The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-18
EUROPE MUST HAVE COAL.
HrR PRESENT NEED ANERICA'S
UyPRECEDEN TED OPPORTUNITY.

Famine on tho Continent Now and
Consumers Turning 10 Us for Relief
What Is spoken Of as the coal famin me from
which Europe Is suffering 10 a subject that II
receiving constantly more attention In this
co intry. not only because OF the opportunities
offered 10 American coal interests. but In view
OF the difficulties In the way OF taking advant-
age OF those opportunities, and In view OF the
probable effects upon American consumers.
Trade papers and journals OF economics TAX e
up the subject In every issue. and coal men
and men connected with large indus
trial interests as we'll. hnd IL OF imme-
dlate concern. Exports OF coal from the United
States have increased already and the outlook
10 for q further augmentation OF the export
trade. limited only 40 far a. the immediate fut-
ure IL concerned. by transportation facilities
both on land and sea. But the important feat
ure Of the new conditions 10 that they do not
bstoken merely a temporary market. but
presage a new growth OF American
with constantly widening possibilities. And
the new demand for American coal Ia not only
for the bituminouS or soft coal but also for an
.thracite. The exigencies at home have made
European consumers ready to reach out ~
last for American hard coal. although persist
ent efforts OF anthracite dealers to interest
them heretofore have failed.
Tho figures for January show the exporta.
tion OF U 4.527 tons Of anthracite coal. against
S3.+42 tons In January OF last year. and Of
<92, 2O7 tons OF bituminous coal against 28S.-
297 tons. In the present conditions OF the
trade January Is some time past and greater
increases are likely a. fast as facilities enable
greater shipments and home requirements
permit more attention to be devoted to the
SN.~tvn Aan,anda For tina s.Van mnntha and
ing with January. 1899. the exports OF anthta-
cite we're 95+,S77 tons. and NJ bltumlnous
1881. 900 tons. while for the corresponding
period ending with last January the figures
were respectively l.ll2.l71 and =. 7f9.ll2 tons.
The situation a. II appears to American Con-
sular officers, American coal interests and
foreign observers alike ia big with possihili-
ties, The United States Consul-General at
Berlin, Frank II. Mason. reports 70 the state
Department that tina scarcity of coal In Ger
many and Russia, especially OF the kinds used
for coking and bla furnace fuel, leopards
the iron and steel Industries o. Germany. les
sening the production Of pig iron. The short
age In Germany Ia due in great part to the
failure OF one OF Germany's CHIEF sources Of
import supply. the mines OF Great Britain,
Importers both OF anthracite and aas Goals IN
Germany have applied TO the United states
Consul. General 10 be put In communlca-
ton with American producers or dealers. Mr.
Mason says!
The situation has become critical AMI omi-
nous for the Manufacturer and export trade
OF Germany. Num'ron, important glass. por.
celaIn and machinc factories IN Silesia AMI
saxony have been obliged to shut down for
want o. fuel there are n do2ea electric lighting
aud power plants in this country which have
less than a fortnlcht's coal provision on hand
In Russia the rapid development Of railways
ami certain manufactures during tho past
three years has completely outr run the limited
domestic coal suupy and th" Russian Govern
nent has sought TO ease he pressure by sus-
pending for an indefinite period the import
The principal wholesale agency here for
Stlesian soft coal Ia now selling It's scanty stock
at s. per ton, delivered at Berlin, aud there IL
a general panic among coal dealers, who are
una bic to provide coal for their customers AT
any price and can See no encouraging prospect
are made oi sI!Oi to 81 2Sior bituminouslump
coal in lots Of 10000 to 10000 tons. free on
boari at Hamburg.
F'Notwithstanding coal Mt the pits mouth in
West Virginia has sold during the past year at
80 cents per ton. the United states. which
Leads ne We T2r 6m in , tins prfpG aaS anH rn M = a lnT,
a hagatelle Of 5.O5l 1888 tons, Of which 1881.
7Bl tons were merely carrie over the frontier
into British North America. and tn rest wont
nearly all to Mexico and the West indies.
countries which lie at our very doors.
The Ner England StdtSt, considering the
outlook. after making the prrlim nary OhStr-
walton that the mines ~ this country are capn.
Bile of producing double. the quantity OF coal
that the markets available in the country de-
MANY years ago the experiment was tried Of
exporting anthracite c9a'. The pe"p'e ~
England especially neither hal nor would
they he persuaded To- provide themselves with
the necessary appliances OF stoves. crates. ~.
for burning anthracite coal. aud me expert
m.ent N imately had to be abnn i9nsd,
ings have been somewhat different Never
theless, the export business in this coal IN the
United States hnI never vet reached anything
like a well defined and progressive featur" OF
the foreign Of the country. Indeed.
for n great part Of the time IN the immediate
past. the imports Of coal into this country have
been vastly superior Ia volume TO tho exports
therefrom. the Pacific coasts especially having
long depended for their supplies upon ia"
products of he English mines. brought thither
In English bottoms There have hecn recently.
however. some. very important sales Of large
amount with shlpments already made or. to he
made In the near future To iorriR n ports,
There have been shipments 10 Franco Tor
railroad purposes. 10 Italy for industrial con-
earns and 70 Capr coiony l1r the n.rs o. tnr
various ports. Tho COdi T'dde Jo"VHdi In it,
current issue says;
'~Instead Of supplying only American con
sumers the lnitsi States will, in the failure.
supply a large part ot the coal requirements Of
other parts Of the world rs It has rolittcaily
become "a power OF Wplll-Wllf lDlu'D't, 80 III
the coal trade it,. products, will he carried 10
the opposite hcmi-pherr. where American coal
has heretofore been I rarity, as well as slppIy.
ing Europe and South America, whore II has in
the past been known only hy the steam marine
interests OF those countries. MA 10
may further b" considered that il all the world
burned coal in IN" same proportion per CAPITA
as Is done In the United states, the animal
tonnage Of the glOl' would need be five times
the present amount
Having in mind The great future demand FOR
coal, and the inevitable curt iilment OF tn" pro-
duction from the limited coal bed, of Europe.
IL becomes NJ parcnt To- ID" cHrc:u! observer
that the United states must be- called un0l TO
supply from its unlimited coal areas the fuel
70 supply the nations nf Ia" earth. Europe has
not been negligent in developing it, Goa, re-
sources: bur It's fulurc 10 meet current dn.
= oaching the MAXIMUM " may well he
doubted II the limited coat areas oi Europe
will permit OF n much greater amount than the
present tonnag" hcing mInni each year At a
cost that W II meet mp"titiun.'
OF twelve foreign countries producing coal,
only Great Britain and France produce more
than enough for the home demands. Speaking
OF last years business. the paper says: "A few
countries show an actual loss in the amount ~
British coal received. showing that while great
efforts wern made TO turn ont coal. tho British
producer could not get enough 70 supply the
demand from all possible customers. A
notable feature OF the statistics Ia that they
show no Goa shipped TO Puerto Rico. santiago
or Cienfuegos In the West Indies. or 20 Manila,
Philippine Islands. although. previously. ship,
explains the circumstance and is one OF the
benefits Of expansion which may have been
overlooked
The paper observes cditorially. speaking ~
the foreign demand for american coal: with
acontinuance Of the demand vessels will seek
81, thsG aide n y thu ~ and trn Ia III