Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-09
Continued from Third Page ,

Oriental commerce as among one of the
great mileStones of Its development al
most as significant in a way as the
opening up of japanese trade by Com
modore Perry, the PRONUNCIATION of that
first American-Chi treaty of 1874
or John Hays historic announcement
1t should, therefore, be matter of pro-
found qualification to us that America
once more has taken the leadership in
bridging the Pacific with the bonds OF
effective, mutually helpful commerce.
Great Transition Period.
The confusion of Chinese affairs In
recent years probably has filled many
OF us with more or less bewildered dis
couragement as to the general outlook
for that land Of pagodas, mandarins and
missionaries, of seemingly endless
"Changs" or "Chiangs" among its gen.
erals, Of secret subtleties and crafty for
eign intrigue, all bound up in a weller
of unpronouncable geographical names
The "changeless Orient" and "impas-
sive East" have certainly passed into
history in the course of this truly mo-
mentous transition period, which with
startling vividness has wrought profound
transformations in many basic social
and economic elements. Time-worn
incrustations of custom, age-old shells
of traditions are beginning to crumble
under the vibrations and pressure OF the
new life; modern methods and modern
viewpoints are certainly penetrating the
ancient molds.
The commercial history of the world
has been story of frontiers, of pioneer
traders adventuring ever westward In
search nf lorAc ,.;o Ie
and new markets. This movement
started from China, the oldest highly
developed civilization of history, strug-
gled' through into Persia and the an
cient empires of Asia Minor and Egypt
started Macedonia and Greece on their
careers, made Rome the mistress of the
world and established Europe as the
center of western civilization. But the
urge was steadily westward and always
with the pressure of the search for new
trades. Finally the hazardous gap of the
Atlantic was spanned and America be-
came the great frontier of the merchant
Adventures. Then came the westward
march across the continent, always
with traders in the van. eliminating In
the construction OF the tranScontinental
railways and the Panama Canal.
Circle Now Is Complete.
Now the circle is complete. The last
great frontier has been conquered and
we come to a new era of world history
so dramatically prophesied by Sewai &
at the time of his negotiations for the
purchase of Alaska.
At last western civilization is init
mately and 4 sctly in contact with the
goal of Marco Polo, of Christopher Co.
lumbus and Magellan, OF the Cabots
, and Henry Hudson and OF scores Of
other valiant spirits.
With such a truly dramatic setting
it Is not surprising that the recen
striking developments have been quite
in keeping with the traditions Of thu
past. Indeed, one of the outstanding
developments OF our postwar com
! ton is concerned, is the literally
! astounding growth of our trade will
China i'm spite of all civil disorders
descriptions and general uncertainty
| Among our Is leading markets abroad
China has registered. since the Openin:
of the war the third largest percentage
I OF gain In our exports, having beer
exceeded therein only by Japan ant
Australia
Our sales to the Eastern republic
including. of course, the ports of Hong
kong and Daifen, averaged 3l.4 millions
OF dollars each year during l9l0-l9l4
they reached 1870 millions in 1921
Though they fell off somewhat las
! year,, an increase of $40 per cent. With
such record in spite of constant dis
ccuragements and disruptions. one cal
we'll imagine what will be the develop
ment as soon as conditions become NOR
nearly normalized and public order NOR
widely maintained in that region.
Picture Not One Sided.
Nor is the picture entirely one sided
| China's sales to the United States hav
grown even more rapidly in this tint
having increased from 38.5 millions +
1853 millions. or. as in the case of on
exports, more than $40 per cent. Thi
has given her ninth place In the list o
our foreign sources of merchandise, ia
ahead Of such important trading ma
tons as Italy. Argentina, India, Mexico
Australia ard spain.
Equally significant with these rathe
striking figures is the fact that tn
relative importance of China in on
commerce in both directions has regist
) cred a substantial gain. She took onl
, per cent of our exports in pre-wa
years, whereas her average share durin
( l92l-l925 was "a per cent. Similiarl.
[ in the matter Of imports she supple
S us with slightly more than 2 per Ger
S of our total incoming commerce durin