Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-12
Continued From Third Paee.)

America, which is more than seven
times as opulous-greater even, than
England's exports to the whole of nom
British North America, including the
West Indies.
United Kingdom Imports.
The United Kingdom supplies ap-
proximately one-haf Of the imports OF
British India, South Africa and New
Zealand; about 43 per cent of those of
Australia, and Is per cent OF Canada s
purchases from the outer world. And
In this connection 1t is well to note that
the British share Of world exports is
probably not more than 10 or IL per
cent.
Some indication of the significance
of the British colonies as sources of raw
materials may be gained from the fol-
lowing percentages, which indicate the
proportions of the worlds productions
Of these commodities supplied by British
dominions and colonies: Tea, 81 per
cent; rubber. SIS per cent; pineapples,
rs per cent; cloves, 95 per cent; cocoa,
81 per cent; peanuts, So per cent;
rice, So per cent: palm oil, 70 per cent,
and copra. As per cent.
AS for the market prospects of the
colonies from our point OF view, the
major difficulty. of course, is that in
volved in the systems of colonial pref
in the protection of the colonial mar
ketS for their respective mother coun-
tries. 1t is. however, a policy to which
the United States can offer no objec-
ton, since 1t has long been observed
IN connection with our own colonial
program
Occasionally this policy does exert an
almost disastrous effect upon our COM
merce. For instance, the imperial pref
erence arrangement between the British
West Indies and Canada has raised Can
ada's proportion in the imports of the
island colonies from per cent in 1912
to 20 per cent at present. Meanwhile.
our share in that trade has fallen from
IS per cent to 80 per cent. In such
lines as the -four trade in Trinidad, our
shipments have fallen from a pre-war
yearly average of $1,000 barrels to 1000
last year. In Jamaica our share in the
same trade has gone down from $4,000
barrels to $4,000 This problem Of pref
erential tariffs is, OF course. of especial
significance to us since the British
Empire takes more than So. 000. 600, 900
worth of our total exports, or about ~
per cent.
Difficulties Over Bounties.
All is not plain sailing. however, in
connection with the tntra-empire pro-
ments. Grave difficulties, for example,
have arisen as between Canada and
Australia in regard to the system of
bounties-the So-called Patterson plan
paid by the latter commonwealth
upon exports OF dairy products. Canada,
like the rest Of the world, has stringent
anti-dumping laws. which have been
brought to bear against any importa-
tons promoted by the Australian
scheme. The British Imperial Market
ing Board is rapidly getting under way
and its program involves a number Of
items conspicuous on our export lists
fruits, cereals. tobacco, cotton and au-
tomobile accessories.
A far-reaching scheme for the scien-
tific development of agriculture in the
dominionS and colonies should be closely
observed by interested American ship
pers and producers. On cotton and to-
bacco, the two major items, for exam
pie, the program Is well worthy of care
1ul observation.
So far as imperiling American exports
Is concerned, as, for instance in the
flour situation in the West Indies, 1t
may be noted that in many cases the
colonies are vitality interested In ex-
plotting markets in the United States
for their own products, notably rubber,
bananas, pineapples, sponges, tea, wool,
etc. And, in many cases, the colonial
authorities have found it inexpedient to
undertake, for the time being at least,
any rigorous enforcement Of the inn
perial preference idea.
A vital part of this intra-empire pro-
gram, as between Canada and the West
Indies, is the establishment of chains
OF British and Canadian branch banks
throughout the American tropics. In
deed. there are more than 18l such es-
adjustments in the West Indies and the
adjoining mainland countries, as COM
pared with 40 American branch banks.
The Prince Of Wales has done yeoman
service as goodwill ambassador for the
principle Of intra-empire trade. His
travels, notably his recent mission to
South and East Africa have stimulated
to . marked degree the interest Of Brit
ish exporters, bankers and shippers In
empire possibilities. There has been q
conspicuous pickup in trade between
England and the colonies he has visited
in the Dark Continent, and especially in
the development of new investment OPP
portunities within the last year. The
vast empire from AbysSinia to the Cape
is q pract ically unexpected area third
the size OF the United States, with i'm
mense tracts quite suitable for white
populations and abundant possibilities
for coffee. Sisal and tobacco, aside from
the already active mineral industries.
The question has frequently been
raised as to how seriously the advance
ment of our exports to the dominions
and colonies might impair the prospects
for the mother countries. For example,
our sales to Australia have risen since
1918 from $4,000 900 to $141 ,00o, 900 in
1928, involving an improvement OF our
share in the total imports OF the COM
monwealth from IL per cent to % per
cent. In the case of New Zealand our
sales have risen in the same time from
$4,000, 900 to $4,000 900. and In the
case of India from $ll ,o0o, 900 to $S4,-
000 1000.
These figures have aroused some con-
Germ in England but such anxiety would
seem to be very largely unfounded. In
the first place. Britain has herself been
making notable Roadway in these very
colonies Her sales to Australia have
advanced from $167 ,000, 900 to $271 ,00o,-
900 during those Is years. and in New
Zealand from $50 ,Oo0, 900 to $4,000, 900.
Buying Power Exploited.
Evidently the determining factor in
the growth of our exports has not been
any inroads upon British trade, but
rather the exploitation of the new buy
ing power of the colonies.
In the first place, 1t is well to re-
member that the United States, as in
dicated above, is major market for
many Of the products OF the colonies
and dominions. The latter in several
important cases are countries with but
one or two crops or commodities, and
consequently any hindrance to the trade
of their major specialtieS would be dis
sstrous. Every bond with the United
States inevitably leads to the encour-
agement of two-way traffic. although, Of
course. the normal operations Of world