Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-18
THE COAL SITUATION.
Americas Opportunity in the Euro
pean Scarcity and Demand.

From the Philadelphia Record.
The foreign coal situation is growing
more interesting to American producers;
for with the passage of each day the strin-
gency on the continent becomes more
acute. 1t has already reached the proper
tons of a famine. Austria, which has
never produced more than enough coal to
meet two-thirds of her own requirements,
finds her usual sources of supply in Ger
many and England closed. Germany,
which under normal conditions produces
enough coal for her own needs, with about
100000 tons besides for export, finds her
self unable to fill increased home demands
after the home and foreign contracts have
been carried out. The tax placed upon the
output of the German coal fields and the
strikes of the coal miners in Bohemia and
Saxony have reduced production to seri-
Gus extent. Even should the strikes be de-
clared off tomorrow, however. the Increased
demand would still exceed the supply
France for a long time has been unable
to mine enough coal to meet her own de.
mands, and, in common with many other
continental countries, has been compelteo
to look to England to supply the deficiency
But the time seems near at hand when
England will be able to spare but little Of
her coal output for the foreign market. Her
production, steadily decreasing as the cost
Of deep mining becomes greater. was last
year for the first time in her history less
than that of the United States-a fact
sharply emphasized by the purchase by an
English syndicate of 100000 tons of Ala
bama coal.
With this state of affairs existing in Eu-
rope, the coal producers of the United
States should recognize their opportunity
The American coal fields have hardly been
touched as yet. The deposits may be mined
with comparative ease. and transportation
to tidewater is both expeditions and easy
All that is necessary to enable American
coal to invade the foreign market and to
win for itself a permanent place there is a
part Of the American producers to inform
the foreign consumers that they have the
coal to SELL and that they can lay 1t down
at any one of the leading foreign ports at
price the consumers can afford to pay.
That our producers can under existing
conditions deliver coal. even at ports lying
off the main travelled routes of commerce
and at prices mutually satisfactory to buys
er and seller, has just been demonstrated
by the closing Of q contract between tPs
with the Russian government for the sale
of 100000 tons Of New river coal, delivery
of which is to be begun this month. The
only thing to be considered as q possibly
a rise in ocean freights to a prohibitive fig-
ure as the consequence OF keen competition
for shipping facilities If the cargoes should
outgrow the capacity of vessels available
for the trade. Indeed. the solution Of the
whole question of the possibility Of build
ing up an export trade Of this character lies
in the ability to secure the necessary ocean
transportation. Should that not be posi-
BILE the trade would in all probability war
rant the cooperative building by the coal
producers of collier line.
In any event. the situation is one which
ia worthy of the close attention of Amer1-
can coal men in general and OF Pennsyl.
vania producers in PARTICULAR