The San Francisco call., 1896-07-20
Raw Cotton, Kerosene and Ma
chinery to Be Loaded at the
Southern Port.
AND MORE LINES TO FOLLOW.
japanese Colonization Company +
Buy 10000 Acres in Mexico
for Cotton.

A special Commissioner from the Gov
ernment of Japan arrived here yesterday
to study the prospects for the extension
OF commerce by Japanese steamship lines
to Mexican, Central American and South
American ports on the Pacific Coast, and
also to consider the advisabiity OF secur-
ing cotton from the South, kerosene from
Pennsylvania and Eastern-made ma
chinery directly through San Diego for
transportation to Japan by one OF the sew
eral prospective steamship lines.
With the Government agent is repre-
sentative of the Japanese Colonization
Company, which purposes now, through
these two men, to consummate the pur-
chase of 100000 acres in the State of
Chiapas, in the southwestern part of
Mexico.
This tract of land is owned by the Mexi-
can Government, and can be bought, the
Japanese Commi ssioner thinks, for 81 an
acre, Mexican money. The idea is TO di-
vide it up into small sections of twenty
acres and assign a section to each Japan
ese family. Some coolies will be en-
ployed, but the main purpose is to intro
duce family life and encourage the colony
to cultivate coffee, cotton, tobacco and
sugar. Particular attention will be given
to raising cotton in this Tehuantepec
colony, as the manufacture of cotton
goods has become one of the greatest in
dustries of Japan.
T. Kusakado, the agent OF the coloniza-
ton company, does not speak English
huently. as this is his first visit to
America, but his companion, Sho Nemoto,
the special Government Commiss ioner, is
a graduate of the University of Vermont
and has been in America several times
since he finished college, over fifteen years
ago. Upon him the burden of the CONVEX
sation fell when it came to explaining
their mission to this country.
1--WE get great deal OF cotton from
Bombay" said he ''but the fiber is not
firm enough, and from such cotton we can
not make the best goods. Our best cotton
has always come from the South in the
United States. We consider that The best
in the world.
From this colony we hope to get
cheaper cotton for our factories. At
present we import no cotton from Mexico,
only from the United States. Onr own
people raise some, but not nearly enough
to supply the demand.
This colonization company has existed
five years, but so far it has only been in
vestigating. Three times it has examined
Mexican property, and now it is about
ICdny ~ UQys LAN ~ %AANASS 0OQl0 CA
tend over period of fifteen years.
ssNo: there has been no talk of buving
land in the United States. One reason is
it is too high, and another reason is your
laws prohibit contract labor.
"My business is the investigation of the
commercial industry In Mexico, Central
America. Peru and Chile. We want to
learn what the commercial prospects are
for Japan at the ports of those countries.
not only in shipping our goods but in i'm.
porting for own markets. At the same
time shall not neglect the United States.
which is the best friend we have Here
we purchase all our kerosene, much ma
chinery and large quantities OF cotton.
'sWhile my Investigations are not for the
steamship lines, the information Lhope to
obtain will guide in a measure the action
of future Parliaments in subsidizing new
steamship companies. All the steamshln
companies are private corporations.
1.-The act for the subsidizing of private
steamship lines passed our Parliament last
year.
ALREADY there is a subsidized line to
Antwerp with steamers running regularly
since Nav by way of the Suez Canal. the
Mediterranean and Liverpool. Then there
are to be other new lines to Singapore
Australia, Seattle, Mexico and one to
New York by way of the Straits of
Magellen. The last, however, is not quite
decided upon.
''Tbe Yusen Kaisha, the largest steam
ship company of Japan, will run to Seat
tie about one steamer month, believe,
although that is not definite. The line
will begin operations in six months.
Another company will have charge of
the line to Tehuantepec. Just when that
line will be started l cannot say. It's
steamers will touch at San Diego and Aca-
pulco, and possibly even further south to
other Central American ports Later a