New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-05-24
TRADING With EAST
indian MARKETS
They Get Speed (Autos) Of U. S.;
Ne Get Their Pepper

United States with Netherlands and
its East Indian Colonies has shown
rapid changes since the beginning of
the war With Netherlands the
trade has fallen to one-fourth of the
normal and with its East Indian col
onles the trade at the present time is
10 times as much as in the years pre-
Cedlng the war. a compilation by the
National City bank of New York
SHOWS that the imports from the
Netherlands in the months ending
with March 1918, are but IA million
dollars against % millions in the same
months Of 1917 and the exports to
the Netherlands but II million dollars
against SO millions in the correspond
ing months OF 1913. On the other
hand, direct imports from Dutch East
Indies in the months ending with
March 1918, are approximately IS
million dollars against less than
millions in the corresponding months
Of 1913, and the exports to the is
lands approximately l 8 million dollars
against less than u millions in the
corresponding months of 1913.
This radical change in the trade
with the Netherlands and it's East In
dian colonies, due in part to changes
in shipping facilities, and in part to the
large inrrease in production in the
Dutch East Indies of articles required
in the United States, has occurred
chiefly in the last two years. Neither
lands had been a large importer of
merchandise from the United States,
both for its own use and for resale to
the interior of Europe, and with the
restrictions placed upon the move
ments to that country of the class of
merchandise which would be desired
by the Central Powers, the exports
from the United States to the Neither
lands showed a marked fall, from
SOL, 1872, 900 in the nine months end
ing with March 1915, to ST., 428,OOO
in the corresponding months Of 1915
$50, 600 in the same months of
1917, and but 81, 035,O 900 in the cor
responding period ending with March
1918.
Formerly much of the products of
the Dutch East Indies Netherlands
principal colony, reached the United
States by way Of the mother country |
Netherlands, but with the disarrange-
ment in shipping, the tendency was to
send the merchandise direct from the !
place Of production in Java, Suma~
ira, or the adjacent island of that |
group, to the ports Of the United |
States by the shortest available route |
At the same time, the production of
rubber in Java and Sumatra greatly |
increased, and as the United States
was the worlds largest market for
India rubber, the exports of that |
article direct from the Dutch East |
Indies to the United States greatly in
creased, and the shipments of rubber |
-o4l,
States fell Off In the full fiscal year |
1914, all of which preceded the war,
our total imports Of rubber direct |
from the Dutch East Indies were less |
than one-half million pounds; in 1915 |
4 millions; in 1915 20 millions; and !
in the calendar year 1917 so million |
pounds. On the other hand the i'm
ports of India rubber from Neither |
lands, presumably the production of |
her East Indian colonies, fell from !
1928, 1895 lbs. in the fiscal year 1913 |
to 390,703 lbs. in the calendar year
1915, and to 65.4S4 lbs. in the cal |
endar year 1917. Tin imports from |
Netherlands and her colonies show a |
somewhat similar condition, the i'm
ports of tin direct from the Dutch |
East Indies having been in the fiscal |
year 1914 only 5000 lbs; in 1915 !
3, 900 lbs; in 1916 14,226,OOO lbs, |
and in the calendar year 1917 81 !
6S6, 900 lbs, while the imports of tin |
direct from the Netherlands fell from |
1928, 900 lbs. in the fiscal year 1918 |
to $4,000 lbs. in 1915, and nothing in |
1915. Pepper, imported direct from |
the Dutch East Indies, was in 1914 |
but 1 IL million pounds and in 1916 |
16 million pounds.
The increase in the direct trade |
with tho Dutch East Indies occurred |
IN both exports and imports. For the |
full calendar year 1917 the exports to |
those islands were million dollars |
against less than 3 millions in 1914. |
and the direct imports from the Dutch |
East Indies in 1917 SO million dollars
against little over millions in 1914
The increase in the exports to the is |
lands included especially automobiles |
cotton goods and manufactures of !
iron and steel. The automobiles sent |
to the islands in the calendar wear
1917 were in number 2,273 against !
403 in 1915, and the value in 1917. |
S2,2l5, 900 against >270,OOO in 1915. |
Wire nails in 1917 aggregated more |
than half million dollars in value |
and in 1915 $220,0O0: galvanized |
sheets and plates over 9 million dol
lars in 1917 against u millions in
1915. Tinplate in 1917 20 million
dollars against 6 millions in 1915, and
lubricating oil nearly million gal
Ions in 1917, against 1 1-3 millions in
1915. In the exports to the Nethe-
lands the fall off has occurred prin-
clpally in raw cotton and foodstuffs,
and in the imports from that coun-
try there has been a marked reduc-
ton in the class of materials produced
in her colonies.