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22 MARINE REVIEW AND MARINE RECORD. FOREIGN COMMERCE DURING 1902. The story of our foreign commerce in the fiscal year 1902 is told in outline in the opening page of the annual report of the chief of the treasury bureau of statistics, as follows: "The foreign commerce of the United States in the fiscal year 1902 was larger than in any year of its history except 1901. Compared with 1901 there was a reduction of about $106,000,000 in exports, and an increase of about $80,000,000 in imports. The reduction in exports was chiefly due to the shortage in the corn crop of 1901, the reduction in the price of cotton, and an unusual home demand for iron and steel manufactures. The increase in imports was chiefly due to larger demands for foreign materials for use in maunfacturing. The shortage of the corn crop of 1901, due to drought, reduced the corn exportations in the fiscal year 1902, 150,000,000 bushels below those of 1901, and caused a reduc- tion of $67,000,000 in the value of corn exportations. The ex- port price of cotton average about 1 cent per pound below that of the preceding year, and although the exportations exceeded in quantity those in 1901 by about 170,000,000 Ibs., the total value of the cotton exported fell nearly $23,000,000 below that of IQOI. In iron and steel the increased demand at home, coupled with ab- normal conditions in the foreign market, caused a reduction of about $19,000,000 in value of our exports of that class of manu- factures. In importations there was an increase of $70,000,000 in material for use in manufacturing, $20,000,000 in manufactured articles ready for consumption, and $12,000,000 in articles of yoluntary use, luxuries, etc., but a decrease of $21,000,000 in food stuffs. Importations of raw materials for use in manufac- turing amounted to $328,000,000, which was $58,000,000 in excess of the preceding year, and of articles partly manufactured for use in manufacturing the imports were $91,000,000, an increase of $12,000,000. 'This brings the total importations of manufactur- ers' materials imported far above that of any preceding year in the history of our commerce and industries. "The chief reduction in the exports occurred in the com- merce with Europe. Compared with the fiscal year igor, the total exports to Europe fell off $128,000,000 and those to South America $6,000,000, while those to North America increased: $7,000,000, to Asia and Oceania $13,000,000, and to Africa $8,000,- ooo. 'The reduction in the exports to the United Kingdom was $83,000,000, to Germany $19,000,000, to the Netherlands $o,000,- 000, and to France $7,000,000. Nearly all of this reduction is traceable to the drought of last year and the reduction in the price of cotton. The great falling off in the corn crop not only reduced the quantity of corn available for exportation but caused the consumption at home of larger quantities of oats, so that exportations of oats fell off about $8,000,000 in value. These conditions, coupled with the increased demand of the home market, also reduced the available quantity of beef and beef cattle for exportation, and caused an advance in the price of beef, and the exportation of beef and beef cattle fell off about $10.000,000. Thus the falling off in corn and cornmeal oats and oatmeal, and beef and beef cattle amounted to nearly $90,000,000. Of the $83,000,000 reduction in the exports to the United Kingdom, about $31,000,000 was in corn, $11,000,000 in cattle and fresh beef, $5,000,000 in oats, and over $19,000,000 in cotton, although the quantity of cotton exported to that country increased meantime about 9,000,000 Ibs. as compared with the year immediately pre- ceding. Of the $19,000,000 reduction in exports to Germany, $14,000,000 was in corn and about $5,000,000 in cotton, although the quantity of cotton increased about 38,000,000 Ibs. as com- pared with the year immediately preceding. To Asia, Africa and North America there was a decided increase in exportations. To Japan, exports were $2,000,000 greater than in 1901, and to China there was an increase of $14,000,000 over 1901; to Africa, an increase of $8,000,000; and to North America, an increase of $7,000,000, The increase in imports was, from Europe, $45,- 000,000; Asia and Oceania, $15,000,000; South America, $09,- 000,000; Africa, $5,000,000; North America, $6,000,000. "The increase in imports, as already stated, was chiefly in manufacturers' materials, which formed a larger total than in any preceding year in the history of our commerce and industries. The total importation of manufacturers' materials amounted to $419,000,000, or $70,000,000 more than in 1901, and formed 46 per cent. of the total imports against 42 per cent. in 1901. Of this $419,000,000 of manufacturers' materials imported, the value of $328,000,000 represented articles in a crude condition for use in manufacturing, and $91,000,000, articles partly or wholly manufac- tured for use in manufacturing. Of the $328,000,000 worth of raw materials imported for use in manufacturing, the principal articles were hides and skins, $58,000,000; raw silk, $42,000,000; fibers, $32,000,000; rubber, $25,000,000; copper, $25,000,000; wood and lumber, $20,000,000; wool, $18,000,000; tin, $19,000,000; tobacco, $15,000,000; cotton, $12,000,000; while chemicals, which are chiefly used in manufacturing, amounted to $58,000,000. "While manufacturers have increased their importations of materials for use in manufacturing, they have in many cases also increased their exports. 