New-York tribune., 1918-04-07
Japan Adjusts Itself to the New
United States Trade Regulations
Merchants Of Nippon Are Cheeed by the Belief That America
Needs Their Silk and Tea-Oher Industries May Suffer
BY Adachi kinnosuke

By Adachi kinnosuke
Japan is convinced that the United
States cannot get along without silk
that silk, to the American, is about as
essential an article of clothing as cot
ton is to the Japanese. Perhaps the
wish was father to the thought. The
fact stands, nevertheless. And that
was the anchor which held the COM
mercial and financial circles of Japan
from drifting into mad panic when
the news of the Presidential proclama-
tions on the control of the American
export and import trade by putting
them under license reached Japan.
After the first shock, which threw
everything into chaos, Japan took de-
cidedly optimistic view of it. Official
circles in Toxic did everything to en-
courage the rosy view. The cabled
message from the Washington embassy
to the Foreign Office in Toxic trans
mitting the news of the Presidential
proclamations in putting the foreign
trade of the United States under H.
cense control of the War Trade Board
emphasized the fact that the Wash
ington government was doing this thing
not to hurt the 'Ntnrosts engaged in
foreign trade of the United States, but
simply from the imperative need of
economy in matters of freight tonnage
and also to conserve the material re-
sources of the United States and more
especially to prevent them from falling
into the hands Of the enemy. There
fore, so ran the japanese official COM
ment on the American act, the Japa-
nese-American trade will not be dis
astrously affected by it.
Silk Premier Articles
Of Japanese Export
Then there was another thing which
inclined Japan to an optimistic view
At the time the Shipping Board of the
United States and the ship owners of
Japan were about to come together
over the long drawn-out and tortuous
negotiation for the purchase of the
Japanese merchant tonnage and the
lifting of the American embargo on
steel exports. Japan thought that if
she were to turn over all the ships
which she could possibly spare to the
United States America would answer
this act of no small financial sacrifice
on the part Of Japan with a decidedly
generous consideration for her inter
ests in trade matters.
The first thing Japan thought in
connection with the American action
was silk. That is natural enough. Silk
is the premier article among all the
export goods Of Japan. Of the total
exports Of Japan, amounting to more
than 1,603,000,000 yen, silk, raw and
manufactured, accounted for over 423,-
$4,000 yen. And America is and has
been for years Japan's chief customer
for silk.
1t is an article of luxury, to be sure.
Still, as the prime end of the Amer-
can action was to save the tonnage for
the transportation of her soldiers and
war supplies to Europe, silk should not
be blackballcd to any severe extent.
1t is not at all bulky; neither is it
heavy. 1t does not affect the ship space
very much either way.
But the way the raw silk export has
been running through the month Of
January. 1918. was q source Of worry.
The total value of it was estimated at
a little over 100000 yen. In Jan
uary, 1917, it stood at little more
than 20,892,000 yea. 1t showed a de-
crease of more than 4,782,OO0 yen for
the month.
The United States took in January.
1917. over 20,376,5OO yen's worth. In
January, this year, less than 14,428, 500
yen's worth. That is quite fall. AS
can be seen from the figures, japanese
silk exports to other countries do not
amount to anything at the present
time. In this highly important item Of
Japanese export the United States is
not only the star customer. but prac
tically the whole show. There was
nothing strange. therefore, that the silk
exchange ut Yokohama behaved some