CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES. 5(^7 



ino- tlic rinislu'd products of Lyons. The ,sug-ar of Louisiana would 

 encounter a fonnidahle rival in the beet-sugar of Germany. Eno-land 

 could prol)a))ly better afford to sell her coal and iron (•heaper'^than 

 Pennsylvania, and Russia could supply European markets with wheat 

 and petn^leum as well as could Ohio and Indiana. Competition would 

 be keen and destructive. 



Central and South America have as yet too sparse a population for 

 the immense territory they cover to meet the conditions of a market 

 for American goods. Some decades must elapse before American 

 farmei-s and manufacturers can look to that quarter for relief. 



But on the other side of the Pacific lies the vast Empire of China, 

 which in extent of territory and density of population exceeds the 

 whole of Europe. To be more particular, the province of Szcchuen 

 can muster more able-bodied men than the German Empire. The 

 province of Shantung can boast of as many native-born sons as France. 

 Scatter all the iidiabitants of Costa Rica or Nicaragua in Canton, and 

 they would be completely lost in that city's surging throngs. Trans- 

 port all the people of Chile into China and they would fill only a city 

 of the first class. Further comparisons are needless. Suffice it to sa}' 

 that China has her teeming millions to feed and to clothe. Many of 

 the supplies come from outside. The share furnished b}' the United 

 States was consideralily larger last year than ever before, and might be 

 greatly increased. According to the statistics published by the United 

 States Government, China in 1899 took American goods to the value 

 of $14:, 4:i\7, 4:2-2, of which amount $9,S4-1:,565 was paid for cotton goods. 

 All the European countries combined bought only 11,48-1,363 worth of 

 American cotton manufactures during that same period. The amount 

 of simihu- purchases made by the Central American States was 

 $737,259; l)y all the South American countries, $2,713,967. It thus 

 appears that China is the largest buyer of American cotton goods. 

 British America comes next in the list with purchases amounting to 

 12,759,161. Cotton cloth has a wide range of uses in all parts of the 

 Chinese Empire, and it is almost impossible for the supply to c(iual 

 the demand. 



Up to the year 189S cotton goods and kerosene were the only articles 

 imported from the United States in large enough quantities to have a 

 value of over $1,00(),<)()0. But I notice in the statistics published by 

 the United States Government for the year 1899 that manufactures 

 of iron and steel have also passed that mark. This is due to the fact 

 that China has now begun in real earnest the work of buildmg rail- 

 roads. The demand for construction materials is great. Ihe value 

 of locomotives imported last year from the United States was ^732,21 2. 



Besides the articles mentioned there are many others of Americaii 

 orioin which do not fiuure in the customs returns as such. These find 

 theJr way into China through adjacent countries, especially Hongkong. 



