The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-20
GERMANY'S need OF COAL
Opportunities Presented to Amerl-
can Producers.
Problem Presents
the Main Obstacle Suggestion
That Difficulty He Met by u
Line of Specially Built Golfers
consul General MasOn'> Report.

Frank H. Mason Consul General to Ger
many, sends from Berlin some interesting
facts regarding the coal situation in the
land of the Rhine. He is inclined TO think
that great opportunities are offered Amer
i. lean producers. His report is in part as
follows:
THE fact that there has been and is
still an unusual dearth of coal in Germany
and Russia seems to have been accepted
mainly as a hint that there must be capt.
talists here, who are ready TO come TO the
United States, buy coal lands. open mines,
build branch railroads, and make freight
contracts with existing lines to seaport in
order that Germany may obtain at some
future time a supply of American coal.
This is neither apparent nor probable
What Germany wants, and is ready to pay
a fair market price for. is coal; not unde-
velored coal lands in the interior of the
United States or any other foreign country.
The industries of this country are widely
developed and are now in full activity;
they employ SO fully all the available cap
ital that money is more scarce and gem
! orally dearer here than in England or the
! United States. ard for this and other rea-
sons German capitalists. so far as can be
! discovered. are not looking for mining in
yestments abroad.
The fact may as we'll be realized at the
outset that if the United States is ever
( TO have the important coal export trade TO
winch our country is entitled by reason of
! It's geographical position. limitless supply
and facilities for cheap inland transport.
/ the work of developing such commerce
must be done not by foreigners. but by
Americans. IT, as appears to be the fact
] they have not the facilities the surplus
\ mining capacity. the cheap transportation
/ to tide water and the GOLFERS to carry the
coal over sea, then these things must be
! created and built by Americans or they
must be content 10 stay out of the game
( If they have not the enterprise and cour-
/ age to undertake It, because there is for
! the moment an active demand for coal at
home, they can hardly expect foreigners
who are busy With their own affairs TO
! come and take such task off their own
hands.
Europe needs now and will in future
! continue to need. in greater or less de-
( gree. the coal that America has in pro-
fuse abundance. The problem is reduced
/ from the outset TO one of transportation
and for this the facilities will in the main
have to be created. In all recent corre-
spondence on this subject, but one letter
has been received from tie United States
which makes a definite proposition that
can be submitted to German imperter.
This is the offer of firm at New York
to deliver bituminous screened gas and
steam coal of good quality on shipbcard
at Philadelphia or Baltimore for 81 so tper
tor But no hint is given of what trans
portation to Hamburg. Bremen. or Rotter-
dam Will cost. whether vessels are avail
able, or how soon any given quantity can
be delivered
The whole question Of ocean freight is
left to. be figured out by the importer
in an interior city of Germany and hav-
ing done his best by cable and letter to
inform himself. he finds that the coal.
when II should arrive. would cost deliver
ed at Berlin. rather more than Silesian
soft coal. which can now be obtained here
on large contracts for S464 Der metric
ton Had the American dealer looked I'D
the price and conditions of freight him
self and given a price free on shipboard
at German port there might have been
chance for a trade, as many German
dealers and manufacturers would like TO
make definite trial of American Goals.
but they are accustomed TO have coal and
other supplies offered to them here or on
shiphoard in German ports and are not
adopts in freight rates hitherward from
foreign countries
Moreover. the exigencies of the South
African var and other demands have
absorbed for the moment so large mo-
portion Of British tonnage that the yes
sells of other nations are busiIy employed.
freights are high, and shipping scarce and
exacting as to rates
From all that the present episode has
shown. 1t would seem that before the ex-
port coal trade of the United States can
become strong, independent and therefore
permanent. there viii have TO be bull.
class Of golfers specially adapted 10 that
service. The situation is much the same
as when the ore and coal trade Between !
the upper and lower ports OF the Great
American Lakes was handled by schoon- |
ers of 400 TO 600 tons. The steam barge. |
carrying several thousand tons easily |
handled by small crew and of minimum /
cost in relation TO tonnage, came upon the |
scene and the schooners disappeared, or |
were driven into higher classes of freight |
age
The tank steamer saved-one might al, |
most say created-the export petroleum |
trade TO European countries where il met |
the competition OF the Russian product. |
1t is for the marine constructors OF the .
United States to devise a collier for the (
transatlantic coal traffic, which will sure
ly come when provision is made for it-a I
vessel OF large carrying capacity low cost
Of construction, with sufficient engine pow /
er to steam seven or eight knots an hour
and give steerageway in all weathers.
equipped with the best machinery for |
handling cargo, and minimum requirements
as to size Of crew and consequent operat-
ing expenses, a vessel in short built
specially for the export coal trade. and
which will do for ii what the tank steam
er has done for petroleum and the steam
barge for the ore and coal trade of the
lakes.
If the great coal-carrying railroads OF
Pennsylvania. Maryland and Virginia were
equipped with a feet of such vessels and
could give n through rate on coal from the
mines to foreign ports. the problem would
be solved.
Since the last reports on this subject
were submitted. the situation in respect
to coal supply in Germany has undergone
some inevitable notifications The use OF
brown coal has greatly increased and that
industry Is now In a condition of unpre-
cedented activity. Brown coal has been
found available for many purposes to
which it had not previously been applied.
and 1t is likely that this larger employ
ment Of a lower and cheaper grade of fuel
viii continue after the normal supply and
prices OF bituminous coal have been re-
stored.
Germany and Luxembourg mined dur
ing the year 1899 I0I ,621 $50 tons az
bituminous coal, which had an average
value al the miro Of $1.S5 per ton, ana
-. s02,561 tons of brown coal valued a.
IS cents per ton. During the same year
there was imported 6,220,41S tons OF coal
of which 4,S73.554 tons came from Great