The Washington herald., 1919-05-29
IMPORTS SHOW
PROSPERITY
Growth IN Past 5 Years
Is Without Parallel,
Says Holland.


April In this column. reference was
made a day or two ago to the as
founding money value of our April
exports. and an attempt was made
70 show what meaning lay behind
these figures Now. it is worth while
10 call attention to our April imports
and the meaning which lies behind
these extraordinary figures.
II Is true that in the month of April.
lslS the money value of our imports
was in excess OF that of our exports
Tor April of this year. But the ex-
cess was trifing. amounting only to
6.OOO.OO0 in round numbers. 1t was
also probably due to some unusual
circumstance.
Those who have studied the figures
which Washington has made public,
have read with some wonder, even
anazement. those which tell of the
money value of our exports in April,
S5o.oeo.oo9. There should also be like
wonder. amazement and even gratifi-
cation that the money value Of our
imports for April was in round num-
bers S273. .00o.00o. This. of course. leaves
n large international trade balance
for the month in favor of the United
States approximately Sl5oooo.ooo.
Record without Equal
When it is recalled that in April.
1914. the money value of our imports
was s11. .O0O 900 in excess of the like
value of our exports. then. comparing
these figures with those OF April. 1913.
it will be easily realized how unpre-
cedented in the history of the worlds
international trade has been the
change in five years.
Even as recently as April. 1915. the
value of our imports was only $780,
100000. But the effect of the war is
to be recognized in the money value
OF our exports for that month. which
was nearly 800. 900. 600, or almost two
times greater than the money value
OF our exports for April a year ear
lier. The overwhelming demand which
came from our allies for war mate
nal and for food explains this sud-
den and great jump in the twelve
months between April 1915 and April
1915.
The New story of Imports.
We began to import heavily. even
in unprecedented amounts. in the
year 1917. for in the month of April
of that year. the value OF commodI-
ties We purchased in other lands
was S253.O0O. 900. Now in April. 1919.
the value of our imports was $273-
100000. The experts who have been
watching the movements of foreign
commerce are confident that the
value of our imports in May and in
June may be found to be as great
as $500 900. 900.
The extraordinary feature which
can he discovered in a study of
these figures is to be found in the
fact that, although the war was
in progress a year ago. now the
war is ended. our manufacturers
and importers bought in other lands
IN April commodities of the value
uf S2-3.0Ge.0Oe.
But our Importers and manufac-
tUrers have not been able to buy
very much in France. only very
little in Belgium, and in comparison
with purchases made in other years.
a small amount in England. Where
then. did these greatly enlarged inn
ports originate. and what is the
meaning that lies behind them?
In the first place. they tell a story
of the needs of the American manu-
faCturers. For instance. there is
rubber. The rubber industry in the
United States is expanding enorm-
ously. One of the rubber companies >
is establishing new and enlarged
plants in the rubber fields in the
Far East. The United States pro-
duces no rubber and must now, and
probably always. depend upon raw
material from the rubber planta-
tions of South America and the Far
East.
Hides In Great Demand.
Then. too. there are hides. The
demand for leather in the United
States is increasing rapidly, and the
manufacturers of leather goods, and
especially shoes, have been COM
PEELED to import hides in large
amounts. One manufacturer of
shoes in ST. Louis reports a larger
output at present than ever before,
and is seriously considering estab-
fishing a new and additional plant
across the Mississippi river in IL
Iinois.
When. after the close of the fiscal
year. the government is able to re-
port in detail our commodity imports
the statistics will undoubtedly tell of
an enormous increase in imports of
raw material from South America,
from the Far East. and also from
some of the countries which were
neutral in the days Of war Then.
too. we are importing heavily from
Canada. Therefore. all the world
which is capable of furnishing raw
material Is now supplying the United
states with steadily increasing
amounts OF these commodities. That
means that our Industrial activity is
progressing upon a scale never before
realized. and is producing commodi-
ties which. in manufactured forms
are herafter to be exported in large
quantities and also will meet the de-
mand in an unprecedented domestic
market
The Ideal Condition.
II 1t were possible substantially to
import in money value as much as we
export. then an ideal international
trade condition could be established
Therefore, every report which comes
from Washington which tells of an
increase in the money value of our
imports is regarded with qualification.
because such increase will, to some
extent, offset our exports.
Undoubtedly it will be possibIe
within a few weeks after June 3n
when the present fiscal year ends to
make a report of our international
trade which will contain figures which
will almost stagger the Imagination.
And not the least gratifying of these
figures will be those which show a
rapid increase in the money value and
the quantity OF our imports Of conn
modities sold to us by people of other
lands. HOLLAND.
CURB MARKET.