Geographic Notes 



357 



the Ziegler parties will need every effort 

 to get through. 



Mr Ziegler was a member of the Na- 

 tional Geographic Society and was much 

 interested in its work. He was a mod- 

 est, unassuming gentleman and his un- 

 timely death is much to be deplored. 



Mr Ziegler left instructions to his 

 executors to take care of his polar ex- 

 peditions. 



THE FOREIGN COMMERCE OF JAPAN 



IN spite of the heavy burdens of war, 

 Japan sold to the world and also 

 bought in return more merchandise in 

 1904 than in any year of her history. 



Her imports in 1904 were $184,938,- 

 000 in value, as against $157,933,000 

 in 1903, $143,056,000 in 1900, and $66,- 

 31 1,000 in 1895. Her exports in 1904 

 also established a new high record, be- 

 ing $158,992,000 in value, as against 

 $144,172,000 last year, $101,806,000 in 

 1900, and $69,825,000 in 1895. Thus 

 the imports into Japan have increased 

 by $118,627,000 and the exports from 

 Japan by $89,167,000 since 1895. 



During the past ten years Japan has 

 imported about $200,000,000 more than 

 she has exported, the excess of the 

 imports over the exports averaging 

 about $20,000,000 annually. 



Japan imports most largely from Great 

 Britain, British India, the United 

 States, China, and Germany, these five 

 countries supplying about 77 per cent 

 of her total imports. Of the total im- 

 ports into Japan in 1904, amounting to 

 $184,938,000, the United Kingdom sup- 

 plied $37,346,000, or 20.2 per cent; 

 British India (including Straits Settle- 

 ments), $35,228,000, or 19 per cent ; 

 the United States, $28,942,000, or 15.7 

 per cent ; China, $27,295,000, or 14.8 

 per cent, and Germany, $14,291,000, 

 or 7.7 per cent. 



Of the exports from Japan, amounting 

 to $158,992,000 in 1904, the principal 

 countries of destination are the United 

 States, $50,423, 000; China, $33, 857, 000; 

 France, $18,087,000; Hongkong, $14,- 



024,000; Korea, $10,154,000; Great 

 Britain, $8,787,000, and Italy, $6,01 1 ,- 

 000, these seven countries taking about 

 nine-tenths of the exports from Japan. 

 The United States is by far Japan's best 

 customer, exports to the United States 

 from Japan representing about one-third 

 of her total sales to foreign countries. 

 Among the nations exporting goods to 

 Japan, however, the United States occu- 

 pies a lower rank, being exceeded by 

 both Great Britain and British India. 



The relative progress made by the 

 United States and the United Kingdom 

 in the import trade of Japan is shown by 

 the following table : 



1889 , 

 1894 

 1899 , 

 1900 . 

 1901 . 

 1902 . 

 1903 

 1904 



Total im- 

 ports into 

 Japan. 



$25,786,000 

 48,520,000 

 58,271,000 

 109,760,000 

 143,056,000 

 127,397,000 

 135^322,000 

 i57-933.ooo 

 184,938,000 



Imports 

 from the 

 United 

 States. 



$2,163,000 

 4,509,600 

 5,448,000 

 19,031,000 

 31,255,000 

 21,299,000 

 24,229,000 

 23,044,000 

 28,952,000 



Imports 

 from the 

 United 

 Kingdom. 



$11,087,000 

 19,134,000 

 20,926,000 

 22,329,000 

 35,676,000 

 25,187,000 

 25,081 000 

 24,271,000 

 37,346,000 



Note.— Value of yen: 1884, 86.9 cents; 1889, 73.4 cents; 

 1894, 49 6 cents; 1899 to 1904, 49.8 cents. 



The principal articles imported into 

 Japan from the United States in the 

 calendar year 1904 were : Kerosene oil, 

 5.5 million dollars ; flour, 4.6 millions ; 

 raw cotton, 4.5 millions; machinery 

 and parts thereof, about 2 millions ; 

 iron and steel manufactures, 1.9 mil- 

 lions ; leather, 1.7 millions; cotton 

 manufactures, 1.1 millions; wheat and 

 other grains, canned provisions, cars 

 and carriages, leaf tobacco, and coal, 

 the last five items showing figures less 

 than 1 million dollars. 



Japan's principal exports to the 

 United States were : Raw silk, 30.4 mil- 

 lion dollars ; silk manufactures; 6. 1 mil- 

 lions ; tea, 5.6 millions ; mats and mat- 

 ting, 2.3 millions; porcelain and earthen 

 ware, about 1 million dollars, and cam- 

 phor, straw braids, wood-chip braids, 

 sulphur, tooth brushes, and rice, from 

 $620,000 to about $300,000 each. 



