Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 21, Number 93, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 August 1900 — OUR ISLAND MARKETS. [ARTICLE]

OUR ISLAND MARKETS.

French Journal Shows Their Value to the United States. The prospective value of Cuba, Porto Rico and the Hawaiian, Philippine and Samoan islands as markets for the products of the farm and factory in the United States, is illustrated by a recent publication !n the Monlteur Officlel du Commerce, an official publication of the French Government, which discusses at considerable length the consuming powers of those islands and their consequent economic value to the United States, and the prospective increase In their consuming powers through enlarged production under American capital. The statement Is as follows: “The consumption of foreign products by these islands is made up almost equally of articles of manufacture and of agriculture of the temperate zone. Out of $20,125,321 worth of products exported from the United States to Cuba In 1894, the value of $9,440,953 was In products of agriculture. Out of $18,616,377 worth of exports for the year 1899, $9,799,513 worth belonged to the same category. The exports from the United States to the ‘Pearl of the Antilles’ are made up principally of cereals, live animals, salt meat, cotton goods, machinery, footwear, Instruments* etc. A “Spain, under normal conditions, sold annually to Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines, about $40,000,000 worth of goods, principally manufactured articles, besides wines, oils, flour, meats and vegetables., Out of 135,000,000 'pesetas’ worth of merchandise shipped from Spain to Cuba in 1896, about 50,000,000 represented the value of products pf agriculture. The proportion was nearly the same in the case of Porto Rlctranc! the Philippine Islands. “Speaking generally, we may assume that under normal conditions the surplus production of Cuba and the Philippines before the war amounted to about $125,000,000 annually, and their consumption to $100,000,000, but that their productive power is capable of great increase, which In turn will cause a similar Increase in consumption. About one-half of the imports into these islands was of Spanish origin and the other half came from other countries proportionate to tbeir proximity or distance. Thus the Chi ted States furnished the greater pari of the imports into Cuba and Porto R’co, while the Philippine Islands received whatever Spain was unable to fumihh them with from Hongkong, Shanghai, Yokohama, Calcutta and Australian ports.” INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION. Effect of United States, as a Great Power, at Uskui Conference. Following immediately after the brilliant naval and military achievements of the Spanish-American war, the Peace Conference at The Hague afforded the Government of the United States an opportunity of expressing the. pacific disposition and the love of justice which animate the American people by proposing, through Its delegates, a plan for International arbitration, which, re-enforc«d by other similar propositions, resulted In a convention for the pacific settlement of International disputes signed Ty the plenipotentiaries of twenty-tfo sovereign states, including all the #eat powers of Europe. The United States, In signing this great compact, at the same time insisted on reaffirming, in tae document itself, our adherence to the Monroe doctrine, and thus gained fOf that vital principle of our policy the recognition of the world. Without cherishing illusions with regard to the practicability of universal peace, It is yet possible to bel'eve that the existence of a permanent international tribunal before which diffqreuces may be adjudicated iJreir Lacipiency and before theit acusmulation becomes serious, will exetvise a profound influence toward a better and more rational solution of disputes between nations. The numerous arrangements for the arbitration of ipecial questions, which the Department of State has recently been able to effect, give evidence of a growing disposition to apply the principles of p&ceful adjudication to the solution of oontroversies wherever practicable. Oil as an Index. About one thousand million gallons of oil of all kinds are annually exported from the United States, forming cne of the largest and most valuable of the products of the country sent abroad. But all the money received in three years for our oil exports wouM be needed to offset the sum foreign shipowners take out of the United States each year for doing 93 per cent, df the foreign carrying. People readilf appreciate the value of our oil exportations, but they seem to be ignoraM regarding the gold or its equivalent In our commodities that is sent abroad each year to pay foreigners for carrying our Imports and exports. Germans for Expansion. Hon. Oswald Ottemforfer announce* that the IG-to-1 plank of the Kansas Clly convention will prevent the Ger-man-American voters from supporting Mr. Bryan, no matter how they may feel upon the question of expansion. If Mr. Ottendorfer will take the palQs to investigate a little further he will ascertain that the class of voters he indentions Js not feeling so very badly over the question of expausion, They Will Not Crack This Not* A nut for Bryan and liis party to crack: Wool and sheep are now twice their value, as compared with their market price in 1896. Why? Can they not see what the gold standard and protection has done? American owners of sheep aw now having a tittle profit It will be hard to change them off with the Bryan ruse,— Gray’s Harbor (Wash.) Gazette.