The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-12-14
MADE KNOWN BY OUR cONSULS


In 1885, at the time OF the foundation Of
controlled the trade OF the river basin. Tho
1 Nerve Afrikaansche HANDLES venmoot-
schap. a powerful Dutch company OF Rot
terdani had capital OF s772ooo. This
company owned in the Kongo and alsng
the western coast OF Africa eighty stores.
employing about 1850 white agents. served
by Ave small steamers and placed In COM
muncation with the mother country by al
liner, tho African. Not only hal this
company established along the shores of
the river and along the coast numerous
branch houses, but also large number OF
secondary trading titatioas, managed, as
q rule. by Portuguese. The company also
Owned the Banana and Nokki thirty-five
stcres. and il can DO said that the greater:
part OF the goods sold to the negroes of
the Lower Kongo were imported by this
firm from Rotterdam. Banana was the
principal seat OF the society aud the resi-
.dence of tho companys manager. The
other principal stores were at Bona and
Nokki on the river. and at Landana on
tho coast.
Such was the situation when the Free
State established its authority along the
extensive territories of the Kongo basin.
There wqre almost no Belgian imports at
that time. and no Belgian firm had estab
liahed commercial relations in that region.
in 1898, thirteen years llter, the activity of
the Beg ans had created in the heart of
the mysterious Dark Continent twenty
four commercial companies with a capt.
tai Of about $40, 900. goo. Belgian commerce,
which In 1885 was almost nil. amounted in
1897 to S2,509O00 for exports from tho
Kongo to Belgium and TO S30SS.000 for
imports from Belgium to the Kongo, or a
commercial movement OF S5,5D7 900. There {,
are few instances in The history OF COLO
mics of so rapid commercial development.
The country liz hardly explored before
merchants and manufacturers come for
ward ard found companies for tbs building
of new railways, create new plantations
for the numerous rich tropical products,
raise cattle and build hotels and trading
posts.
Under the title OF What Is the Secret
OF Germany's Commercial Success the
Consular journal treats the matter at
length. The editor thinks that one Of
the most effective Of German trade meth
DDS is the direct Endorsing of commercial |
paper on the part OF the banks, so that |
these themselves form a component force |
in commercial activitg. He says. "The |
German commercial bank is in fact one |
of the chief corner stones upon which the /
imposing structure of German commerce |
stands. The bank is very often the Or
gani2er Of syndicate of manufacturers or |
exporters whose drafts it converts into
cash. Especially is this the case in Lon
don. Then agercies are established and
the world over. A client OF the
fnr ayn nile n in
China or a large order from a South Amer
lean government He then goes to a
branch of the bank in the place, or in
stead of this to one of its agents, and is
certain that his draft will be accepted
because the bank is sharer in the under
taking, The growth and activity of Ger
man competition are very mu.h accelerat-
ed through the facilities which Lombard
street gives to German commercial paper.
~
The year 1897 in Germany has been char
acterizea as 'another twelvemonth during
which every chimney in the fathsrland was
smoking, every wheel turning" The indus
rial and commercial activity which began
% notably in 1894 was continued through
,ut the year, and the statistics of foreign
commerce show notable Increase in hoth
he bulk and aggregate values OF imports
md exports over those OF the last preaed-
n.y. or indeed any previous year There
IS shown II net gain OF 500, O00, 900 over
he aggregate foreign trade OF 1886, which.
n respect to both imports aud exports, had
the record of any previous year.
rho excess OF imports over exports
amounts TO $24S, 1872, $50, which would be
considered in the United States a some
what serious adverse balance OF trade.
BUT il must be remembered that the rela-
i've situations OF Germany and the United
state9 in regard to supplies of food prod
icts ard certain raw materials of manu-
acture are essentially different. Germany,
with 900 inhabitants, is unable, UNI
Ter present conditions, to raise either
meats or breadstuffs in sufficient quantity
o supply the wants of her peoole, and 4
must import heavily rot only food. but /
several staple raw materials
~
Speaking Of the decreases IN the exports
rom Germany to the United States as u
esult of the United States tariff law OF !
SS7, the constituent, Sonneberg and AK S
n Chapelle--show an aggregate loss OF
learly $4,000, 900 as compared with the ex-
,orts OF the preceding year. He continues: I
This deficit has not failed to attract inn {
mediate and serious attention in this coun-
ny, and some of the more aggressive |
hat the present is a favorable occasion I
or tho adoption of a retalatory policy
against tho United States. This project
appears TO have gone so far that the Prus- I
Ian chambers of commerce in the DIS
rlcts most concerned-that is to ssy
where sugar or textile products form the
,ulk of exports to America--have made !.
General inquiry ito ascertain the opinions
nd wishes of merchants and manufac- ]
urers In respect to the future commercial {
,oicy OF the German Empire toward the @
United States" The result OF this in :
Luiry. II the reports OF Leading newspapers +.
an DO trusted, has been overwhelmingly ,,
galnst the policy of a retaliators customs
var,
The announcement that the United 9
tates government is preparing to open at Y
he Paris exposition of 1900 kitchen for J
he preparation and gratuitous dlstribu-
ion OF bread and other forms of food pre- q
AIRED from maize, has already awakened c
he apprehensions of the German agrari- Il
MS. whose chemists have discovered ard I