PROFITS OF ENTENTE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 36, 8 March 1909, Page 4

PROFITS OF ENTENTE.

ANGLO-FRENCH TRADE.

HISTORY'S RECORD. The French have become keenly alive . to the commercial value of g<jod relations .with the United Kingdom, and an extremely interesting object lesson is afforded by some tabulated statistics published to-day (stated a Reuter despatch to the London Chronicle on 18th January). Th«y go back 122 years, and show at a glance how French business with Great Britain has advanced by leaps ami bounds when a cordial understanding subsisted between the two countries, ami has correspondingly dropped during periods of coolness and discord. The figures, which are official, relate to manufactured goods in which a century ago the export trade across the Channel were a mere bagatelle—something under £32o,ooo—whereas in 1907 it had attained the enormous volume of a million francs, or . £40,009,000. The raw materials and foodstuffs sold to Ilia United Kingdom represent an additional traffic of nearly £19,000,000. France has thus gained second place among all the competing nations in the -British market. Only one country, the United States, sells more manufactured goods to the British consumer. But what is attracting particular attention here, and is strikingly illustrated bv the statistics, is the manner in which the export trade of France with the United Kingdom has invariably come down with a run whenever relations have been strained, and bounded up again as soon as a friendly understanding was restored. Thus trade flourished during the Second Empire and in the early days- of the Third Republic, while 'the chart shows downward curves caused by the friction over Egypt and the feeiing engendered by the South African war.

Since the now happily existing entente eordiale was established five years ago, the export trade to the United Kingdom jn manufactured articles alone has increased by £6,000,000.

The Matin publishes statistics showing that the value of the commodities purchased by Great Britain in France in 11)07 was 901,000,000 francs ( £3s,oJf>.000), including 231,000,000 frames ( L'!t,240,000) for raw materials, and 230,000.000 francs (£0,440,000) for articles of food.