St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-04-05
TRADE WITH DANES
A DANISH AGENT SAYS MERCHANTS
HERE ARE SLEEPING ON OP-
PORTUNITIES.
YANKEE LABELS IN FAVOR.
T. SOEGAARD SAYS THE DANES
HAVE A HANKERING FOR
AMERICAN GOODS.
CHANCE FOR THE NORTHWEST
In His Opinion, to Increase Its An
nuaI Exports by the Sum of
$2O,OOO,OOO

There Is registered at the Ryan hotel an
agent of the Danish government in the person
of T. Soegaard, who is Investigating matters
of traffic and transportation for the Danish de-
partment of foreign affairs Mr.. soegaard
hopes to materially increase the export bust
ness of Northwestern millers and manufacture
ers. He believes that the average American
business man does not appreciate the oppor-
tunities for large and profitable trade that
are offered by the combined Baltic countries
Copenhagen, explained the Danish agent,
els the center of all the Baltic trade 1t is
one of the five important ports Of the world
that have a depth of thirty feet of water up to
the very wharves. Only one other Baltic port
has even twenty feet, and that's ST. Peters
burg. Besides, there is scarcely any tide
whatever at Copenhagen. No, in every direc-
ton lie seaports but short distance away
that handle vast amount Of traffic. To the
Northwest Is Norway, and England is not far
beyond. To the north is Sweden. It's merely
ten or twelve English miles to Sweden.
Steamers leave Copenhagen for the Swedish
coast every hour of the day, and there's a
four freight and passenger cars between Den
long intervals it happens that navigation for
steamers is made difficult but not blocked, by
ice for week or two in the middle of winter.
At other times the land-locked Baltic is like
a lake, and vessels can pass freely from Copen-
hagen not only to Sweden and Norway, but
up the gulf to Finland, east to st. Petersburg
and several other Russian ports and south to
the great German empire. The free port of
Copenhagen has but recently been completed.
1t cost about 100000, or 100000 kroner,
and was a big undertaking for country with
population of only 2,500,000. To transact
the important traffic Of Copenhagen, there are
employed about 400 steamers and 1000 sailing
vessels. The United States Steamship COM
pany controls not less than 12S of the steam
ers, trades with 200 ports, and sends It's YES
sells to Belgium, Holland. England, France,
Spain, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Algiers and the
Madeira islands, not to mention the numerous
Baltic ports.
"This company established three months ago
line of 5,OOO-ton steamers, which make
monthly sailings between Copenhagen and
New Orleans. Beside the regular steamers
| of the line, you'll always find four or five
chartered steamers loading or unloading at
New Orleans, which really belong to the
company's fleet. The steamship company
extend the business relations already exist
ing between Denmark and the United States.
Denmark is above all country of diaries
and it's agriculture is also an important in
dustry. Oil cake is used for feeding the
cows. In 1894, about 10000 tons Of the cake
were imported. From Russia came cake
made from sunfiower seed, and from Egypt,
via France, came cake made as it is here,
from cotton seed. The United States sent
only about II 900 tons, while it might just as
we'll have sent $4,000. American agricultural
machinery is in great demand with us, as
well as American hardware and shoes and
grain and -four. In most Of these lines the
| American product Is really superior, but
even when it's only the equal of European
| production, the Danes would rather pay more
for an American label. Yet the merchants
and manufacturers In the United States either
! don't know what trade they could build up
abroad they hatter themselves that they
already have large share of 1t as they
could ever hope to get. In either case they
| are much mistaken and the trouble lies in
| their not having permanent agencies in Dem
mark and the adjacent countries The brief
| visit of an American agent with his cata-
| logue and few letters will not establish per-
| rpanent relation with such conservative bust
| ness men as we have over on our side of the
| the superiority of American products. With
| In half dozen years that ignorance or preju-
dice has passed away and American products
are preferred to all others Our steamship
company has at present traffic agreement
as you call it. with the Illinois Central, for
an outlet to Chicago and the East and North.
| That railroad, however, is not very enter
| prising in all respects and the steamship peo-
| pie are considering the advisability of making
their American port at Philadelphia. Balti-
more or Newport News. I have lived in the
! States before. and came over to look into
| the whole matter Of trade and the different