The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-15
TO CAPTURE The TRADE
Germans and Englishmen After
Our Islands.
Upton is IN The DEAL
They Have Organized With Capital of
S1ooooo,ooO-A Few American
Houses Let Into the
Combine.

New York, Jan. 14.-Not American.
but English and German merchants,
have been the first to try to capture
the trade opened to the world in Cuba,
in Porto Rico, in Hawaii and the Phil
'ippines.
Under the garb of company whose
charter was obtained in America and
under the alluring name of the Amer
lean Colonial Trading company, the
greatest commercial houses in Gerna-
ny and England have combined to be-
come masters of the great new
fields of trade.
American firms have been diplomat
ically invited to enter the organiza-
tons. but already the agents of the
American Colonial Trading company
are at work, and it will be but a few
days before branch houses have been
established in Havana, in San Juan,
in Manila and in Honolulu.
The first name in the impressive list
is Sir Thomas Upton, the largest mer-
chant in the world, with 100000 900 cap
ital
Those interested did not wait for the
treaty of peace between Spain and the
United States to be signed. AS soon
as the war had ended the company was
formed and stood ready to do business.
A charter was obtained in West Wiz
ginia, for some reason satisfactory to
the company, and the capital named
was 100000. Charles F. Spalding of
East Orange, N. j., is president of the
company as organized in America.
Oddly enough, the idea originated
with Mr.. Spalding of New Jersey, put
it was in London that the enterprise
took hold. owen Burns Of San Fran
scheme during the latter part of the
war He visited Sir Thomas Upton
and was received with great cordial
ity Sir Thomas saw at once the great
value of the idea to himself and the
other merchants of London, and offer
ed all the assistance in his power to
forward the project. Be-
The merchants of Germany were lot
backward. They entered enthusiast
cally into the scheme, particularly IN
view of the fact that their great ri
walls, the Englishmen, had gone in for
it.
When the last gun of the war had
echoed and died away the American
Colonial Trading company was ready
to do business, and had enrolled in the
list of stockholders many of the larg-
est and most powerful firms and COM
panies in Europe.
The combined capital to be employed
is much more than 500, 900, 900. Those
interested do not conflict with each
other with regard to the character OF
goods sold They stand ready to sup
ply the F'ilipinos, the HaWaiians, the
Porto Ricans and the Cubans with
anything from a plough to a package
of tea and already ships are laden
with merchandise bound for the pos
sessions which the United States has
| added to itself by treaty and con-
! quest.
| few American houses have been
| let into the company: and only recent
| ly three carloads of beer were ship
| ped by a New York brewery to Ma
Mia.
| General Wood, the military govern
| or of Santiago. observed the lethargy
shown by American merchants in so
| Letting the new trade of Cuba and
| has publicly commented upon the
| fact.
Many American capitalists have gone
| to Cuba and to Porto Rico with heavy
| pocketbooks, but they have been spec
| ulators, rather than business men,
seeking franchises rather than hunt
| ing trade.
| While American enterprise has been
! expending itself upon street railway
| and other railway schemes, the Ger
mans and the Britons have quietly
and steadily laid plans to seize the
| legitimate trading business of our own
| colonies.
owen Burns will leave shortly for
| Havana to establish branch house
| in the Cuban capital.