OCR Text |
Show A THING TO EE RECKONED WITH. The United States ranks second as an exporting country. The United Kingdom leads with $1,840,000,000; the United States second, with $1,700,000,000, and Germany third, with $1,5G3.000,000. But in imports, England greatly exceed - - 1 ""t?s. The figures are: United Kingdom, $3,040,000,000. Germany, $2,027,000,000. United States, $1,475,000,000. A remarkable thing in the foreign trade of aingland is that its imports have exceeded its exports by from half a billion dollars to over a billion dollars for years, and yet England continues to prosper equally as well as other European countries. In the foregoing fore-going statistics, it will be seen that England's imports exceeded the exports by $1,200,000,000 in one year. How this tremendous excess of imports is paid for is not easy to explain, although part of it is offset by the tribute which England as a money lender, demands Trom the rest of the world. The prospects are that the exports of the United States will cx-ieed cx-ieed its imports by not more than $150,000,000 this year, which is i little more than the favorable balance of trade last year, but almost ialf a billion dollars below the average favorable balance of the last ten years. The size of this favorable balance of trade has a material influence influ-ence in the money markets of this country, in meeting our foreign obligations, and therefore is a factor in our prosperity which must be considered in determining the drift of business throughout the Jnited States. |