The value of cotton manufactures exported from the United States in the three years of war (1914-17) is one-half as much as in the 20 years before the war. A recent compilation shows that the value of cotton cloths alone exported in the fiscal year ended 30 June 1917 is nearly three times as much, knit goods seven times as much and cotton yarn eight times as much as in the fiscal year of cotton cloths exported in the fiscal year 1917 exceeds that of any earlier year except the fiscal year 1906, when the demand of China at the close of the Russo-Japanese War was ex ceptionally heavy. Even in cotton laces, of which the export value has been extremely small, the total for 1917 exceeds $1,000,000 against less than one-quarter of a million in 1914. Cotton wearing apparel, which prior to the war was about $10,000,000 per annum, was in the fiscal year 1917 over $30,000,000. increase in value of cotton goods exported is not merely due to higher prices. Of cotton cloths alone, for example, the exports for the fiscal year ended 30 June 1917 are about 700, 000,000 against 397,000,000 in 1915, and in the other classes of cotton manufactures there has been a gain in quantity as well as in value. In May 1917, the latest month for which details are available, the quantity of cotton cloths exported is 63,000,000 yards, against 44,000,000 in 1915. Cotton yarn also shows a large in crease in exportation since the beginning of the war, having amounted in 1917 to over $5,000,000 against $716,000 in 1914. This increase has been chiefly to our neighbors at the north and south. To Canada the exports of cotton cloths alone in the fiscal year 1917 is over 75,000,000 yards against 20,000,000 in the year before the war; to Central America, 63,000,000 yards against 37,000,000 in 1914, and to SouthAmerica 170,000,000 yards against 42,000,000 in 1914. To the Orient, which formerly was our best market for cotton cloths, there is a distinct fall off, due to the fact that Japan is now manufacturing cottong_oods largely for her Oriental neigh bors. The quantity of cotton cloths exported
United States to Asia in 1914 (the year before the War) as 125,000,000 yards and in 1917 but 38,000,000 yards. Even in the Phil ippines, which have been our largest customer in recent years for cotton goods, the total for the fiscal year 1917 is but 83,000,000 yards against 106,000,000 yards in the fiscal year 1915.. The Philippines still take more cotton cloths from the United States than does any other country, though the values are less than those of Canada, which took in the fiscal year 1917 cottons of a higher price than those of many other countries, presumably utilizing them for war purposes. This is also true of the limited quantity of American cotton cloths taken by Great Britain. The marked fall off in the value of our ex ports of cotton goods to the Orient is illus trated by a comparison of figures of recent years with those at intervals since 1900. In the fiscal year 1916 the exports of cotton goods of all kinds to Asia were but 1,3,911,000 against $9,016,000 in 1914, $7,501.000 in 1910 and $31, 352,000 in 1905. On the other hand the exports to Oceania show a large gain since 1900, having been in 1916 $9,455,000, in 1914 $8,730,000, in 1910 $4,187,000, and in 1900 $1,296,000. To South America the increase since the War is very large, the total for 1916 of cotton goods of all kinds being $15,336,000 against $3,785,000 in 1914, $3,347,000 in 1910 and $2,069,000 in 1900.
To North America the total for 1916 is $39, 970,000 against $20,459,000 in 1914, $12,485,000 in 1910 and $7,001,000 in 1900. The increase to Europe in 1916 and 1917 is very large, but occurs chiefly in knit goods and in a less degree in cotton cloths. The total of all cotton manu factures to Europe in 1916 was $35,536,000 against $3,614,000 in 1914, $1,996,000 in 1910 and $1,507,000 in 1900. Of this large total of $35, 536,000 to Europe in 1916, $12,936,000 was $7,287,000 cotton cloths and $708,000 other cotton clothing. Details of distribution by grand divisions in 1917 are not yet available.