Evening star., 1926-03-07
RI JULIUS KLEIN.
Director. Bureau Foreign and Domestic
Commerce.

Director. Bureau Foreign and Domestic
Commerce.
With the leading nations of the
world headed toward greater stability
and good viii. we have much to hope
for as regards our further trade de
Nelopment. Although Europe is our
strongest competitor, she Is chletiy
SignitiCa mt to ms as our best customer,
taking over 80 per cent of our total
exports. Anything that improves her
purcha sing power, therefore, aids
materially our sales to her, which
totaled over 81 500 100000 of wheat,
cotton. tobacco. copper and manu-
features last year.
In spite of the depression in her
basic industries. January reports Ifoil
Great Britain reveal strongly laNof-
able financial factors in current con
ditions. with every prospect of most
vigorous drive for expansion or
foreign trade. High marks for
French industrial output continue TO
he recorded in various lines. Genera
business activity is indicated by the
record figures for bank clearings, but
business men and industrialsts are
still extremely cautious in view of the
ind7finite financial situation and the
,iso Of material. labor and tranSpor-
tation costs.
End of Depression Near.
In Germany the opinion of reliable
oh,orvnre seems to he that the end
ne the depression period is not far
away. and great hopes are placed III
the revival of the building Industry
with the coming of Spring ana IN
the anticipated increase In agrlcuiturai
labor employment. The faEorapie
financial position OF the l'aiiaI II
covernment and industrial expansion
has progressed steadily, as result
of economic stability.
General optimism prevails in re-
gard TO our South American trade
Cuha and Mexico. however. seem 10
no the more doubtful spots on the
latin American trade map-in the
coso of the former on account Oh
tho sugar depression and IN the a'-
to, hecause of continued polltlcal uh-
certaintieS
In the Far Ea stern field Japanese
conditions are improving rapidly. An
ontimistic undertone prevails IN emma
Government finances in lndla are
sound and public improvements are
Going ahead steadily. The import
bnsiness is good. particularly for man
ufactured goods. such as are imported
from the United States. Sales OF our
products to Australia sia and the Stralts
Settlements during 1928 showed a vast
Improvement over 1924.
Big Export Gain.
Our 1925 export figures. recording
a gain over 1924 of $31S,o00 900, or I
per cent. further substantiates our
high homes for increa sed foreign trade
this year Almost every class or man
ufactured articles has been exported
in greater quantity than ever before.
except in the imitation years, 1919 and
1920, with automobiles showing re-
markable increase of nearly 30 per
cent over 1924 figures. Crude mate
riaIs increased 13 per cent in value
and semi.manufactured and finished
articles each advanced about IL per
cent. Foodstuffs exports suffered
slight decline from 1924.
Export trade with South America
showed the largest relative gain.
amounting to 21.1 per cent over 1924
figures. while exports to Africa and
Oceania increased 26.7 per cent and
oil per cent. respectively. Although
the increase in our exports to Eu-
rope amounted to only Ga per cent.
this represented about S151 900 600. or
nearly one.half of the total increase in
value OF our eApDit u due WIFI
North America increased $50. 000, 900
which was slightly less than per
cent. In spite of the enormous increase
in our imports from Asia. exports to
that continent declined 100000, 900,
and were 81 per cent smaller than in
1924.
Import Situation.
Turning now to our imports, the
1925 increase of $61S, 900 900 reflects
the greater prosperity of the country.
with enhanced buying power for tropi-
cal and semi-tropiCal foodstuffs and
exotic raw materials. 1t is unfortu-
nately attributable also in considerable
part to marked advances in the prices
of n number of important articles.
such as rubber-which, for the first
time in our commercial history, takes
rank as our leading import, and which
resulted In the rise Of Asia, its source,