Evening star., 1920-03-14
ADVANCE IN JAPANESE
FOREIGN TRADE SHOWN
Former Senator Burton Compares Figures
of 1918, Value $1,815,OOOOOO, With
$32,000,000 Reported in 1884.

that coal can be proftably exported
except in response to abnormal prices.
Vegetable oils were exported of a
value of si5.o0o.0oo Matches, in fur
nishing which there has been a phe-
nomenal gain. account for S14, 900. .oo0.
Sugar refining has become established.
and the product of the reflneries to the
abroad So"
iea' Porcelain and Minor Articles.
Inc export of tea reaches a value of
Sll.000,00o. but other countries. China
ana British India. are gaining upon
japan in furnishing this article.
forcelaln and earthenware are ex-
ported in rapidly increasing quanti-
Ties. Factories have been constructed
ae Nagoya for the express purpose of
catering to the American trade. Paper
| ooth Japanese and foreign. had a
very considerable sale in 1918.
Among minor articles, camphor. OF
| which the worlds best supplv ia in
| formosa. occupies a prominent place.
In the manufacture Of toys Japan has
taken the place Germany occupied
prior to 1914. Nearly all those re-
! Gently imported into the United States
| came from Japan.
Exhibit OF Imports.
AS regards imports into japan. raw
cotton is the largest; the value i'm
ported in 1918 was nearly $3.50, 900 900.
Second, iron and steel, including
rails. wire and nails, of a value of
more than $1eo.oo0.oO0. oilcake ranks
next. This article has had an en-
iarged use recently. Machinery Is IN
important item, and while Japan 10
eniargtng plants for it's manufacture.
there is every prospect that the i'm
portation will continue on a large
scale. This will be especially true of
machines having intricate mechanism.
like typewriters. sewing machines.
| cash registers, etc. Automobiles are
sure to have an increased demand.
and automobile trucks as WELL The
lack of good roads is the main OBJ
stacle. but highways are being I'M
proved. The ownership of an automo-
bile is coming to be regarded as a
badge of social distinction, and the
i h0AAOCE Will IHCECdSc dS WedIln IN
creases. Trucks will be required in
the place of man carriers and the
handearts which now crowd the
| streets.
With what countries will Japan
trade?
The United States is far in the lead
! Of any other country as a trader with
Japan. Just now it is the only lead
ing country with which exchange
| rates are normal. Considerably more
than one-third of all Japan's exports
have been taken by the United States
for the last three years, and there
| is every prospect that this propor-
| tion will continue. We buy from
| them raw silk. teas, vegetable oils.
| porcelain. earthenware. brushes and
| toys. They expect to send US lower
grades Of cotton goods. In return
! they receive cotton. OF which India
| has furnished the largest share, next
! the United States. then China; but
| in the first six months of 1919 ex-
ports from the United States exceeded
| in value those OF India. It is proba-
BILE that the lead will be maintained.
! because the longer staple of this
country is preferred. One disadvan-
| tage Of the American exporter is the
much higher freight rate from the
United States. Iron and steel, ma
chtnery. especially that which b au-
tomato or OF superior pattern: kero-
sene and chemicals Of the coarser,
type will be sent to Japan.
Eastern Trade Of o. 3. fn Steel
Will the United States retain its
supremacy in supplying iron and
steel? The countries Of western
Europe would seem to be out of
competition. at least for some time
But will Japan obtain a supply from
China or the continent of Asia? There
are furnaces in Korea and Manchuria,
and a large iron and steel works at
Hangyang, opposite Hankow, but
thus far their output is limited. While
it is admitted that there is an abun-
dance of coal in China, there is a
great difference of opinion about sup
plies Of iron ore. Numerous compe-
tent investigators have made unfa-
vorable reports. conceding that there
is a certain amount in Korea and
Manchuria. about 100000 tons on
the Yangtze below Hankow, and per-
haps a large amount near Marking,
control Of which the Japanese have
earnestly sought; but il is main
tanned that the mines are not readily
available and that much Of the ore
is Of inferior quality.
On the other hand. there are pro-
moters and engineers familiar with
the country who maintain that there
is an unlimited supply. An Official of
the United States bureau of mines
made an elaborate examination and
reported that there were 40o.o00.0o0
tons available in China. suitable for
modern furnaces. and an additional
800, ,000, 900 tons that might be treated
by native methods. These amounts
seem large. but their comparative in
sieniffcance is demonstrates when We
note that their total is less than seven
years production in the United States,
based on the amount mined In 1915.
Maybe. however. sunicient ore will be
found somewhere.
China is the next largest customer
Of Japan. The trade between the two
countries has been about two-thtrds
Of that between japan and the Unftsd
States. As to the future much WI
depend upon political relations be-
tween tho two countries. Tho growth
has been greatest in portions OF China
under japanese control, or In Japa-'