The evening times., 1900-10-04
AMERICAN COAL ABROAD.
Indications That There VIII Soon
Be q Heavy Demand.

iactuf1nS purposes, ana TO the reduction OF
Great Britain's supply in the past year
or more is attracting a widespread at
tention among European manufacturers
and business men generally. This scar
city is now almost a famine. It Is said
that it will grow more rather than less
acute in the coming year The European
business interests and even the Govern
ments are beginning to consider seriously
the question of importing coal from Amer
fca. Already the movement has begun on
much larger scale than ever before. but
the prospect is for an immense export coal
trade for America in the near future.
The State Department recently sent to
its consular agents in Europe instructions
to furnish special reports on the coal ques-
tion- There have been numerous replies,
many of them most important.
Among the most interesting of the re-
ports is that from Joseph l. Britain, Con-
sui at Nantes. He says;
The continued advance in the price Of
English Goals. the shortness of the Fisi-
bic stock. and the approaching winter
season are again causing apprehension
here regarding the future supply Fer
months past Gualers have been buying
that the South African war was the only
cause for the high price asked for Eng
fish coal. Now, they realize that other
causes have been affecting the market
The augmentation of the naval fleets of
the various powers of the old world to-
gether with the growth In railroad build
ing, with the increased demand for MN
ufactured iron involved. have had con-
siderable effect upon the coal market. In
facts he supply is not keeping pace with
the demand on this side. Hence, deal
ers are again making enquiry concerning
prices and quality Of American Goals.
This is good time for American ex-
porters to prepare for foreign trade,
quote prices, send samples and specify
time when coal can be delivered. They
cannot expect to obtain this market
, without an effort. as the English pro-
Queer has had absolute control here for
many generations. and the French deal
er has become accustomed to English
and Welsh coais-especially the latter
for steam and domestic purposes. If the
American dealer can satisfy the French
consumer as to quality, price. condition
of COAL terms of sale, and time for de-
livery, he may succeed in capturing q
share of the market
IF the American coal producer wishes to
procure a market here. he must keep in
mind the following: The quality of coal
now being used in this part of France for
steam purposes IS dry bituminous or, as
it is often called, a semi -bltuminous coal.
not containing high percentage of volatile
matter. The american coal should most
nearly resemble this Welsh coal in analysis
and solidity and should be sent in the
proportion OF large and small coal usually
furnished by the Welsh dealer We have
Goals which viii give excellent satisfaction
here, but the matter must be studied in a
systematic manner. and rambling CORES
pondenee should be avoided One cargo OF
poor coal Will do a vast amount OF injury.
THE American exporter should be very
careful in making consignments OF cargoes
Of coal, and shonId know that the con-
signee on this side is honorable and res
ponsible. 7 think it would be a good idea
If samples of our best steam and gas Goals
were on exhibition at the United States
consuiates. at present, the scarcity of
steamers OF 1000 TO 5000 tons interferes
with the export coal trade from the United
States"
Consul Skinner, of Marseilles. says:
The most gratifying feature of the ex-
changes between this city and the United
States is the fact that American coal ap-
pears for the first time as an article of
import. and the experiment in this city
having succeeded, has given occasion to
similar importations, either actual or con-
templated. in Aigiers. Genoa, Naples. Ven
ice, Pola, aad Trieste. MarseilIes has re-
QuiTed about half million tons of Car
diff coal annually heretofore, almost ex-
clusiyely for navigation purposes Impor-
tations during the first six months of 1890
were as follows: From England, 451. Ti2
tons; Italy, 713 tons; Turkey, 5,201 tons;
United States, 1873 tons.
These figures do not explain that the
relatively small amount imported from the
United States consists of preliminary
shipments on contracts for large quanti-
ties, for which tonnage has been hard TO
obtain, the balance of which is now coa-
ing forward rapidly In the early part OF
the year. the experiments were principally
made in various manufacturing institu-
tions in the south of France-the region
of the Lower Loire-and In Germany, with
results reported to me as satisfactory. A
more important experiment was also made
by the Paris. Lyons. and Mediterranean
Railway Company, which contracted for
40,0 600 tons. only small portion of which
has been delivered. This company is Sc
well satisfied that negotiations for other
contracts have already been instituted
Consul McElrath, at Turin. Italy says:
No serious or systematic effort has
ever been made to introduce American
! coal into this district or even into this
country. l have been informed that the
entire amount of American coal i'm
| ported into Italy during the past year
| reached only the Insignificant figure OF
| 10000 tons. The gas companies of this
| city after having experimental with
| 1000 tons of American COAL have, / am
| informed given an order for another
small cargo
The manufacturers in snis country
| have for many years used English coal
| exclusively: they are conversant with
| its properties and will be slow to change
| to a new variety. unless it is manifestly
| to their interest to do So In my opin-
| ion, it would be most expedient for any
American company intending to send
| coal to this district to have in this city
an energetic and well-informed agenr
| who, by reason of his knowledge of the
| country, and the requirements OF bus1-
ness. could handle shipments with ce-
| lerity and discretion. IL American ex-
| porters should make consignments 90
such an agent in Turin, and if he were
enabled 10 offer the coal at figure
which would De under the current rates
| for English coal, 1 believe in a very
short time a most important business
could be established.
| Frank W. Mahin, Consul at Kerchens
| berg, Austria, says:
Present conditions certainly offer a
golden opportunity for building ap 3
great coal trade between the United
States and Europe"