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: [000 IA HE active interest taken by | American capitalists during the past two years in extending this country’s merchant marine, has resulted in largely increasing the pro- portion of our foreign trade carried in American bottoms. The latest fig- ures issued by the government show that 29 per cent of our ocean-borne import trade was carried in American ships during April. The National Foreign Trade Council recently point- ed out that of our total sea-borne trade in the year ending June 30, 1914, only 8 2-3 per cent was carried under the American flag. The immense progress made since that time, as ev- idenced by the April figures, is illus- trative of the success of private cap- ital in meeting emergencies brought on by the war. Increase Continues The record of 29 per cent in April of this year, compares with 19 per cent in April, 1915. For the 10 months ending with April, 1914, the per cent of the ocean-borne import trade handled by American ships was only 12 per cent. This figure increased to 18 per cent for the corresponding period ending with April, 1915, and to 21 per cent for that ending with April, 1916. The increase has been continuous for many months. The government statistics show that the total net tonnage of vessels entered at American ports in the for- eign trade of the country during the 10 months ending April, 1916, was 41,125,861, of which American ships represented © 13,956,583. net tons, or about 34 per cent. During the corre- sponding period of the preceding year , the net tonnage entered in the for- eign trade amounted to 38,055,499 net tons, of which the American share was 10,441,189, or slightly more than 27 per cent. The percentage of Amer- ican ships ‘in the totals for April, 1915, and, ‘April, 1916, was approxi- mately 25 and 30, respectively. British ships continue to handle more American imports than the ships 2 cu A Review of the Month on Coasts for the Men Who Get the Business but has fallen off in G nation, but, whereas, during the 10-month period, ending April, 1914, vessels flying the British flag brought to the United States merchandise more than four times as valuable as that imported in Amer- ican bottoms, the latest records 1in- dicate that the American merchant marine is carrying more than half as much of the import trade as Great Britain’s. This is attributable princi- pally to the gain by American vessels, as the loss of British ships is com- paratively small. of -any other Japan’s Shipping Grows Japanese and Norwegian vessels are more actively engaged in transport- ing goods to American ports than those of any other nations except Great Britain and the United States. The rise of Japan in the trade has been rapid, her interests having in- creased almost threefold’ since 1914, while Norway’s share has more than doubled. During the last 10-month period, only vessels of these four na-_ tions shared in the trade to a value of more than $100,000,000. Dutch shipping made rapid strides last year, 1916, while the German merchant fleet, ranking second to Great Britain in its interest in Amer- ican trade in 1914, has become a negligible factor. The following table gives a com- parison ‘of the value of imports for April, 1915, and April, 1916: APRIL IMPORT COMPARISON, nN Si ee Imports— 1915 1916 American vessels .... $28,924,615. $43,862,746 . Foreign vessels— PCIStH AG eee $296 $376 selgian RA Fer ge 405,528 19,516 British wee ea 69,352,138 77,908,083 Damas Heer tte waist Sayed arene 6,543,948 FO WECH eins cates te ene 10,089,574 11,449,009 EPreneue iy 5,424,815 8,543,567 Geoman oyu. 3 26,706 *. 119,339 Palen are fegercn ¢ 5,395,088-7" 3,798,226 Japanese ene es 6,857,244 19,398,202 Norwegian seueey eee 13,704,356 15,683,675 Spanish) s ceria: SO eso 1,694,672 UTE POPDET earners sate 10,933,255 10,879,300 Total foreign ....$122,189,000 $156,037,913 The following table compares im- ports carried in American and_for- eign vessels during the 10-month per- 276 ee eee il and | oboe Uackal Pointers HN Own Shi iods ending April, 1914; April, 1915, and April, 1916 (000 omitted): SEASON IMPORT ‘COMPARISON -~l'en months ending April Imports— 1914. 1915: 1916. American vessels $168,137 $221,204 $339,682 Foreign vessels— ny Austrian. =o.c66 $19,576 $3,022 $5 Belgians or 30,869 6,364 2,598 Britishscns. 702,226 574,516 © 671,325 Dariish sseccce leas Sattccec ve waste Sear 38,887 Dratehien Sos a 57,334 106,107 79,220 Prench sc, esos: 98,214 57,741 72,756 Germans. 236. 200,572 31,044 339 Wtalianen swap: 31,026 41,493 38,192 Japanese: 42... 45,754 52,686 134,921 Norwegian ... 92,232 87,818 108,232 SoU U inate 1s ce Gee anaetee te Se rae ess sty Ces Aaa 11,106 All. othersito... 38,384 69,231 65,010 Total foreign.$1,276,200 $1,030,026 $1,222,687 The following tables show the net tonnage of vessels cleared and en- tered in the foreign trade of the United States during April, 1915, and April, 1916 (000 omitted): APRIL TONNAGE COMPARISON April, 1915 —April, 1916 Countries for Amer- For- Amer-_ For- which cleared: ican eign ican eign PUL OMe ee lees 68 1,683 88 1,420 North America... 895 Lie 1,101 753 South America... 70 136 97 oa AiSianc Rivne meer es 3 2°92 18 119 Oceania eee os 8 57 el Op ceo EPICA eine 1 30 15 25 Countries from which entered: Barope i.e. tese 82 1,724 85 1,456 North America... 750 749 897 747 South America... 80 129 77 122 ASIae fee et 33 127 5 110 Océeanias See 13 50 16 28 HaNih oh ob: dem oa ees | 5 94 4 78 The net tonnage of vessels cleared and entered in the foreign trade of the United . States during the 10 months ending April, 1915, and the 10 months ending last April, is shown in the following table (000 omitted): SEASON TONNAGE COMPARISON 7—Ten months ending April—, r~—1915 _—. -—— 1916 —, Countries for Amer- “For- Amer- — For- which cleared: ican eign ican eign Munope: ogi 736 14,726 904 15,268 North America... 9,389 10,070 12,098 9,080 South America... 362 13037 761) d39t Asia weet 30 844 97 1,208 Oceania vere: 52 451 127 515 Africass geen 24 318 64 311 Countries from which entered: Earope 4... shh 594 13,667 780 14,542 North America... 9,247 10,178 12,162 9,065 ~ South America... 359 1,771 711 2,880 = ASIA oe. ie siee eee apo Rasen Satya 100. - 990 Oceania, oe. 72 325 151 363 Atrica fle 15 495 49 826