374 PAPER IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



There will be no mechanical producers of white paper here for 

 many years, if ever owing to the lack of materials needful, espe- 

 cially chemicals. 



IMPORTS, BANKS, MAIL AND FREIGHT FACILITIES, ETC. ' 



There has been no material change in quantity, value, or country 

 of export since the reports named above. Banking facilities with 

 European countries are first class; there are none with the United 

 States, save through English banks. The same. can be said of mail 

 facilities, steamship lines, and freights they are good with all coun- 

 tries but our own. Mails from the United States come quickest by 

 way of Liverpool. Two cable companies give good service ; one via 

 Galveston and the second to Europe. 



OUTLOOK FOR AMERICAN TRADE. 



There is no special opening here for American paper, pulp, or 

 manufactures of these goods. The people are not acquainted with 

 articles of pulp. The best course to adopt to build up United States 

 exports is the plan now successfully practiced at Caracas, Venezuela 

 a warehouse exhibition. 



It is my opinion, based on a life-long experience as a newspaper 

 publisher in the United States, that, so long as the transport condi- 

 tions remain as at present wholly in favor of the European paper 

 maker there is no safe chance for our exporters. The English, 

 French, Germans, and Italians have each one or two lines regularly 

 in the traffic, and can be relied on for prompt service. The United 

 States is not so well served; the delays are generally very vexatious. 

 I know of one cable order of $1,000 which has been seven weeks on 

 the way and is not yet here. It is not for paper, but I quote it as 

 an example. At the same time, a like order was cabled to Switzer- 

 land and the goods were on the market here twenty-nine days from 

 date of cable. The delay is one of the most serious handicaps to 

 American trade in these countries. Germany suffered at one time 

 in the same way; her trades people saw the need and met it with 

 one steamship line at first; she now has two for the South American 

 trade, with corresponding advantages. I am of the opinion that our 

 export trade needs nothing so much as the development of our ship- 

 ping interests, to at least a degree of comparative independence. 

 When one sees 14, 16, and 18 knot ships bring freight from Europe, 

 and 8 and 10 knot boats come from our ports, taking twenty-three 

 or twenty-seven days to Rio de Janeiro and thirty-two or thirty-five 

 to the River Plata, the need of action is apparent. 



