The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-06-15
sEATTLE's CHIEF INTEREsr.

UEAIIIES G0hHSt bNA&Shs
The great topic Of interest to the peo-
pie Of Puget sound Is that upon which
President James J. HUI dwelt In his
address ON Tuesday evening and which
he has mastered.
There are other subjects upon which
public opinion concentrates At times.
but overshadowing them al - the op-
portunisy for development Of traffic be-
tween the two shores Of the Pacific
ocean.
The Immense possibilities of that EN-
pire across the seas passes the ordinary
domain Of commercial terms and figures
and becomes q mercantile romance writ
ten by an imaginative genius. To
Asiatic commerce James J. HIN stands
In the same relation that Flammarlon
and Proctor do to astronomy or Jules
Verne to the earth. All their state
ments are based upon truths. but they
have seen 30 far further than most men
that their pictures seem like fantastic
exasgerations.
II think" says Mr.. Hill. the people
Of the state Of Washington do not real
Ice what they possess. He says that
the statement that there are things here
that Will make this one Of the chief
ports OF the commercial world has been
criticised. but only by those who have
not seen the commercial side OF the
great coal and iron industries.
II was not a man given 10 unweighed
words or to insincere flattery who said:
There are more precious metals in the
state Of Washington than In any other
state In the Union. Coal. iron. gold,
silver, copper. lead. and almost every
other conceivable metal abound In the
greatest needed quantity" In a general
way we have heard this statement be-
fore. but. never has 1t been made by
one who was more cautious In his state
ments than Mr.. Hin. We know It 10 be
true that our seas are teeming with
vigor and food; our fields and forests
valued at the highest appraisement TO
mankind; that we can raise more wheat.
timothy and alfalfa to the acre than any
other state. All these things have we In
such abundance that we can have all we
want aud send cut great quantities to
foreign markets.
In the Orient We have the hes; mar
ket Millions Of people could be con-
sumers Of all that We could send. ANA
they can give up In return rich carxoes
OF their products. As Mr. HIN said. be-
tween Kamchatks and Singapore. you
md half the population OF the globe
Those myriads could be made - q grea.
extend cur customers AZ rresen. the
raw materials imported by China come
chiefly from other countries. but we
need not concern ourselves about d.
versinS that traffic. We can create a
demand SO vast sha. the figures reau,r-
ed 10 express existing trade wouid soon
seem Insignificant.
On another subject Mr.. Hill always
talks Ia attentive ears. and shx. /. the
subject 81 American bottoms. The
United States has emily three ocean
steamers dying the American rag on the
Atlantic and we are paving on, between
sise,aaeoe and seOa. 600 aoa a year 10
ether countries 70 carry orr products
90 market.
With cur home products marketed A..
the Orient. with our ports flooded with
imports In return. and With our harhosx.
unsurpassed anyw here. f'anses nv ship
building yards. the city Of Seattle viii,
have position second st more. ard its
trade viii hs - character 20 bring IN
told wealth upon the Ssase