158 



COTTON TEXTILES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



Imports of cotton textiles Into Beirut from Great Britain on the one hand, and Austria, 

 France, Germany, and Switzerland on the other, during a period often years. 



Comment upon the preceding table would seem superfluous ; from it, 

 ifc is manifest that 78.7 per cent, of all the cotton textiles to which this re- 

 port has reference are manufactured in Manchester and its district, and 

 are imported direct from Liverpool. A small quantity of prints and 

 miscellaneous cotton fabrics are manufactured in France and imported 

 via Marseilles, while the largest part of the muslins, sashes, handker- 

 chiefs, and socks are manufactured in Saxony, Germany, in Austria, 

 and in Glaris, Switzerland ; this country supplies the Syrian market 

 principally with handkerchiefs, keffiyehs, and mendils, or head cloths 

 and coverings, worn mainly by the peasants ; the different sizes are 

 55 by 55 centimeters (21.658 inches) ; 65 by 65 centimeters (25.598 

 inches) ; 75 by 75 centimeters (29.528 inches) ; 85 by 85 centimeters 

 33.468 inches), and 95 by 95 centimeters (37.398 inches), and are sold at 

 a price varying from 14 centimes =2.8 to 8 cents per piece. A large 

 portion of the pocket-handkerchiefs formerly manufactured there for 

 Syrian consumption are now also imported from England. All 

 goods imported from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland com via 

 Trieste. 



From what has been said in this report, it will appear manifest that 

 the English (Manchester) manufacturers are very firmly intrenched in 

 this market ; but I would here repeat what I at great length stated in 

 my annual report of 1885- ? 86, namely, that if American manufacturers 

 and merchants would not attempt the effort to successful!/ compete 

 with markets now monopolized by Austria, England, France, or Ger- 

 many, they would forever have to abandon every hope of finding a for- 

 eign outlet for their numerous surplus manufactured products, for the 

 country where these nations have not established trade relations is yet 

 to be discovered. 



Like those countries, our manufacturers must enter the Syrian market 

 by carefully studying the wants of the people, and, by offering them a 

 superior article or some novelty or specialty, succeed in securing a share 



