The evening times., 1899-09-18

NEW 1Ohh, sept lc.-1ne
Oil Company has been asked to consider
the purchase OF oil fields in China. The
trade with that country already is large,
and the competition with Russia sharp.
Russia has the advantage OF nearness TO
he market A high official of the Standard
recently returned from China. He says
there are valuable oil fields which later
may be of value. AT present the difficult
ties, chiefly danger from the natives, on
set the advantages, but it is believed in
time the Standard will have works in
China
The big company is studying the situa-
ton. Consul Bedloe's report has been con-
sidered by the Rockefellers and their lieu
tenants This report gives the following
information: Very rich petroleum wells
have been found near Chungiing, which
suggest endless possibilities. These OIL
wells are said TO be far superior TO those
discovered in Kiao-Chou, and more lmpor-
tant than any yet worked By native meth
ods. But they need foreign capital and
management with which, ii is thought,
they will yield colossal qualities of oil. VI
course what would be required TO place
the product on sound commercial pasis
would be a big oil refinery.
This discovery is very important, and,
in view OF the oil WelIs in the japanese
island of FormOsa, and OF other OH Mells
near the German possession OF hlao-Chou,
in the province OF Shanting, our trade IN
American kerosene is bound TO be aneetea
unless prompt efforts are made TO control
the output, and, II possible, the uaIe III
the Chinese product.
We already have in the growing dis
trict OF Canton. with more than S0,OO0,VOO
OF people, two powerful competitors IN
Russian and Dutch oils. Until 1886 Dutch
oil was unknown in China. Ii comes from
Sumatra, and the Royal Dutch Petroleum
Company is vigorously putting II IN hong
kong and Chinese coast ports. In 1891 our
Dutch rivals had such a demand for oil
that it was necessary to run several tank
steamers between Sumatra aud Hongkong
to supply the constantly increasing mar
ket in China for cheap oil. In the oil
works in Hongkong there were canned III
1897 upward OF >, Dot, 900 gallons or oil Tor
the Canton market alone. Customs re-
turns show 2,025, $50 gallons OF American
oil imported into Canton b1Jween January,
1884, and January, 1897. Durig The same
period the Russians sold 2,1U3,S20 gallons.
1T is well known that large quantities
Of Dutch oil, which is OF an inferior grade,
are being palmed OF on the unsuspecting
Chinese as genuine American kerosene.
The oil is canned in Hongkong in old
American tins that are bought throughout
China for that purpose for l0 cents TN,
and are marked with popular American
trademarks of various kinds.
American exporting firms can estab-
lish agencies in the great trade centres of
all nations. the whole OF the great West
River OF this vast district, which mas more
than l,OU0 miles Of seacoast including the
large island of Hainan and which and all
the inland waters Of China are now open
TO the navigation and the trade extends
into tie interior as far as Tibet, a dis
tance of over 1000 miles This territory
is larger in area ard population than thai
of Austria, Germany, France, and Spain
combined and probably will be as impor-
tanI to United States trade American
trade with the Far East in recent years
has not, in certain lines, increased as rap
idly as has that OF other countries. In no
branch OF commerce is this more evident
than in oil. In 1894 imports into Shanghai
in this line were: American oil, 1921 1924
gallons; Russian oil 4,059, ,700; Dutch oil,
none. Ia 1881 cur Oh remained about the
same, while Russian oil rose to over %,
000,0O0 gallons, and Dutch oil rose to
5,57O, 400 gallons
In speaking of Dutch oil competition a
representative OF The Standard Oil Com
pany said yesterday: The oil Cf Sumatra
is getting low, and ii is OILY a & -estioa
OF time when il will cease altogether Ii
is far inferior TO the product OF our wells
IN Ohio and Pennsylvania. III re are un-
doubtedly profitable oil fields in China In
fact, nobody knows what there is in that
great unknown land. The Standard Oil
Companys attention has been attracted
toward China for long time
Consul General JeInigan, OF Shanghai
in his new report on Asiatic competition
in the great manufacturing industries,
wrote the following on the oil sitaat on in
China: American oil still maintains the
first place il most Of the ports, but in a
few places, notably Kiukiang and Wen
chow there has been considerable decline
in this item. AL kiukiang the import was
2S3, 900 gallons, against 547, ,lG0 ga Ions
for the third quarter OF 1889, and SOC
gallons for the second quarter OF this year
AT Menchow there were but 3,O00 gallons
imported in the last quarter, against
Ss,c00 in the second quarter, and 10000
in the corresponding quarter of 1895.
Much of this falling off is doubtless
due, however to the oyerstocking of the
market but at both these ports and some
others Russian Oil has managed in some
say, despite its poorer quality, TO secure
the lions share of the trade. Even where
the American oil has not lost ground il
has in many cases gained but little, owing
TO this competition. AT Chinkiang for in.
stance, MlefG the imports were J0S,UUU, the
Russian imports for the same period wer,
37S, 900 gallons, having attained this fgur,
by a rapid and steady growth from 81, ,00
gallons in 1893. At Hankow the situation
is still more striking. While American ker
osene has declined since 1893 from ], ,7l2, 20
gallons to l,24l, 120 gallons, the Russian
Oil in the same time has advanced from
2000 gallons TO 1,S02O60 gallons. A
Annoy the total Russian import for thi
quarter is 47l,1 ,120 gallons, more than dou
BILE that of the American OIL"
These and similar reports from Ameri
ran consuls in China are receiving the dai
ly attention of the Rockefellers. China
6 great market for Illuminating oil, an
the establishment of a refinery or two i
that country will probably be the outcom
OF the matter.
The Standard OIL Company has agents i
China and Japan and, in fact, in ever
quarter of the globe. Since the return @
its representative who viewed the oil fiel
situation in the Flowery Kingdom an UT
gent request has beeen received to sen
an expert to examine a particularly ric
field. E. Landauer, of the Partisan Banl
cousin of the Rothschilds, recently ar
rived at Tacoma from China. He says b
found that one of China's richest miners
fields in Sze-Cheum province is underlai
with a vast sea of petroleum. The pro
vince contains $4,000 people.
For Naval Academy Dentist.
ANNAPOLIS, Md, Sept 1S.-There is
lively cornDptition for the nosition nf don