Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1901-03-07
OUR COAL IN EUROPE.
Great Chance Abroad Fof the
American Product.
INTEREST IN TT NOW GROWING,

Sales OF Millions Of Tons to EurO-
penn Countries - Many Requests
Made to Film In Paris For Data.
Ships Are Much Needed.
"Within the next two years we
should be in a position, with fair Cd
portunities for transporting our coal,
to sell 100000 or 100000 tons OF it
to European countries annually"
This is the fashion in which Presi-
dent G. J. Wittenberg Of the Chesa-
peake and Ohio Coal and Coke compu-
ny sums up the conditions indicated
by the present foreign demand for
American coal, says the New York
Herald. Mr.. Wittenberg returned from
Europe on the Majestic few days
ago after a two months trip in Eng
land France and Denmark. He dwell
forcibly the other day on the prosper
for extending our export fuel trade In
the near future.
'In $780," said Mr.. Wittenberx,
"England's shipments OF coal to coun-
tries which we can reach exceeded
30,OOO,OOO tons. Up to ten years ago
she had about all the West Indian aud
South American coal trade, most Of
which we have taken from her. We
can now get our share of the worlds
trade if we can get the ships. But the
coal men Of the country need to be
aroused on the matter.
':While l was abroad noticed re.
markable inquiry for American coal
The number OF people who called
upon me in Paris to obtain data on the
subject was astonishing. And in Den.
mark there was a special interest in
the matter taken by the big gas con-
Germs. The American coal exhibits at
the Paris exposition are attracting a
great deal of interest. but they are so
poorly accommodated in out Of the
way quarters that they are not shown
to best advantage.
Enquiries are being made for Ameri
can coal by both the French and the
italian governments for their respect.
I've navies. About July l there was q
bill introduced III the British parlia.
ment &C. prohibit the expectation CT
snoKeless coal from Great Britain 1t
~as argued that smOkeless coal was
like smokeless powder and should be
regarded as too precious to sell to 9TH
er nations. No sdecisive action has
been taken on this bill, but the French
government. in alarm. at once placed
large orders for smokeless coal in Eng
land. Still fearing that it may never
be able to have them filled, it is now.
on the lookout to get it's coal from
America, if need be. = "t
"The principal points to which it
would now be advantageous to us to;
ship coal would be on the Mediterra-t
mean, of course, because the low freight
rates from England to other European
cenrers make it hard for us to compete
with Great Britain AS far as quality
goes. the best American coal can about
equal the coal from Cardiff, Wales,
which is the best In Great Britain.
Our coal is not so lumpy as the Cardiff
coal, but that is really nothing in ia
vor of the British product, though
there is a prejudice for lumpiness in
Europe. The British coal costs $3.50
at Cardiff and can be delivered at $40
ton on the MediterraneaE Ours costs
$3.50 at Newport News and can be de
livered at about $760 on the Medit.y
ranean. But we are sending very litti2
thither because we cannot get the
ships.
Most OF the interests owning Goa,
carrying vessels arc interested also IL
the British mines. and then there have
been at least Is vessels diverted, te
England's transport service and IL to
that of Germany (threc each from the
Hamburg American and the Norti.
German Lloyd, while at least ten have
been chartered by the United State.
for various purposes. If we could oniy
have a subsidy measure passed whh:h
would encourage the building of Amer.
lean ships, we could quickly build up a
coal carrying trade. We could build
fully as good ships as they have abroad
I think even with the vessels diverted
to transport sersica back at our dispoH
al that coal freights x: the Mediterra.
mean would come :ivw: from s. to 81
Or $3.50 4 ton and enable us to under
sell the British in Italy from $3.50 t.
81 ton"
rs the British price likely to remain
as high as at PRESENT." Mr.. Wittenbsrs
was asked.
'"The owners Of British collieries
with whom l talked" h. answered,
declare they would no, reduce it.
They said they had raised The price IN
the face Of refusal of old customers to
make contracts at increased prices. and
they certainly would not lower it when
there was a prospect of coal scarcity
| told them they would meet a crash
such as occurred in the iron business
They declared 80 long as the British
government had trouble in South Al
RIGA or China there was no fear OF coal
going begging. The government would
rather buy the surplus than let It get
into the hands of foreign Countries