Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-01-08
OUR NEAR NEIGHBOR,
AN INTERVIEW WITH SENIOR ROMERO,
THE MEXICAN MINISTER.
In Trade and shows How silver Basis
Il an Advantage To That Country-In-
crease In Mexico's Foreign Trade.
Especial Correspondence |

sonal acquaintance with General Grant
and their joint labors in behalf OF the
Mexican Central railroad down to the
question of silver coinage and interDa-
tional trade. Senor Romero may justly
claim to be in the highest sense citizen
Of both republics, for he came to Wash
ington in December, 1853, and remained
till 1868, came again in 1882 and has
represented his country here continuous
ly for l3 years, making good use Of his
opportunities. Next TO him in continu-
ous service is Minister q. dc Weckher-
lin Of the Netherlands, who was official.
ly received June 10, 1884. IL is q curl.
Gus fact that Of the 81 representatives
here Of foreign countries 10 were re-
ceived in 1898 and in 1894, while
besides those above named only the min
listers from Turkey and Colombia date
as far back as 1887. Senior Romero is q
gentleman Of medium size, with dark
eyes and brunette complexion, and speaks
English flnently, but little too correct
ly, as is common with those who first
learn il from books. On this subject he
said:
1T is a pity the English is not writ
ten language Of sound signs, for ! think
il moderate TO say that one born to the
Spanish must take nearly twice as long
to learn il as docs one born 10 English
to learn Spanish. learned it thcoret-
ically a young student and could read
il, but it was all to be learned again
when came to speak it. The English
and all the Europeans in Mexico master
our language thoroughly and take much
more pains TO get well in with the ways
Of the people than the Americans do
The old firms send out their young men
to live long in Mexico, and thus they nc
quire their great advantage in trade over
your couutrymen. That our trade with
you is the largest is by pure fC.cc OF cir
cumstances and in spite of tariffs, which
are too high on both sides. y
But is il not rather the cheaper !a
Dor Of Europe that comes 10 yOu:'
~
Il do not think so. They study the
market and iit all their wares toit They
put them i'll original packages for trans
port by mules or burros over the noun
tains, while Americans pack tho.n III
great bales, which have 10 be opened
aud the goods repacked, and that insures
much trouble, with some damage and
loss. Well, the fact is Americans have
not felt necessity 10 look for the trade
in Spanish America The United States
has been its own sufficient market for
most Of the things which Mexico i'm
ports. The English houses in Mexico
also give credits of six months or year
until the small dealer has sold the goods
and got the money for them, and Amer
leans do not like that You must always
remember, too, the great difference IN
the topography. Mexico lies across great
mountain chains, and from them smaller
ridges put out, and so the country Is cut
up into many districts, and there are no
great navigable rivers, so transportation
is very expensive. This is one reason
why the use of silver has worked 80 much
TO our advantage The progressives
saw the difficulty long ago, and that Is
why We made such sacrifices 10 get tine
railroads, and it does look strange that,
after building the Mexican Central 10
connect with the United States at FL
Paso, there should be tariff put up on
both sides high enough to keep people
from trading by that road.
'fWhen | was in Chihuahua, ! was
struck with the great excellence and
cheapness of the Parral tobacco used
there a common cent cigar seemed to
me TO have as fine flavor a. the aver
age Havana has here. and | should think
your export of such tobacco would be-
very large"
at Is nothing, q mere nothing. lt Is
almost the smallest of our exports, as
you will sec by the latest report, which
will send for Coffee is still the largest,
and next 10 that jeniquen, and tobacco.
you see (handing me the official report
for the second half of the fiscal year
1889, is small and decreasing You may
say, dividing the iibers, that sisal holds
the third place i'll our exports. And
sugar is almost nothing. This ought not
to be, for we have prime sugar lands
sufficient to supply the whole United
States market. but for long time the
planters had such monopoly that they
could charge their own price, and sugar
was % cents pound in Mexico when 1t
,.yas only 10 in this country. We have
much improved that matter, and the ex-
port of sugar is just now increasing
Advantages Of Silver.
"You speak of the silver basis in Mex
leo. Is il not "a great disadvantage"
"Oh, not at all. On the contrary, 1t
has worked to our advantage III very
many ways, and especially 10 the great
increase Of exports. Prices have not risen
| i'm silver, and coined or uncoined II Will
buy just about the same as it always
did. except the usual variations Ill bust
ness. Imean thi; of things produced and
used i'm Mexico, but tho price OF things
fixed in Europe in gold has gone away
ND. Ii would he doubled by silver alone,
and then there are tariffs and commits.
sions on which percentages Of profits
must be calculated This has cut OF! the
| imports of such things as our people can
do without and has greatly increased the
exports Take the article of beans, which
were long worth S cents in silver, but
now they are worth abroad cents IL
gold and the transportation. That makes
them worth l6 cents in silver in Mex
leo. As wages have not gone up the
profit is very great. We once and for q
long time sold coffee at 10 cents Q
pound, but now the foreign price has
gone up again, and the gold price abrcnd
| Is doubled in silver in Mexico, and th, J
sell il right at the plantation at so cents
o pound, and you see what stimulus
| to the export that is. l might mention
many other things in which the same re-
suit is noticed, but you can sic that II
must be so while wages and the prices
| of o.her things remain the same. Oh,
am very sure that the gain by silver
basis has outweighed the loss.
"But is il SO in manufacturing"
|