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.0 millioncattle; 15.0 hogs; 72.0 million sheep and goats, and 34.9 horses and mules,--174 million farm animals in all.British India (1914) reports more cattle than any other country (140.5 million); she is also second in thenumber of sheep and goats with 64.7 millions, but she has no hogs and 1.9 million horses.Argentina (1914)reports 29.5 million cattle; 2.9 million sheep and goats; and 8.9 million horses and mules.The number ofThe American Empire, by Scott Nearing 86animals on European farms outside of Russia is comparatively small.Germany (1914), United Kingdom(1916), Austria-Hungary (1913), and France (1916) reported 61.8 million cattle, 46.6 million hogs, 60.8million sheep and goats, and 11.5 million horses and mules, making a total of 180.7 million farm animals.These four countries with a population of about 206 million persons, had less live stock than the United Stateswith its population (1916) of about 100 millions.It would be interesting to compare the amount of farm machinery and farm equipment of the United Stateswith that of other countries.Unfortunately no such figures are available.The figures showing transportation capital are fairly complete.(Statistical Abstr.1918, pp.844-5.) The totalrailroad mileage of the world is 729,845.More than one-third of this mileage (266,381 miles) is in the UnitedStates.Russia (1916) comes second with 48,950 miles; Germany (1914) third, with 38,600 miles and Canada(1916) fourth with 37,437 miles.The world's total mileage of telegraph wire (Ibid.) is 5,816,219, of which the United States has more than afourth (1,627,342 miles).Russia (1916) is second with 537,208 miles; Germany (1914) is third with 475,551miles; and France fourth with 452,192 miles.The Bureau of Railway Economics has published a compilation on "Comparative Railway Statistics" (Bulletin100, Washington, 1916) from which it appears that the United States is far ahead of any other country in itsrailroad equipment.The total number of locomotives in the United States was 64,760; in Germany 29,520; inUnited Kingdom 24,718; in Russia (1910) 19,984; and in France 13,828.No other country in the world had asmany as ten thousand locomotives.If these figures also showed the locomotive tonnage as well as the number,the lead of the United States would be even more decided as the European locomotives are generally smallerthan those used in the United States.This fact is clearly brought out by the figures from the same bulletinshowing freight car tonnage (total carrying capacity of all cars).For the United States the tonnage was (1913)86,978,145.The tonnage of Germany was 10.7 millions; of France 5.0 millions; of Austria-Hungary 3.8millions.The figures for the United Kingdom were not available.The United States also takes the lead in postal equipment.(Stat.Abstr., 1918, pp.844-5.) There are 324,869post offices in the world; 54,257 or one-sixth in the United States.The postal routes of the world cover2,513,997 miles, of which 450,954 miles are in the United States.The total miles of mail service for the worldis 2,061 millions.Of this number the United States has 601.3 millions.The most extreme contrast between transportation capital in the United States and foreign countries isfurnished by the number of automobiles.Facts and Figures, the official organ of the National AutomobileChamber of Commerce (April, 1919) estimates the total number of cars in use on January 1, 1917 as4,219,246.Of this number almost six-sevenths (3,500,000) were in use in the United States.The total numberof cars in Europe as estimated by the Fiat Press Bureau, Italy, was 437,558, or less than one-seventh of thenumber in use in the United States.Automobile distribution is of peculiar significance because the industryhas developed almost entirely since the Spanish-American War and therefore since the time when the UnitedStates first began to develop into a world power.The world's cotton spindleage in 1919 is estimated at 149.4 million spindles.(Letter from T.H.Price10/6/19.) Of this total Great Britain has 57.0 millions; the United States 33.7 millions; Germany 11.0 millions;Russia 8.0 millions, and France and India each 7.0 millions.No effort has been made to cite figures showing the estimated value of various forms of capital, because of thenecessary variations in value standards.Enough material showing actual quantities of capital has beenpresented to prove that in agriculture, in transportation, in certain lines of manufacturing the United States iseither at the head of the list, or else stands in second place.In transportation capital (particularly automobiles)the lead of the United States is very great.The American Empire, by Scott Nearing 87If figures were available to show the relative amounts of capital used in mining, in merchandising, and infinancial transactions they would probably show an equally great advantage in favor of the United States.Inthis connection it might not be irrelevant to note that in 1915 the total stock of gold money in the world was8,258 millions of dollars.More than a quarter (2,299 millions) was in the United States.The total stock ofsilver money was 2,441 millions of dollars of which 756 millions (nearly a third) was in the United States.(Stat.Abstr., 1918, pp.840-1.)4.Products of the United StatesFigures showing the amounts of the principal commodities produced in the United States are far morecomplete than those covering the resources and capital.They are perhaps the best index of the presenteconomic position of the United States in relation to the other countries of the world.The wheat crop of the world in 1916 was 3,701.3 million bushels.Russia, including Siberia, was the leadingproducer with 686.3 million bushels.The United States was second with 636.7 million bushels or 17 per centof the world's output.British India, the third wheat producer, had a crop in 1916 of 323.0 million bushels.Canada, with 262.8 million bushels, was fourth on the list.Thus Canada and the United States combinedproduced almost exactly one-fourth of the world's wheat crop.As a producer of corn the United States is without a peer.The world's corn crop in 1916 was 3,642.1 millionbushels.Two-thirds of this crop (2,566.9 million bushels) was produced in the United States.The position of the United States as a producer of corn is almost duplicated in the case of cotton.TheStatistical Abstract published by the British Government (No.39, London, 1914, p.522) gives the world'scotton production as 21,659,000 bales (1912).Of this number the United States produced 14,313,000--almostexactly two-thirds.British India, which ranks second, reported a production of 3,203,000 bales.Egypt wasthird with 1,471,000 bales.About one-tenth of the world's output of wool is produced in the United States.World production for 1917 isplaced at 2,790,000 pounds.(Bulletin, National Association of Wool Manufacturers.1918, p.162.) Australiaheads the list with a production of 741.8 million pounds.Russia, including Siberia, comes second with 380.0million pounds.The United States is third with 285.6 million pounds and Argentina fourth with 258.3 millionpounds.The United States leads the world in timber production."Last winter we estimated that the United States hasbeen cutting about 50 per cent of the total world's supply of lumber." (Letter from Chief of ForestInvestigation.U.S.Forest Service.Oct.11, 1919.) The same letter gives the present annual timber cut [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]