The Washington times., 1902-07-22
CHANCE FOR TRADE
WITH TRlPOLI GOOD
Americans Need But Proper
Energy to Build 1t UP.
France and Russia Both Do a Heavy
Import and Export Business
With the Country.

One OF the ieW portions OF the KNOWN
world with which the United States has
no commercial relations, to which its
products do not filter through by indi-
rect channels, and with which our
Government does not even maintain
communication through the instrumen-
tality Of a consular agency is Tripoli.
that vast nominal dependency OF Turkey
bounded by Tunis and the Sahara and
Dybian deserts.
A few hides and tanned skins reach
the United States from Tripoli, but as
no representative OF the United States
stands guard with helpful suggestions,
our people have no share in the slowly
developing relations of that country
with the modern world.
Were the situation otherwise. and
were our exporters prepared to do busi-
ness according to the local rule. quoting
C. l. f. prices and accepting ninety day
drafts with an optional cash discount. as
do others, there is no reason why the
wcrd America should not become as
familiar in Trlpoli as 1t is elsewhere.
Correspondence Slow.
Correspondence for Tripoli is trans
mitted via Marseilles, which enjoys a
weekly steamship service with the capt
tai city. The commerce between the
two countries reaches s675, 600, of which
1886, 600 represents imports from Tripoli.
The exports from this country include
cheap silks. cottons. thread -four, cof-
fee. medicines. sugar. leather. and sill
yer plates. The imports consist of
skins, ostrich feathers. wool. and
sponges
Fer some months the country has
been in state OF excitement, owing to
an effort to enforce conscriDtion law
among the Arabs and the Ievying OF a
new land and property tax.
The enforcement OF the conscription
regulations should have been COM
menced on March IA, the beginning OF
the Turkish fiscal year; but the atti-
tude of the Arabs has been SO hostile
with respect 10 this measure that the
whole matter has been left in abeyance.
The assessors are continuing the ap-
praisement of the land, however. and 1t
remains to be seen whether the tax Will
be imposed later on.
To Build Telegraph.
1t has been decided to erect tele-
graph line between Tripoli and Fezzan
and for this purpose the government has
received the necessary wire and insula-
tors. While intended for military pur-
q, ;r a, hot will hfa n
means OF increasing trade with the in
terror. Among minor improvements. the
custom house. long since inadequate for
the storage OF goods. is being enlarged.
Trade generally has been In depress-
ed state. partly because Of the feared
enforcement OF the land and property
tax-and partly because of deficient rains
and consequent poor outlook for growing
crops
The principal article of export from
Tripoli is esparto grass, all of which is
now shipped TO Great Britain. The value
of this export amounted in 1901 to S3I1,-
500. 1t may be mentioned incidentally
that as the Turkish government keeps
no statistics. these and other figures are
obtained from private sources.
IL =
of $1s7, 800 were brought into Tripoli by
fishing boats, but only one parcel was
sold locally, and that to an American
buyer, the remainder being taken to
the Ionian Islands, the owners holding
out for higher prices than were offered.
This year the Turkish government has
refused TO issue permits to other than
Ottoman subjects to fish for sponges in
Turkish waters, thereby causing great
dissatisfaction and loss to the Greek
sponge fishermen, who have had this
business completely in their own
hands.
Paris Has Heavy Trade.
All the ostrich feathers OF Tripoli are
shipped to Paris. The exports of 1901
were valued at $4,000.
During the year 1901, Sudan-tanned
skins to the value OF s152.500 were ex-
ported to the United States, and the
exports for FIVE months of 1902 have
amounted to s91.2 .265. Raw goatskins to
the value of $69 500 were shipped to Mar
settles during 1901. In former years a
direct business in this line
was done with the United States. and
there is reason to suppose that most of
the hides forwarded to Marseilles event.
ually find their way to the United States.
Petroleum from Russia to the value
of s120,0G0 was imported last year.
American petroleum has not obtained a
foothold.
Flour to the value of s275. 900 was i'm
ported In 1901, as compared with $4,000
in the previous year; it all came from
France and Italy.