The times., 1898-04-25
OUR COMMERCE THREATENED.
Eastern Trade Would Afford Rich
booty for SpPpish Cruisera


New York, April 24.-Statistics given out
yesterday at the custom house, showing
the commerce of the United States with
foreign countries, indicate that there are
next to no merchant vessels that Spain
can prey upon in the North Atlantic af-
ter the war begins, but the South Allan
tic is comparatively full of them, and she
will find rich booty all around the coasts
of South America and in the West In
dies.
There Is an extensive fleet. particularly
the vessels of the Pacific Mail Steamship
Company, in the Pacific Ocean, but Spain
is not expected to cause them any trou-
ble The dozens of sailing vessels plying
between New York. Philadelphia and 9TH
er American ports, and Eastern coun-
tries around the Cape of Good Hope will
furnish rich spOils for the Spanish cruis-
ers now lying at Cape Verde.
All these vessels have TO pass TO the
southwark of the Cape Verde Islands.
and many of those now en- route are La
bic to be pounced down upon before they
reach their destination in case hostilitieS
begin within a week.
How great a loss American commerce
would experience from being run down by
the Spanish chasers may be judged from
the statement that four of the ships now
bound for Singapore are said TO contain
cargoes valued at s., 000.000 There is a
bark bound for Auckland n. T. with a
cargo worth $3.50. 000 Two ships with mill
ion-dollar cargoes are on the way TO
Hong Kong while four more are headed
this way from Manila with valuable ton
mage. It is estimated that twenty of
these vessels engaged in the Eastern
trade have cargoes worth s2o.060.OOO
OF course the vessels that go around
D.. 4
be in grave danger of seizure, just as will
be the case with the merchantmen ply
ling between the United States and the
eastern countries of South America. This
business is largely conducted by steam
ship lines. The same is true of our COM
mercial relations with the West Indies
and Central America. but shipping men
think this trade will suffer less than the
Eastern.
AS Indicating 10 what extent our trade
with the countries of this continent will
be affected by war with Spain. ii may
be noted that United States vessels are
largely engaged in the trade with Vene-
zuela, Peru. Ecuador Colombia. Dutch
Guiana, Salvador. Guatemala, Cuba and
Mexico although the amount of business
done in foreign countries is very large.
In all of the other South American, Cen
trail American and West Indian countries
our foreign trade is carried in foreign
bottoms.
In the case of Spain and some of the
other South American countries, Spanish
vessels are used, and this trade will nat
urally be ruined. Those countries chiefly
served by British vessels will. in the opin-
ion of shipping men. be but little affected.
This is more or less true of the carrying
trade of other neutral countries. unless
Spain resorts to privateering.
But opinions differ as TO how far the
business with countries chiefly served by
American vessels will be affected IL is
considered likely. however, that it will
be largely ruined unless neutral nations
take up the trade where our vessels
leave off. In any event. the loss to
American shipping interests will be Sc
rious
Here is list of the principal countries
on this continent with which the United
States has commercial relations BY wateI
with the amount OF imports and exports
to and from this country during the year
1897:
Argentina-Tmports. so. .772. .627; exports.
Sc, 6,SS4.9S4; mostly in foreign bottoms.
Brazil-ImpOrts S69, ,0Ss 3s9; exports, s1Z.-
AL. .065; mostly foreign vessels; largely
British.
Chili-Impor;s. 50, 7s2. .4si; exports. 81. $50
$50; mostly foreign vessels.
Ecuador = Imports. s565. 525; exports.
ST3i. .S6S; mostly American vessels.
British Guiana - Imports. S3.661 $50;
mostly British vessels.
Dutch Giuana-Imports. 81. .036. .eSS; ex-
ports, S3S4, 1886; foreign vessels
French Guiana-Imports, S.. .13l; exports.
s113674 foreign vessels.
Peru-Imports. S322, 0S9; exports, 81. .1OS,-
436: American vessels.
Uruguay-Imports. S3515.054: exports,
81 213, 426; mostly foreign vessels.
Venezuela-Imports $9.543.572; exports.
S. ,522: largely American vessels.
Cuba-Imports. SIS, 100 SIS; exports. S.
259 I16; mostly American vessels
Porto RicO-Imports, y, ,1S1 02l; exports
Si9SS. .SSS; foreign vessels.
Santo DomingO-Imports. $3.50. i2i; ex-
ports. 81. .09S. 635: foreign vessels.
Haiti-Imporss. 81. $50 30; exports, SS,
S32, ,3SS; foreign vessels.