Two other nificant developments in world sil k movements recently have been:
(1) Virtual stoppage of the China supply, which constitutes about ten per Cent. of the world output. The important market of Lyons, France, has bean most affected since It has been favourably disposed to Chinese silks, and now must seek its supplies (2) A mysterious barter arrangement between Italy and Germany whereby Germany recently acquired 20000 bales of Italian silk, a substantial out of the entire Italian production.
Normally German consumption is estimated to run from 6,000 to 9,000 bales annually. The sudden rise in silk imports into Germany is thus linked in some quarters to her rearmament programme, including the manufacture of ' parachutes, fabric linings for aeroplanes and cartridge bags.
Silk has so far been exempted from most of the general freight rate increases which have been put into effect throughout the world. Silk is now shipped from Yokohama to San Francisco for $2 per 100b. or $4 per 100 Ib. direct to New York through the Panama Canal, while the cruising time to New York has been reduced in the last ten years from 45 days to 25. days. These factors, coupled with high costs for rail transportation are responsible for the increasing tendency to import silk direct by sea to New York Agitation for an anti-Japanese boycott is not worr; ing the industry, well-informed quarters said. The campaign so far, it was said, has been confined to peace groups and colleges which are not of great significance in the consuming market.
—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.