'The chief class in which there has been a reduction in exports is, as has already been stated, manufactures of iron and steel, in which the reduction amounted, in round terms, to $20,000,000, while the total exports of manufactures show a falling off of but $8,000,000, thus indicating that.in other classes of manufactures there has been an increase of exports. This increase is chiefly in cotton manufactures, of which the [Aug. ar. total exports for the year were $32,000,000, being larger than in any preceding year. The chief increase in the exportation of cotton manufactures is to China, to which the exports of cotton cloths last year were 335,000,000 yards against 84,000,000 yards in 1901, and 182,000,000 in 1000." JAPANESE ASSOCIATIONS IN AID OF COMMERCE. One of the reasons why so much progress has been made in science and industry in Japan is the formation of societies or associations for the purpose of promoting the object in view, and the members of these associations have thrown themselves heartily into the work of advancing their interests. There are now not only a large general institution of engineers, but also special institutions for the study of the theory and applications of the different departments of science. In addition there are a number of organizations of a more general nature which have for their object the study of economic, industrial, social and political conditions, and these, in conjunction with the journals and newspapers published in the country, bind the people in a common effort when there is any national work on hand. For instance, in the war with China it was not simply the army and navy that were at work, but almost every person in the country was doing something to help, and the soldiers and sailors felt that they had the support of the Japanese people in all their efforts. When the spirit of a nation is awakened in this way, marvels can be accomplished. Among the other associations, the Kaiji Kyokai (Maritime Association). is one of the most inter- esting and important. It includes practically all the business men of Tokyo, and a considerable number of these in other parts of the country. It appears that the intention of this association is to become a kind of Japanese Lloyd's, and one of its objects is to bring the naval forces and the mercantile marine into closer con- tact, and thus promote the development of the latter. At a recent meeting, Viscount Yoshikawa delivered a speech in which he alluded to the growth of Japan's mercantile marine during the Meiji era, namely: Number of Steamers and Sailing Vessels Tonnage of Foreign Style. PSAOh Goo ee AOE Sa ee fe LZ O00 TROae ea tg WEL oy es 209,000 TROT er cas POA uy ks oka 5 664,000 These figures, the minister said, unquestionably offered ground for congratulation, but compared with the corresponding figures for occidental countries, they left a great deal to be de- sired. The following figures show, (1), the total number of qualified seamen in Japan, and, (2), the number of foreigners in- cluded in that number at the dates mentioned: (1) (2) Pole es 248 74 S02 se. os tc anes 718 TOOT ERO ee Oa 15,200 319 Further his excellency said that whereas twelve or thirteen years ago only four lines were subsidised by the government, namely, the Yokohama-Shanghai, the Kobe-Tientsin, the Kobe- Newchwang, and the Kobe-Vladivostock, the distance traversed by the steamers on these lines being 210,000 nautical miles an- nually, there were now sixteen lines thus subsidised, including lines to America and Europe, and the number of miles traversed was 1,800,000 yearly. Statistics showed that twelve years ago, when Japan's foreign trade represented 140,000,000 yen, only 14,000,000 yen's worth was carried in Japanese bottoms, whereas in 1901 the trade had reached the figure of 428,000,000, and the portion carried by Japanese vessels had been 148,000,000. He adduced these figures with satisfaction, and said that while they bore testimony to the assistance rendered by the society in devel- oping-Japan's mercantile marine, they also indicated what a great field: offered for its exertions. Count Okunu followed with one of his interesting speeches, in which he dwelt on the economic aspects of the mercantile marine, and insisted on the importance of Japan's acquiring ability to build all her own ships. This is evidently part of her plan, which she is carrying out with steady perseverance and already with considerable success. It is reported that experiments will again be made on some of the Chicago tugs to burn crude petroleum instead of coal, owing to the activity of the smoke inspectors against tugs vio- lating the smoke ordinance in the Chicago river. 'The Standard Oil Co. tried this experiment twelve years ago and failed, though great advancement has been made in oil burning apparatus since that time. In the oil company's tests twelve years ago, the tug Black Ball was equipped at a cost of over $4,000, with burners and storage tanks. Part of the equipment consisted of a smoke burner, oil being proposed as a fuel to do away with the smoke nuisance. When put in commission the tug did excellent work. It was found impossible, however, durine the short time she was In operation, to regulate the supply beneath the boilers, and. the tug threw out as much smoke as when burning coal.. 'Two weeks from the time the experiment was started the tug caught fire be- cause of the fierce heat beneath her boilers, and her crew jumped into the river. Then the governmnt steamboat inspectors con- demned the boat's machinery, and the proposition to use oil as fuel went no further.