New Britain herald., 1918-11-01
PACIFIC BECOMING GREAT TRADE ROUTE
Exports From West Coast h.
 crease 70 Per Cent. in Year

New York, Nov. 1-Trade across the Pacific is now receiving special at
 tention of those engaged in our for
 eign commerce. Whether this is due
 to the dangers of navigation on the
 Atlantic or the withdrawal of vessels on the eastern frontage for war serv- ice, it is at least certain that prac- tically all gains in trade. now being of foially~reported occurred on the Pacific frontage. A compilation by the Ma tional City bank of New York shows that exports of the Pacific coast ports
 in the seven months ending with
 July, 1918, show an increase of 70 per
 cent. when compared with the cor
 responding months of 1917, while those of the Atlantic show fall of duction of about A per cent. and
 those of the northern border ports a loss of z per cent In the imports the gains of the Pacific ports are also striking, showing an advance of about
 90 per cent over last year. while
 those of the Atlantic show fall of about per cent, and those of the
 border ports also show a Slight gain
 only frontage which shares the gain
 of the Pacific coast is that of the Gulf of Mexico, which shows gain Of 20 per cent. in exports but a slight decline in imports, while the Mexican border ports also show a cight gain in both imports and exports.
 Whether any considerable part of this gain in the business of the Pacific is due to a mere disposition of commerce to keep away from the areas infested by the subnlaries cal be determined by a study of the trade with the principal countries and frand divisions. In the trade of the United States with Europe, the figures show an actual fall off in imports and ex- ports. Tn the trade with South America the imports show a marked>l decline, but the exports a slight in crease. while in the trade with Asia and Oceania, both imports and ex- ports show startling gains. The recorded exports to Europe in the seven months are but S2,2oS, 100000 against $2,46O,0 100000 in the samo months of last year, while the imports from that continent fall from s264,- 000,O in the seven months of 1917. to $2O4, 100000 in the same months of the current year. To South Amer cia gains in exports is $9,o00,O00 and falls to imports $3O,0O0,O 900 but to Asia there is a gain of $34, 100000 in the seven months when compared with those of the same months of last year, while the imports from Asia show @ gain of $S9,0oo,oo0 for the same comparative period. With Oceania conditions are even more striking, the exports to Oceania show ing a gain of S31, ,000,0 900 in the seven | months of 1918. and the imports 1 therefrom an increase of $50,000,00 l over the corresponding period of last ! year. Imports from Asia show | in, of fro Oceania over 100 per cent, while ex- ports to Asia whom a gain of 15 per l cent. and those to Oceania an in l crease of over 50 per cent.
 The chief gains in the trade with | Oceania are with Australia. New Zealand and the Philippines Ex- l ports to Australia in the seven | months of this year are $44,00o,000 i against $29,000,000 in the same | months of last year, and to the l Philippines s3o,obo,ooo against ST. 0o0,000 in the same months of last l year. The imports from. Australia in | the current year are $39 9,000, 900 ] against less than $10.000,00o last l year; from New Zealand nearly s11, 1 100000 aginst s4.0O0,O0O last year, l and from the Philippines $42,000,000 | against $3O,0O0,O00 in the same | months of last year.
 In the commerce with Asia the l chief gains occur in the trade with ! Japan. China and India. the gains in the exports being $9,000,000, to In dia $8,00O,000 and to Japan $95,00o,- 900: the increase in the imports from China $2,000,O00, from India $7,o0O- 900, from Straits Settlements $40,000,- 900, and from Japan $38,000,OOO. Tha gains in the imports from Straits Set dement's is apparently due to the fact that most of the rubber coming from that colony is now sent direct by way of the Pacific instead of going by way of London, since the rubber ac- credited to Straits Settlements shows an increase of about $30,0O0,000 while that from Great Britain shows a fall of about $3S, 100000.
 The largest increase in the imports from Japan occurs in soya bean oil, silk, tea and rice, while there is also considerable gain inc the imports from Japanese leased territory in
 oil