The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-10-10

Ing dry dock capable of receiving vessels
OF 5000 tons displacement and also mari-
time slip and railway for hauling ashore
minor craft for repairs, It's value, aside
from strategical reasons, Is considerable.
The island is famed fur its tropical
beauty. The sea H. studded with islets,
making the voyage enc OF constant inter-
est and pleasure, which eliminates when
the magnificent harbor of st. Thomas,
CurNing inward like a rainbow and with
range of verdure-clad purpling hills Tor
Il background. comes into view ON one
of the small foothills rising from groves
of Cucoanut and palm stands the ancient
castle and grim tower of the pirate Blue
heard, with its legends of his murdered
wives, while below lies the quaint pic
turesque and scrupulously clean city OF
Charlotte Amalic, named from the queen
Of the Danes. From st. Thomas comes
the bay rum OF commerce. that of this
island being the best known to the tou-
surial art. The process of distilling II
from the leaves and berries of the bay
tree Is one of the leading industries of tho
island. The little group, of which 81.
Thomas Is the principal island. Will prOb-
ably derive new importance and Valie
from the transforence of Porto Rico to
The United States and the consequent
greater enterprise that will soon be mani
fest In the West Indies.
From the recent report Of Consul Bed
loe, stationed at Canton, China, to the Ge-
pdrtmcnt of state, some Interesting tacts
are learned bearing on the tuture or
American trade with China. The crowd
Ing out of American kerosene by Russian
and Javai ese oils was made the subject
of n former report by the consul the chief
| advantage the latter have being in the
matter of freight. though such is the su-
periority of American petroleum that
Russian and Javanese oils the frequent
ly put up in packages similarly labeled.
This latter practice seems TO be growing,
and German and Japanese goods are often
palmed off fo~ the superior American ar
| ticle. Consul Bedloe also points out that
the territorial concessions In China OBJ
tanned by Russia have already begun TO
Influence trade and the published text OF
the alleged agreement between the Rus
sian and Chinese governments shows that
the latter has agreed to charge one-third
less import duty on all Russian goods en-
tering china through to Manchuria than
on goods imported from other countries.
| In addition, all Russian goods are to be
charged less transit dues than those or
other countries. the two concessions Nlr-
tually giving Russia preferenttal trade
relation with China that will ble II to
defy all competitors, especially aftCr the
| completion of the GrCat Siberian railway.
Aside from petroleum the other articles
of American trade likely to suffer most at
present are flour, piece goods, machinery,
etc. American tradesmcn also, accord
| Ing to Consul General rioodnow at ShapS-
hal, do not seem 10 understand the i'm
| portance of certain matters in relation
| to Chinese trade The two chief obstacles
the consul general notes are the not flll-
| ing orders exactly, under the erroneous
| impression that anything will do for the
| Chinese and secondly the lack of ar
rangements for speedy settlement of all
| claims for damages through brcaka2e,
| etc.--a matter in which American trades.
men are at disadvantage as compared
| with the English or the Germans.