened for
years,