Arizona republican., 1898-08-11
OlyR OIL IN THE ORIENT.
Competition of Cheap Produef Of
 Dutch RefinerieS.

Washington, Aug. 10.-Unifed States Consul Bedloc ct Canton has made report to the state department in re- gard to hindrances to American oil trade in China, in which he says that the recent discovery of petroleum in the very heart of China, n the rich and populous district of Szechuan, is very important In view of the oil wells in the Japanese island of For mosa. and of other oil wells near the German possession of Kyao-chau, in the province of Shantung, he says, our trade in American kerosene is bound to be affected, unless prompt efforts are made to control the output and, if possible, the trade in the Chinese pro- duct
 we have already" he says, "in this growing district of Canton-with more than S0,00O, 900 of people-two power ful competitors in Russian and Dutch oils. Until 1896 Dutch oil was un- known in China. It comes from Su matra, and the Royal Dutch Petroleum company is vigorously pushing it in Hong Kong and Chinese coast ports, including the seven treaty ports in this consular district, viz, Swatow, Macao, Eoihow, Pakhoi, Canton, Samhui and W=chow. The inland waters of China were opened to the trade of all nations cn June 1, 1898, and this extension Of markets will afford greater facilities for increasing our commerce in China.
 In 1896 the German ageLts for the Dutch oil purchased site in Hong Kong, built a pier for the use of tank -kr Tod large reservoirs to store oil in hulk as well as warehouses for canning and boxing the same. Our Dutch rivals in kerosene began to develop their en- terprise with characteristic energy. and fin 1897, after just one year. haG such demand that it was necessary to run several tank steamers between Sumatra and Hong Kong to supply the constantly increasing market in China for cheap oil Previous to the erection of these tanks by the Royal Dutch Petroleum company oil was imported in cases of two cans each.
 Tn these oil works in Hong Kong there were canned in 1897 upward of 2.e00 GOO gallons of oil for the Canton market alone. Customs returns show 2.025.7s0 gallons of American oil i'm ported into Canton between January 1894. and January, 1897. Of Russian oil there were imported during the same period 2,703,320 gallons
 The Dutch oil is an inferior article and much cheaper, of course, than that from America. It is well known that large quantities of Dutch oil are be- ing palmed off on the unsuspecting Chinese as genuine American kerosene It is canned in Hong Kong in old American tins that are bought throughout China for that purpose at ten cents a tin and are marked with popular American trade marks of va rious kinds The Chinaman is a prac- tical business man, and if he can buy Dutch or Russian oil, or. as is ire euent1v the case. combination o1 both these smoky. inflammable and dangerous oils made up in way that will enable him to sell it in China as American and at a lower price thar the genuine article. he will. of course jump at the opportunity At WuchoN {opened to trade in June, 1S97) British German and other agencies were SCOT established. and besides pushing piece goods, thread, cheap lamps matches. etc. they introduced Rus sian and Dutch oil into the innumer able cities, towns and villages on the great West river and it's various branches, where our oil had held the market until last year.
 The whole of tue great West i've, and gil the inlan1 waters of China art now open to the navigation and .he trade Of all narions. American eX porting firms can establish agencies ln the great trade centers of tlis vas district, which has more than 1 SO; miles of seacoast, including the large island of Hainan, and which extend. into the interior as far as Thibet, distance of over 2900 miles, This ter ritory is larger in area and in popula