The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-01-26
U. S. COMMERCE
WITH COUNTRIES
Exports In 1921 Exceeded Those OF
1918, Thereby Refuting Demo-
cratic Argument

The newly elected Democratic ma
tional chairman, former Congressman
Hull, of Tennessee, has on two or
three recent occasions. publicly alleg-
ed that because the United States re-
fused to Join the league Of nations
and is refusing to enter into any inter-
national economic agreement whereby
it is to give away its markets to fore
ign producers and agree to d caacell-
alton of foreign loans, it has become
economically and commercially isolat-
ed and is losing the markets of the
world.
Mr.. Hull attributes all of the indus
trial and agricultural depression of
the past year to the allegation that
neither the American manufacturer
nor the American farmer has been
able to sell his products abroad. be-
cause of Americas i~nsistefce upon
maintaining it's nationality and refus-
ing to become a Santa Claus for the
bankrupt countries of Europe.
Mr.. Hull's diagnosis of the situation
belongs to that category of things that
are classified as important, il trUe."
Unfortunately for his Democratic
theory, the facts are all against him.
The Department of Commerce has just
issued data upon foreign trade for the
year 1921. This data is in the form
of comparative tables for the years
1921 and 1913,--the latter being chos-
en- because il was the last year or
normal conditions throughout the
world, as the outbreak of the European
war, on August, 1914, pafalyzed world
commerce for the last five months OF
that year, and no conditions since
the outbreak Of the war have been
normal.
These statistics show that American
exports to Europe ia 1921 were $2,2S0,-
000, 900; In 1919 they were $500, 000,-
900; excess of foreign exports in 1921
over 1913, $3.50, 900 900.
Coming to the Western hemisphere,
the statistics show that for The year
1913 we exported to Mexico, Cuba, Cen
trail America and all of South America
goods in the value of S30S, 000, 600. In
1921 our exports to those portions of
the Western hemisphere amounted to
$737 ,000, 900. or more than double our
foreign trade in 1913,
Coming to the Far East, we find that
we exported to China in 1913 goods to
the amount OF $25, SOC, 200. In 1921
our exports to China amounted to
$4,000, 900. Our exports to Japan in
1913 were $62, 500, 900. In 1921 they
were 1920, 900 900. To British India
in 1913 we sold $11, 200, 900 worth of
goods. In 1921 we sold British India
$50 600, 900 worth of goods. In 1913
our exports to the Dutch East Indies
were S3,35S, goo. In 1921 they we're
$31 800, 900.
Australia and New Zealand in 1913
purchased $50, 100000 worth of goods
from us. In 1921 their purchases
amounted to SOS. 000, 900.
In 1913 we exported to Greece goods
in the sum of S1,102, 900. In 1921 u
exports to Greece amounted to $30,"
900 900.
In 1913 we sold to the Turkish peo-
pie goods to the value or SO, 629, 900.
In 1921 we sold the same people goods
20 the value of $24, roc, 900.
II should be noted in connection
with these figures that all of Russia.
Germany to a very great extent until
the last few months, and practically
all OF central and southeastern Europe
which was embraced In the former ma
lions of AustraH Hungary and the sew
eral Balkan states are in such chaos
and poverty that their markets are
nil, cutting little or no figure either
in the imports or exports of this coun-
try. All of these countries were very
liberal patrons of American goods
prior to the European war.
In other words, even with them out
OF the market, the United States sold
more goods abroad in 1921 than it did
in 1913. These facts play hob" with
the Democratic argument that Ameri-
cas- refusal TO enter the league OF
nations has isolated her commercially
and ruined her foreign markets, but
facts are very difficult things to an
swer.