New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-28

The export OF coffee sugar and hides from
Colombia to the United States amounts to
S3126,13s, whereas from Central America it
aggregates SG,277,235. The imports received in
return amount to S3,72s,961 against S4,l46,511
shipped from the United States to Central
America. The United States. instead of being
the largest consumer Of Colombian colTees and
cocoa, takes less of each than France, and its
exports, while materially lower than those of it's
main European countries, nearly equal to
its imports. While Brazil and Cuba have been
receiving from American ports merchandise
amounting to 20 and % per cent of their own
exports to the Northern market, and Mexico and
Central America larger proportional shore-about
so per cent-Colombia during recent years has
been taking more than it has given in return
The margin for reciprocity negotiations is so
heavily reduced by the balance Of trade as to
be practically wiped out altogether. For the
development of trade in this quarter OF the South
reciprocity is not needed much as improved
steam communications and mercantile intelligence.
The Atlas and Spanish lines send steamers to
Savanilla and Cartagena by a roundabout course
the former once in two weeks and the other once
a month, and these are the only transportation
facilities with the exception of transshipment
from Colon once a month by Royal Mail steamers.
With superior steam communications France has
secured large share Of the trade of the Magda-
lena Valley. European merchants know how to
pack goods for transportation over the mountains
in country where only few short lines Of rail
way have been introduced and where the mule
trail is the only country road. American mer-
chants know, perhaps. less Of the practical re-
quirements of trade with Colombia than of those
of South American countries generally.
Reciprocity will be exceedingly helpful
in American tro6 with RraZil
the Spanish West Indies, Venezuela, Mexico, the
British West Indies and other Southern countries
but for Central America, Colombia and the west
coast Of South America improved steam ser
vice under the American flag is Indispensable a
few years ago communications between Chilli and
the Northern coast were broken of in consequence
of the prevalence of cholera in the South. Call
fornia flour was imported for two years In large
quantity, but as soon as the quarantine restric-
tons with Chill were removed this trade declined
The necessity OF transshipping the flour ~ Pan
anna was an nsupcrable obstacle to the expansion
Of this trade Ii there had been line of steam
ers running between san Francisco and CallaO the
trade would have been permanently retained. In
Francisco and Valparaiso under the American
flag il could now take advantage of the Gillian
war, which has crippled and well.nigh paralyzed
one of the two competing lines on the coast:
Transshipment charges and high freight rates by
the Pacific Mail stand in the way Of the develop
ment OF American trade with Chilli, Peru and
Ecuador On the Caribbean side there Is urgent
need of increased shipping facilities Savanila,
Carthagena, Port LimOn, GreytOwn, Rama, Blue
fields Truxillo Puerto Cortes and Livingston
producing centres for fruit trade which every
year is increasing i'll Importance, Jamaica and
Cuba are destined to decline shipping points
for bananas and oranges, for the Central Amer
lean. Venezuelan and Colombian coasts have I'M
rivalled facilities for the production of tropical
fruits American capital which has been in.
vested in the fruit business OF the West Indies is
already being shifted TO the Bluefelds River and
Honduras 4 large increase in the number OF
New Orleans and the Caribbean mainland will
inevitably involve an expansion of the American
export trade.
Very lirtle interest is shown on the Isthmus
i'm the project fOr n continuous line of railway
uniting the two hemisphercs. This is natural,
for Colon and Panama owe their existence TO the
transit trade between the two oceans and it is
that the products of the two hemlspheres can be
transported on north and south lines Panama is
separated from the Magdalena Valley by long
reaches OF forest and highlands, where there are
neither towns nor villages. Westward the main land
is not populated until the fruitful plateau of San
Panama, looking east and west at the tropical
wilderness which separates them from distant
centres Of Spanlsh-American civilization, lack the
Imagination required for anticipating the con-
struction Of q railway from Costa Rica TO Boqota
When railway enthusiasts assure them that only
operation in order 10 establish a through line
from Buenos Ayres 70 New-York they politely
intimate that the facilities for taking proper care
of the insane are lacking on the Isthmus Ger
tainly the distances appalling even 10 one who
has not been trained 10 believe that the Isthmus
was designed 10 facilitate transit trade from ocean
to ocean The following table OF Approximate
distances illustrates this