United States the import is not worth mentioning. Although it is 

 here only a question of small amounts, the above figures may give 

 food for thought to the American colonial enthusiasts. 



In order to meet a want which had been felt for many years, 

 we have on the last of May of this year moved the whole of our 

 New York business into more convenient and commodious premises 

 (82 and 84, Beekman Street). 



Under the beneficial influence of the growing mutual confidence, 

 the relations with France have further improved in the most pleasant 

 manner; and Italy, where unfortunately the appreciation of good 

 qualities makes only very slow headway, also showed great interest 

 in our articles. 



In Switzerland, the new Patent Act, which is due above all to 

 the diplomatic action of Germany, is expected to come soon in 

 operation. Its most important innovation for the chemical industry is 

 naturally this, that manufacturing processes can now also be protected 

 by patents, which was impossible under the Act hitherto in force. The 

 only inventions which cannot be patented in future would be: inventions 

 of chemical substances and of processes for the production of chemical 

 substances, in so far as they relate to the nourishment of human 

 beings and animals, and inventions of remedies, foods or beverages 

 for human beings and animals, other than those produced chemically, 

 and also inventions of processes for the production of such articles. 

 We can only give a joyful welcome to the new law, especially in the 

 interests of the industry of synthetic perfumes, which under the existing 

 conditions suffered particularly heavily. 



Spain's political and commercial crises have unfortunately not 

 yet come to an end, and that country is not able to recover com- 

 pletely from the economic misery which was brought upon it especially 

 by Osman's portentous Alcohol Act some three years ago. This Act, 

 hated for good reasons, has now at last, after obstinate protests on 

 the part of all affected industries, been amended so as to afford 

 some relief. Unluckily, the reforms are not sufficiently comprehensive 

 to make an early revival of the badly ruined trade appear probable, 

 the more so, as the negotiations for commercial treaties with other 

 countries, which have now been pending for nearly a year, have not 

 yet come to a definite conclusion. The Moroccan trouble forces new 

 and enormous burdens upon Spain, for which it will hardly be able 

 to find any equivalent whatever. The internal political dissatisfaction 

 is growing daily, but unfortunately neither the people nor the Govern- 

 ment appear to be sufficiently energetic to put a check to the state 

 of uncertainty, and to render a return to a healthy prosperity possible. 



The economic improvement of Russia has made further good 

 progress during the last few months, and particularly the prospect of a 



