The morning call., 1892-09-23
OUR ORIENT OIL TRADE.
The Russians Are Gobbling
1t All Up.
THEY COVER ALL THE EAST.
The Malay Exhibition at Chicago Grand
Barbario Display-The Pohang
Rebellion.
THEY COVER ALL THE EAST.

II have startling news TO give you on the
threatened collapse OF your Oil traue IN Tue
Orient" said ArnOt Reid. managing editor
NJ the Straits Times, Singapore, to CALL
renorter at the Palace yesterday.
at looks like the biggest commercial
collapse of the day at present. l am afraid
YOU will have to give under to Russian COM
petition.
when 1 left Singapore the merchants
formed a combine to get rid of all Amer
lean oil on their hands and all cargoes
afloat.
Pending developments you will get no
more oil trade with the Orient.
"The Russians have built huge reservoirs
in Ceylon, India, Burmah, the Straits. China
and Japan.
These reservoirs will be supplied bytank
steamers from the Black Sea and the trade
supplied locally as the demand calls.
when / left Singapore they had COM
pleted a monster tank on an island i've
miles off Singapore, at cost OF $4,000.
The tank is Of iron built round with brick
The first tank steamer VIII arrive NEXT
month. Small tank launches will run 10
Singapore daily, supplying tank carts which
viii perambulate the streets, supplying the
stores. An enormous quantity OF drums
and containers Of all sizes have been landed,
for sale at very low wholesale cost 10 mer-
chants and consumers.
The Russian agents offer to sell their oil
always at half the cost Of any American oil
placed upon the market.
You can get some Idea Of what this
means when applied to the American trade
in the Orient by just looking at these figures
for Singapore alone.
"The imports from the United States
were: In 1890. 266, eco cases; In 1891, 100000
cases; in the first half of 1892, 205,O0O cases
From Russia we imported: In 1890,
210,G00 cases; in 1891, $4,000 cases; In the
nrst half of 1892, 10000 cases.
up till now the only American SHIPS
seen in our part of the world were your OIL
ships. We were always glad to see them and
give them u return cargo.
But you will see by these figures that the
Russians have been running you close.
Now they have made bold stroke for
commercial supremacy. These reservoirs
are a brilliant departure from the old rut.
The demand for kerosene in the Orient
rises by enormous bounds every two or
three years as civilization spreads wider
and wider into the interiors.
The Oriental merchants have dropped
all orders and are getting rid OF all AueTl-
can oil on their hands at present. 10 the full
belief that tie Russians will carry the mar
ket."
Mr.. Reid is visiting the United States as
Special Commissioner TO the Worlds Fair
lot the SIThlls CeiIlEn6UkS anu MhldN STA.
Owing 10 the fact that the Straits Govern
meut has Just passed a bill charging Itself
hence forth with double the annual expense
of $780, 600 for the maintenance of the local
British military forces, the Governor has
been unable to sanction any expenditure for
exhibition purposes.
On the other hand, Sir Cecil Smith has
given every encouragement to United States
Consul Rounsvelle Wildman to raise pri-
vata enterprise. Mr.. Wildman has met
with every success. The Sultan of JohOre
has taken q lively interest in the exhibition
and will erect a typical Malay house at the
fair, In which twenty-five Malays, zen and
women. will be sent TO reside.
They will be engaged in the manufacture
Of sarOngs, krises, gold and silver orna-
ments and In the various callings Of the
race.
Will also be given to fasclnate the foreign
mind with practical view Of the deadly
Malay system OF warfare.
The Sultan, better known as the Ma
harajah of Johore, will attend the opening
of the exhibition in person.
lis display OF diamonds, lately aug
| nnOntAd n AAraher by tha daath of his nj ia
aud the acquisition Of her enormous estates,
consisting of half the city OF Singapore. will
be unIivaed In the worlds records of jew
eled splendOr.
The merchants of the Straits Settlements
and native States will exhibit quantity OF
tin. gambler. pepper. dye stuffs. india
rubber, rattans and other Straits produce.
and splendor will be chiefly due to the in
defatigable energies of the United States
Consul.
''The Pahang rebellion still drags on"
said Mr.. Reid. "Al the great gold mines
are stopped working. The Government is
much to blame.
Il Will leave for Chicago in day or 50
on Worlds Fair business"