Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1899-11-30
TRADE WITH U. S.
A Native OF Ceylon Tells OF
What This Country
Can Do.
In Promoting Trade Relations
With India's 800 Million
People.

we Should Cultivate Oriental
Commerce--Our Surpass-
ing Advantages.
V. l.. Tissera, of Colombo Ceylon,
spent short time in the city Sunday
IN company with an agent OF an eastern
wholesale grocery house. Mr.. Tissera
Is Clnghalese, native of Ceylon. and
is lntrod ucing the teas imported by his
house, to the northwest trade, through
wholesale firms. He is a most agreeable
and we'll informed gentleman, speaking
English fluently. He has spent all his
time since 1898 in America studying the
customs of this country and also en-
deavorin2 to interest the merchants of
Ceylon in direct trade with the U g.,
net only in the staples such as tea,
coffee and spices, but in commerce OF a
general kind. He has sent back to his
native land specimens Of American pro-
ducts. Inventions and manufactures and
says an immense trade between this
country and India is sure to come and is
only preven ted by the present relations
and government OF Great Britain which
is Jealous of any American foothold in
India or Ceylon.
Mr.. Tissera ls an educated Indian.
He is of the prevailing faith, Buddhist.
The Cipghalese tribe are the desfend-
ants OF the ancient Hlndoos who origin
ally crossed from the main land, and 10
the island OF Ceylon now number about
100000. Other races of the island are,
chiefly, the Brahmin Hindoo and the
Arab Mohammedans, called by various
tribal names. The island ls about one.
sixth less in size than Ireland, and is one
of the richest lands on the earth. lte
productions are, OF course, known the
world over. The Cinghslese are the
dominating class in trade and otherwise
but have been since thePortuguese cap-
tured the leading port in 1917, subjects
of foreign powers like all other native
residents Of the island. The fret Euro
peans landed there in 1905. The Dutch
finally drove out the Portueu u sse rnlerf
and 10 1895 the English took Colombo
the capital, from the Dutch and are the
present governors and tax gstberers.
Mohammedan records as far back as l34C
mention the town under the name OF
Kalambu. There are in all about $780,.
600 Inhabitants on the island and its
northern part contains tribes that have
lapsed into savagery.
Mr.. Tissera came to the Worlds Far
ID charge OF the Ceylon exhibit and has
remained here since. He was educated
in his own country by his parents and
entered the English railway service in
youth under civil service rules, servipg
as an accountant. He has all the aepi-
ratione, hope and love for his native
country that the high cast native
Indian possesses and is acting as the
adviser of merchants in India and Cey-
Ion with the object OF building up q
direct trade with the United States.
He has been IN recent consultation with
President Hill about the proposed Pa
cific steamer route from Seattle to the
, Orient and is confident that the plans o!
Mr.. Hill, it carried out, will mean much
in establishing new customers for the
United States IN the Orient and at the
same time improving the condition OF
his native land HIS fund of practical
information is very large. He has made
the tour OF this country several times,
having headquarters IN Chicago where
be has established Wholesale tea house.
He will return to Ceylon this year, to
prosecute the object of bis stay here and
OF his efforts 10 this country for estab-
fishing new and extended trade relations
with India.
Mr.. Tissera believes the Trans Siber-
ian railway will be a great thing for
America in many ways. 1t is already
drawing on our railway manufsotu ers
for locomotives and material and will
Aid in the distribution of our goods to
Russia, and possibly to other European
counties, from Port Arthur. We must
build Daoifio Ocean fleets to meet the
demands for the new commerce that Is
bound to come from Ohins, Japan, the
Philippines and other islands. II this
country continues its war like policy
with tie natives Of the Philippines, fol-
lowing the example Of England IN 1nd's
and Africa, it will arouse prejudice
there among the natives against ns
which, he says will take years to over
come. 1t will take $4,000 soldiers there
to keep down revolutions, and trade will
be obstructed rather than aided. Mr..
Tissers cited the success OF tho Dutch
IN many OF the Malay islands % bettel