The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-04-18
GREAT DECLINE
 IN ALL IMPORTS

Europe's lack of exportable ma terial is plainly visible in the import figures of the United States. A com pilat1on of the National City Bank of New York shows that the imports of the United States from Europe fin the current fiscal year are the smallest In value in the past 20 years, despite the fact that prices of all articles are ehDormaIfy high.
 ~y-s4Its into the United States from Europe in the fiscal year 1919, which snds with the month of June, will be but about $300, 100000 against more %?pan $eoo,000, 900 in the calendar year 161z and an average of nearly $9OO,- 100000 in the three years preceding tho war. The total from Europe in the months ending February, the latest available figures, Is less than one-third that of the sa me period of 1913. the figures for the months ending with February 1"t9 being but S1s7, 7,s0o,67O against $628,497,666 in the months ending with February 1918.
 On tho other hand the imports from all other parts of the world show d marked increase. From North Amer lea. the imports of the 8 months end ing with February 1913 are S622,768,- o67 against s2S0,160,912 in the core ST sponding months of 1913; from South America $871, 1,266,945 against $15es sS7s,s2e in the 1913 period; from Asia S5S3. .432, 400. against S183,432,- 19S in 1918; from Oceania S139,871.- - so2 against 2s,2S1,5s7 In the 1913 period, and from Africa S309, PAS, or against $1S.0O8,5O1 in the same znonths of 1912,
 The fall off in the imports from Europe occurs in the trade of prac- ucally every country of that Contin- ent- From the Central Powers and European Russia, the imports of the months ending with February 1919 aggregated but little more than $2,- 100000 against $12O,OOO,0OO in the 1913 period; from the Scandinavtan n States about $6,OOO,0O0 against ap- proHmately $16,OO0. 900 in 1913; from Netherlands $6,11o, 1000 against SEA- 0s2,0oo in the 1918 period: from Trance 8Sy323,O0O against S127,154.- 900; from Italy $13.4S2,OOO against $?5,561,O00; from Switzerland S11,- 467,O00 against $16,585,OOO; from Spain s15,325,O0O against $15,59O,0OO and from the United Kingdom $84,- 7Gd, 900 against $21O,175,O 900 in the corresponding period Of 1913.
 
 These reductions occur in nearly all the important classes of material i'm ported from Europe and while it is not possible to state exact figures Of Imports by articles from Europe for the fractional year 1919 the fig ures for 1918 are suggestive as to the IHlCcipal articles affected in the 1919 figures. Art works, for example, inn ported from Europe in 1918 were but s8,47S, 900 against $32,494 900 in the fiscal year 1914; cotton embroideries in 1918 $1,308,OOo against s1O.617,OOO in 1914; cotton laces $5,168,O ,O0O against SIS, 66S, 900; decorated china ware $1.- 2O9,OOO against s6.505,O0O India Rubber (the product of European colonies) $13.24O,0O0 against s43,s68,- 900; cheese S548,0O0 against $1O.S54.- 900 in 1914; Champagne S2,168.OOO against $4,419. 900; silk ribbons s111.-I 000 against sS,112 900; artificial silk $82T,O00 against S4,O78, ,000; wooden cloths $4,036,OOO against s12,769,OO0 and wooden dress goods S919,OOO against $6.z5s, 900 in 1914