The Washington herald., 1918-07-04
BIG FUTURE IN
EXPORT TRADE
Holland Tells Of Wonderful
Progress and Greater
Outlook of u. S.

thought, while Independence Day Gel
ebrations are under way. that 1t has
been possible for the Federal authori-
ties 10 report that the United States
is now selling commodities whose
destination Is markets in other lands
than our own, the money value Of
which IL somewhat in excess of $780,
0oo.0oo a month. There was q time,
not many years ago. when our total
exports for q year were not IN ex-
cess Of u.ooo. 10000. Some years ago
our exports Of cotton for the entire
year were of the money value II al
most exactly 500 .0oo. 900. Now we have
found markets abroad which are abb
sorbing American commodities the
aggregate value Of which was last
year $500. .0oo,0oO.
OF course much of this heavy ex-
port represents purchases of supplies
and munitions by our allies across
the seas. Nevertheless we have m
creased our exports of other products
and the question now under serious
consideration at Washington and
with business organizations Is this:
Can We maintain after the war Is
over any considerable part of This
foreign trade after making allowance
for the decreased exports OF supplies
and munitions for the armies OF the
allies? Apparently we are to have the
ships for the great fleet now under
construction will be available for the
peaceful pursuits of commerce after
the war Is over Can we employ these
ships with, reasonable profit to their
owners? Is a question that has been
frequently asked, and some of the
leaders of business organizations De-
lieve that 1t will be possible to utilize
the majority of these ships provided
only, that the United States makes
adequate preparations for interaa-
tional trade after the war In ended.
More Manufacturers Than Food,
The great bulk of our heavily in.
creased exports is made up Of man
ufactured articles or of articles
partly manufactured and the statis-
tics furnished by Washington that
in 1916 raw material exported from
the United States amounted to only
about one fifth of the total exports.
We shall have therefore after the
war is ended a very great produc-
tive capacity. The experts say that
the output of our manufactures will
vastly exceed the domestic demands
for articles of this kind and that we
therefore must seek to market the
surplus in foreign lands.
More and more the attention Of
those who are studying this subject
is being concentrated upon the ia
cilities for maintaining and increas-
ing the commerce for which the
Panama Canal will offer facilities.
1t is one Of the two somewhat curl
Gus condolences from the, point of
time. associated with the beginning
of thesEuropean war, that the Pan
anna canal was opened to navigation
a short time before the war began
The other coincidence Is to be found
in the fact that our Federal Reserve
Banking system was organized and
put into operation with results that
have been highly gratifying, only a
few weeks before the Kaiser declar-
ed war on France ana Russia.
The men who are competent TO
give Judgment worth needing are
now convinced that the opening of
the Panama Canal for navigation
will, in addition to our abundant
supply Of shipping, enable US to
maintain and increase our foreign
commerce, after making due allow
ancs for the curtailment of that
closing of the war.
Lsmber from West Coast.
Western Canada will use the
Panama Canal and her Iumbermen
are already making arrangements
for shipments of lumber in enor-
nous quantities from the Pacific
Coast to the seaports on the At
lanttc, even estimating that this
lumber can be marketed in the Gen.
tral West at a price which can
command those interior markets.
That would be due to the low cost
of transportation from the Pacific
TO the Atlantic.
We shall have large expert trade
to Canada. but almost all of it will
cross on our northern boundary, not
much reaching Canada by way of
the Pacific Coast. But there is
South America and the Far East
wnere the greatest opportunities
for increasing our markets for
manufactured products will be dis
closed. Heretofore Germany and
Great Britain commanded much the
larger part of the South American
trade.
Germany has now lost her share.
and it is doubtful whether she will
be able to regain any considerable part
of il until long after the war Is ended,
il ever. The South American people
are becoming accustomed to American
manufactured products and our ex-
porters are learning how to increase
their markets by granting satisfactory
longtime credits and by establishing