Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1897-01-19
THE Oriental TRtOE.
Advice OF u Farsreing american Dip-
Iomnt 60 san Francisco.

torial in the San Francisco Call:
San Francisco's opportunity to
become the metropolis of the vast
trade of the coasts that circle the
Pacific Ocean, as we'll as the
methods by which to lay hold of it,
are pointed out in a long, urgent
letter recently received by the
Chamber of Commerce from
John Barrett, United States Min
lister to Siam. Mr.. Barrett writes
not from a superficial investiga-
ton, but after mature study of
the situation. He has been over
the ground several times aud has
collected and re collected stats
tics and all kinds of data bearing
on the subject.
The opinion is emphatically
expressed that San Francisco
should be the controlling port of
the entire Pacific seas, second to
none in Asia, Australia or South
America. The circle of trade
comprehended in this vast field
represents "A population of 500,-
100000 and 81, 0O0,000,000 of an
nual business. Immense as this
commerce is now it is but in its
infancy and is certain to have an
immense expansion.
Mr.. Barret calls attention to the
dimensions of the traffic already
carried on; to hundreds of coasting
steamers, to the dozen or more
great steamship companies run
ming steamers from Europe to the
East, to the. organization of Brit
ish and German business in the
form of great exporting and i'm
porting houses in every important
city in the Orient, and to the com.
mercial commissions sent ont by
European chambers of commerce
to investigate every detail OF de-
mand and supply in the trade.
He singles out Shanghai as the
foremost of all the great marts
across the Pacific, aud advises the
establishment of the closest pos
sible commercial relations with
that city. He recommends that
San Francisco should use its in
tluence to establish an American
chamber of commerce at Shang
hal, which could act as a potent
factor in assisting trade exchange.
In connection with this chamber
he points out there could be ar
ranged permanent exhibition of
American products to make the
Chinese familiar with American
export goods, as we'll as to furnish
American exporters oil kinds of
information about the needs of the
Chinese markets.
1t is further recommended that
San Francisco bank, with
agencies in London and New
York, should establish leading
branch in Shanghai, with lesser
ones at other places. Capable
agents should be sent to the far
East to thoroughly study it, and
an American steamship company,
or a strongly capitalized Ameri-
can house acting as agent there
for, should have vessels of lighter
draught than those crossing the
Pacific, which connecting with
trans-Pacific lines would carry
the trade of the smaller Oriental
ports. The establishment of some
thing in this City which might be
called an Oriental Exchange is
suggested, where could be exhi-
bited samples of all kinds of mer
chandise imported from Eastern
Asia, with data as to prices and
consumption.
In regard to what the Nation
should do in this connection, Mr..
Barrett testifies, as the result of
his study of the commerce of the
world, to the necessity of Govern
ment subsidies to foster the build.
ing up of a proper merchant
marine to make sure our COM
mercial prosperity; just as the
great commercial nations of
England, France and Germany
are doing.
This communication from Mr..
Barrett should set the merchants
Of the City to work to carry out
that part Of the programme as
signed to them, AND the whole
coast should unite in the effort to
influence National legislation to
foster the creation of a great
merchant marine that would make
Old Glory a familiar sight in all