The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-09-27
UNITED STATES
help TO REBUILD
WORLD RAILWAYS

The railroads of the, world are now
turning to- the United States for ma
terial with which to renew and en-
large their working plants. Our ex-
ports of railway material in the fiscal
year 1920 aggregated over $50, 0O0,-
900 in value as against $80,oOO,000 in
1918 and $25,000,000 in the year be-
fore the war.
The National City Bank of New York,
the worlds railways marked time"
to a very considerable degree during
the war, especially in new construc-
ton. Even in our own country the
number of miles of road constructed
in the six years since the beginning
of the war has been little more than
than of certain single years during
the period of our active railway con-
Struction. In Europe the construc-
ton of new roads was, of course, linn
tied by war demands and in many
cases the destruction far exceeded
the world which had relied chiefly
i upon Europe for financing new con-
Struction and supplying materials
therefor the industry of railroad
building came also to practically a
standstill, and the worlds railways
mileage emerged from the war period
showing but a small percentage Of
gain over that at its beginning.
1t is not surprising then, adds the
Banks statement, to find that our
exports of materials for railways in
1920 are six times as much in value
as in the year preceding the war.
Indeed the grand total of material
exported for railways would proba bly,
approximate, and perhaps exceed,
$500, 10000 if complete figures could
be obtained In certain lines such as
steel rails, other track materials,
locomotives, and cars, both freight
and passenger. exact figures are avail
able, but it is not practicable to de-
termine what proportion of the s25,-
nrtI Of ct nr
the 5000, 900 worth of metal work
ing machinery, exported in 1920 was
for the railways In locomotives
alone the total exports in the fiscal
against 100000 in 1919 and less
than s4,0O0,O0o in the fiscal year
1914, all of which preceded the war.
OF steel rails the total for 1920 was
$32,O00,ooo against s10,Ooo,0o0 in
1914 and of other track materials,
including frogs switches spikes,
and ties, exported in 1920 S12,OO0,-
900 against approximately $4,000
purposes show very large totals in
! the exports of 1920, $4,000, 900
against s13, 900, 600 in 1918, and s5,--
100000 in 1914.
This demand for new material for
construction or equipment of world
railways, adds the Banks statement,
| is especially interesting as an evil
dence of the worlds growing con-
| fidence in the quality of American
ma nufactures The calls for this
high grade product come from every
| direction OF the $50, 100000 worth
of freight cars for steam railways
exported in 1920 no less than s31,-
! 100000 worth went to France, SILL
| 100000 to Italy, and $4,000, 600
| to Cuba. OF the $50, 100000 worth
of steel rails exported in 1920, the
| distribution was much wider, s12,-
100000 worth to Japan, $5,O0O,O00 to
Cuba, s1,0O0,00O to China, including
! the leased territory of Kwang-tung.
$780, 900 worth to Brazil, s1,300,O00
to France. $2.oeo,ooo to British South
Africa, 81, 300. 900 worth to the
| Philippines, $1,500,000 worth to the
! Dutch East Indies, and three-quarters
| of a million dollars to Peru. OF the
| s4S, 100000 worth of LOGON olives ex-
ported in 1920 over. s6,G0G000 worth
went to Italy, s2,000,000 worth to
| France. s4.o00.000 to Cuba, $780,
| 900 to Brazil, s4,0O0,0O0 to China in
Guiding Kwang-tung. nearly million
dollars worth to Russia in Europe,
and one-half million dollars worth to
Russia in Asia. while our nearby
neighbors, Canada and Mexico, took
| about one-half millions dollars worth
| each.
This call from the outside world
| for s 100000 worth of high grade
| manufactures for use of railways is
! merely a part, adds the Banks state
ment of the growing world demand