The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-23

clude our coal from competition with the
productions OF other lands.
In The effort to introduce American coal
in South American markets large meas
ure Of success has been achieved, and hard
ly month goes by now that one or moe
cargoes is not shipped to that part of tie
world. But at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and
in a competition for the supply of 2 raj
road that is owned and operated by the
State, an American company has had an eX-
periepce that has ended for the time being
IN the formal exclusion by Brazilian off
Gals of cur coal from the competition.
Commercial methods having failed, the
matter has taken a diplomatic turn, and
our Minister to Brazil has been appealed
to to have the restriction removed and to
see that American shippers are protected
in their treaty rights and are given fair
show in the competition. a case for dip
lomatic Intervention appears to have been
made out by the fact that the exclusion OF
American coal from competition was or
dered by an official Of the Brazilian Gov
eminent. of no less Importance than the
Minister of Public Works and Industry, ana
although the order of exclusion appears
TO have been arbitrarily made it seems to
have been made in collision with other
officials. and to have all the effect of for
mai ana regular governmental proceeding.
A Formal Protest.
The facts of the matter have been set
forth in the form of a protest, made TO
Charles Page Bryan. United States Min
lister to Brazil. by Mr.. E. S. Levy-Grech,
the agent in the matter, Of the Toms
Creek Coal Company. AS stated by Mr.
Levy-Grech this morning, they are as fol-
lows: The Central Street Railway OF RIO,
owned and operated By the Brazilian Gov
eminent, had been using Cardiff coal, sup
piled by a Brazilian corporation, in wnlch
q number Of Brazilian politicians are gen
orally supposed to be interested Its an
nual requirements amount to about Sl2V,-
Geo tons.
For this supply tenders are annually in
vited by advertisement published IN the
daily papers. the proposals specifying GER
tain tests-tests which. by the way, have
never been complied with or enforced, can
not in the nature of things be complied
with, and are manifestly put in the pro-
posals for the mere purpose of clothing the
contracting authority with plausible ex-
cuse for the rejection OF bids that are
not desired because they do not pay, and
can be rejected in no other safe way.
About two years ago, Mr.. Levy-Grech,
having gone to Rio from this country
for the express purpose Of introducing
the coal of his company to the Brazilian
market, proposed to the Minister OF Pubic
Works and Industry to tender for the an
nuaI supply of the Central Street Railway.
HIS oyertures, he found TO his surprise,
were coldiy received and discouraged.
without knowledge Of the character or
quality of the coal offered the Brazilian
functionary prejudged it as inferior and
unsatisfactory He was led to see the
inconsistency Of this position, however,
when the American agent told him that
the coal he would furnish was superior in
every way 10 that in use on the railway
ct the time and had been furnished
under Identical specifications. Without
deciding the matter then, the minister re-
ferred Mr.. Levy-Grech TO the director OF
the Central Street Railway for further
negotiations.
There he encountered the same apparent
reluctance 10 receive tenders of American
coal, but in the end the director said he
would DO so, and give the American bidder
fair play, If cargo were first sent down
for inspection and test. Such condition
had never been previously exacted from any
bidder but confident of the superior qua i
~ Of the Toms Creek COAL Mr.. Levy-Grecl
finally consented to this arrangement. and
early in the fall the company shipped a
cargo Of 1910 tons per steamship Aoh.can,
and it was received and landed by Mr..
Levy-Grech on October 81 the bids were
submitted to the Minister OF Public Works
and Industry.
Teadered the Cargo.
Mr.. Levy Grech, to make sure that notice
OF the receipt OF the cargo and its submis-
sion 10 the tests should reach the proper
official, made tender of the cargo for in
spection and test, in writing, Simultaneous
" with the submission OF his tender. The
next day the newspaper reports Of the ten
ders showed that the Toms Creek Coal
Company had unGerbid the Brazilian com
pany by IS lid per ton lover IS cents ?
toni II seemed to Mr.. Leyy-Grcch as if
nothing could prevent the awarding Of the
contract TO his company.
About a fortnight later 1t began TO be
noiged abroad that the contract would, as
usual be awarded TO the Brazilian com
pany. for the Cardiff coal, and at tho
higher price ''Foreseeing for the first
time" says the protest 10 Minister Bryan
the possibility Of unfair play and conse-
quent trouble, I applied to the United
States Consul General. Mr.. Seager, wht
very kindly went with ne to see the di
rector Of the Central Railway on this sub
ject on November 16. 1888. The sale
director affected surprise that Mr.
Leyy-Grech had not previously addressed
him upon the question Of testing the coal
When the written tender of the coal TO
testing was recalled to him he becam
angry and blurted out inyectives upol
American coal in general; repeatedly, fl
the presence and hearing Of Consul Gen
eral Seager. dcnouncing it as no good
thereby, 10 Mr.. Lcvy-Grech's conviction
showing that he bad predetermined L
throw the American coal out Of the com
petition 10 serve some Interior purpose.
However" the protest continues, "be
ing unable with any show OF dcSency 4
refuse 70 try OFT coal he agreed to giy'
# trial and promised to have look a
the coal the following day, which he Gid
meeting me by appointment at the Oh
hadss Mocas, where our coal had beer
stocked Looking et our pile OF coal b.
tried to condemn it on the plea of tn,
coal not being large enough, or, In hi
own words: 'Isto nao presto; e .noinha
Cthis is no good; ii is dustD. To this
replied by pointing him cut an adjacen
pile Of Cardiff triple-screened coal, stocke
IN the same yard, smaller TO all intent
and purposes; whereupon he gave me tn
futile answer that that also consisted 0
inferior coal"-but 1t had been receives
without objection upon the current con
tract, though far inferior to the American
coal. in the mean time, twenty tons ba
been sent TO the railroad for test
On the morning OF November 10 tn
superintendent OF motive power reporter
10 the director that he had found the Goa
all right-that he was satisfied with II
Subsequently Mr.. Leyy-Grech learned tina
the test showed IL per cent ash, tn