New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-18
COFFEE RECIPROCITY.
CENTRAL AMERICAN TRADE.
BEARING OF THE ALDRICH AMENDMENT
COFFEE THE BASIS OF NEGoTI ATOMS.

BEARING OF THE ALDRICH AMENDMENT
COFFEE THE BASIS OF NEGOTIATIONS.
yRox STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
Corinto. March 3l.--This is the chief port of
Nicaragua and the western terminus of the rail-
v,av and inland water system of transportation
It Is an insignificant town on q low marshy ISLAM
The harbor is the first iudentation OF the coas0
south of the spacious CUT of Fonseca, where 'iie
borders of three States-Salvador, Honduras anu
Nicaragua-meet. The principal street isc'' Wv
water. and the railway station is a piocN ""aS
OF the two prominent buildings seen toui s'r IN
ers at anchor one is the Custom house anu
racks and the other is hotel, each h"''Ns
stories with covered verandas Cluinpa VI w
coanut trees and bananas provide PICTURESQUE
setting for the sand dunes and ramohhs Aie
sheds and cabins in which business is 'rdn'"0 ',
and the Indian population is shei'ereu Ae w
steamers anchor in deep water close 10 ene s.s'
q favorable impression is produced by The SEASIDE
80, Int the traveller on landing finds Lutte
behind IL and makes haste to return TO tne SUPP
after a dserdert meal in a noisy and dirty no'ei
vurther ont there Is a lighthouse on sln'h
island and near it on the edge of ciin tnere
are two aitiquated guns d >inted IN couii0aI
way for the defence Of the port The Ranger Nv"
lies at anchor at the entrance OF the h"i W,
after protrcted service in Guateualah wa'eIS "n"
In the Gulf of FOnseca. e.u,,
Nicaragua while the largest of the Ceh'rui
American States in territorial extent ID VIZ"
the exception of Costa Rica, the least poppiouo
Il has no foreign debt, and While us resources
are undeveloped, it is in excellent hhahcl'i oon''
ton les chief exports are conee, ruooer' in'nso'
6vewoods. mahogany and banapas. East OF the
,stes there is a fine grazing country, supporting
large droves of cattle. Cacao is successfully cui-
awaited on the western plateau, and sugar can
he produced on large scale, when adequate lacil-
TICS for grinding and boiling the cane are pro-
vided | have met an agent of an English house
who has obtained contracts for supplying inc pi"hV
for several new sugar mills The forests are eA-
oeedincly valuable being rich in mahogany ccuar'
rosewood. ebony and rubber trees The east COAST
is admirably adapted for the cultivation OF
bananas. There are also signs OF mineral "eai'h
in the interior The foreign trade oil Nlcai"eu"
IL chiefly with Great Britain, Germany anu INC
limited States Germany has the largest share OF
the imports, but the recent Development Vi Vilc
banana trade is bringing the Cnlted states in'o
tho first place as a market for the exports
The exports to the United States have increased
from, q o67 oO2 in 1886 to 81 $4,000 in $780,
the following being the largest entries last year
Coffee. S642467; rubber, S5O2,27l; bananas
s951 .063 hides and skins, $lj4,917; wood SoS'-
0s0 The imports received from the American
markets have increased during the same pellou
from SAT-. 67l to Sl,270,073. In 1917 thfse I'LL
norts included -four aud provisions, $2l9,645 iron
and steel manufactures, S2927So; "oou "nu
manufactures, S105,7s3; cottonS, SS9'oil' "n"
chemicals, S69, 500. One reason for the IMPROVE
ment of American trade is the Increased rahspo W.
+ion facilities between the Caribbean ports anu
New-Orleans and New-York. The canal Work az
Greytown is another cause. The best merchtal'e
in Nicaragua are Germans, and they are oIAEins
English cottOnS and cutlery out OF TIE muINeo
Steamers from Hamburg anchor regularly oH
Coripto as we'll as at other Central American
ports on the west co0st, and carry coHee u
Furone at reduced freight rates. This method OF
direct communication has promoted the growth Of
German trade An agent Of several shoe manu-
factories in Lynn was astonished during recent
visit IN discover that American leather was lnl'
norted from Hamburg and sold as German leather.
This is an illustration of German enterprise ana
Amarican inaction Boston negleCts its OPP
portunities for developing foreign trade because
II rashlv assumes that it will be undersold by
Europe Hamburg takes the leather from BOSTON,
and. sending it through the Straits 10 Nlcai"-
ouo sells il at lower figures than English leather
There is nothing like American leather, anu Uhere
is nothing like commercial enterprise.
As the products of the five Central American
States are similar, Guatemala, Salvador and COSTA
Rlca having the largest surplus OF coffee Tor ex'
port, and Honduras and Nicaragua being the
chief fruit regions, the Question of RECIPROCITY
can be discussed to the best advantage after Tho
aggregate foreign trade of this portion of Span
ish-America has been ascertained. In the follow
ing exhibit the figures given are for 1850, an(
present a comparison of tho trade of the five re
publcs with the United States and Great Britain
TRADE OF CENTRAL AMERICA.
EXPORTS FROM THE FIVE STATES.