New-York tribune., 1889-11-04
TRADE WITH ABYSSINIA.
THE COMMERCIAL TREATY BETWEEN TTAL1
AND MENELIKS KINGDOM.
POSSIBILITIES OF CREATING VALUABLE
MARKET on THE RED SEA FOR
AMERICAN GOODS.

AMERICAN GOODS.
irRoM An OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT or THE TRIBUNE
Naples, Oct. 16.-Our italian friends have nv"
learned the nature OF the clauses Of the conlnel'a
convention which MacKonnen and the other Aoys
sinian envoys-Josief the priest Makael. etc-ca'nc
over here some weeks ago, from Rome, TO di'ous'
with Premier Crisp who then soiourning IN thl'
city Naples is Interested I'm the affairs Of ltaN IL
Africa 10 a larger extent than any other pIace J" ~
peninsula. Troops and vessels going 10 Aoyssii.a
usually start from Naples account OF is Nlolnl'
to vhe military harbor and stores at Caseliahato'
Goods destined for the Abysslnan trade arr hke ao
TO be shipped from Naples. which is the nearest "
Massowah Of all the important Italian ports
II s natural therefore, that keen interest ln 'n'
knowledge Of the commercial treaty should haNe o1V
felt here, more than anywhere else An'hoN' '
treaty Will be heartily greeted by all nations ooh II
the Old and New World. since they VIII be DeheIi'o
by IT. as they are bound TO be by any effort made 10
open new fields OF activity for chris-
tian civilization among the wld Vi
semtcivlized people of Africa. OF course
Italy will profit the most by IT, but 10 il"
telligcnt statesman from other countries Will "''
Jealous Of an advantage which should De hers VI
account of the courageous persistent and costly al
tenpts she has made to create on the Red sea ~
Eastern Africa another fourishing Congo state III
ternatonal policy cannot suffer- besides, from I'aF
succe.e since she is satisfied with prOclalming heo
moral protectorate over Abyssnia and with being inc
channel through which that African country VIII en
ter into communication with the remainder OF the
world. g.,
Tho commercial treaty was signed at Mona' O9
Eing Uumbert on September 25. il was hrst con
ceived and prepared by Count sslimbenl, VINO sPen'
several years in Abyssinia and by sehor Oapu'0''
a celebrated engineer 1t has political or military
character like another treaty previously piepdr'u ~
Count AntoneIlis and signed also by the King lhos
treaties impeIled Monelik, &" the King OF Kings u
m al
cial mission led by MacKonnen. Up to the present
time there has not been any trading, properly Called
between Abysslnia and the Chrlsllan "'
tions In the province OF shoa, Tor instance
you could hardly find five or six merchants anu
the wealthiest of them could barely command caplla
Of 5000 lrcs little more than Sl.OOo' sun uio
prospect of trade is so promising, that British com
napv has offered in cash 81 100000 Count
Salimbcni II he would place under the patronage
OF English capitalists the mercantile society which he
Is resolved operate only with Italian capital Inc
articles which would be the most profitable to export
from Abyssina ivory, gold, musk, coffee and SKINS
Of wild animals. From shoa alone the exports OF
ivory would amount 10 from ten tons year, and
five other tons nom Hauar and Goggam The
chiefs OF the tribes through whom the trade viii have
o be conduct ted directly will exchange the above pO
ducts for guns principally Remingons, the most popu-
lar in Abyssinia cotton silk goods, ere. The exports
might be paid also IN the money OF the country, the
Of American money. sallmbeni and Capucci estimate
that 200 lilcs invested in ivory viii give net
profit Of forty per cent. Next 10 ivory comes gold.
No than thirty thirty five kllogrammes (aDout
sixty seventy pounds could be exported annually,
and Is Ieckoned its export would produce
twenty per cent Of profit The cotton trade would
have to be improved, in regard the cultivation OF the
plant which is IN great abundance but grows Wild az
present for the natives have market for IT,
The price will be considerably than It IS now.
for its transportation to the seacoast Is to be
much essened, account OF the improvement OF the
roads leading from the interior.
In regard to imporauons cotton goods will be the
important and the demand for them is sure TO
increase daily. II is stated by the two Italian
Oilers that already American cotton goods pre-
ferred by Abyssinians. After them come the prints
nom India. Sgn0r Capucc also stats that white
cotton goods. which are sold ar Aden lor one English
shilling (2J cents, r.tailed Abyssua one
taari, about eighty GEMS. Carpets will find
ready market, but they must have brilliant cOlors
appearance and show in that article are more sought
after than sohdity and strength. WOollcns are not
much in demand not with glassware. like drink
ing glasses and boe,. which would bring good price.
The most important trade will be in the beginning
that Of guns. There already in the country.
cording 10 the report Of the official Italian travel
lers, about 100000 guns. only G0.O00 or 10000 OF
which Of the new system. They sell for twenty
or twenty-five talafs each. with 100 cartridges in the
bargain.
The plan submitted by salimbeni and Capucci
consists IN sending at first commercial expedition
yesinlent They propose 10 employ that money as
follows: 10000 lreS for silk goods, 100000 for
cotton goods 10000 for 5000 Remington guns 80 600
for iron implements for workshops and farms 100 600
for general expenses Of travelling. superintending
Store buildings. etc. II viii be noticed that American
articles already constitute. or could constitute-,nce
they are so popular in AbysSinia-the bulk of the
above Who knows but that the New England and
especially the Providence. r. J.. trade. which was
once so hcurishing on the African eastern ooas-
with headquarters al Ianzlbar cannot again find In
the same quarters. nearly large and Drlt able field
Of operations