The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-03-02
GREAT EXPORT ROUTES.
Curious Movements Over the world OF the
Great staple Products.

by the largest export articles on their way
over the seas to the countries that need
them we will hnd hat there is a great move
ment In most Of them both eastward and
westward, but that some OF them move
almost wholly In one direction.
The movement Of rice to the east, Tor
example, IL quite inconspicuous In COM
parison with tho mighty volume that Is
carried to the west. Let US trace the great
routes Of a few Of these commodities from
the countries Of production TO those OF
consumption.
Coffee travels further south than perhaps
any other OF the great food products. The
reason Is that coffee IL the largest item in
all the shipments from Central America,
Europe taking most Of the crop through
the Straits Of Magellan.
Agreat deal OF it goes straight TO Germany.
but Costa Rica coffee Is in high favor in
England, which takes q third Of the entire
crop, the demand for II being SO steadfsst
In various countries Of Europe that nearly
the entire crop Is sold to agents OF foreign
firms several months before the harvest
begins. A smaller stream goes north to
San Francisco, as we buy about an eighth
of the Guatemalan crop.
As well known. very little OF the products
OF the Pacific coast Of South America cross
the Isthmus Of Panama, as the rates on the
railroad are almost prohibitory.
OF course the great wide stream OF coffee
exports is that which flows north from
santos and Rio, swelled a little by the tribu-
tary streams from Bahia, Maranhao and
Para. The stream divides, three-ffths OF
1t coming to the United States, most OF 1t
passing through the Narrows into our
bay and two-ffths crosses the Atlantic
TO the ports of the English Channel and the
North Sea. Very little OF It enters tho
Mediterranean.
Then there Is another large but inferior
stream Of coffee that originates in the
Malay Archipelago, Manila, Celebes and
Borneo being it's fountain heads. The
stream Is swelled with the movement to-
ward the west by tributaries from Java,
Sumatra, Madras and Ceylon till by the
time it passes the south end Of India, 1t
has gathered a good deal OF volume.
On it goes to the Suez Canal. picking up
the famous Mocha on the'way, a driblet from
the mouth Of the Zambesi joins it and then
the stream Is at its food. II loses a little
volume through the Mediterranean, but
the diminution is scarcely noteworthy
till the Atlantic is reached where a COM
paratively small offshoot makes straight
for New York. The bulk Of the stream
joins the great food from South America
at the mouth Of the British Channel. The
brooklet from Liberia that merges with
the Brazil current Is the last item 10 be
mentioned In the great coffee movement.
The eastward movement Of rice is con-
fined almost wholly to the small quantity
we receive from Hawaii and the streams
from Cochin China and Java that make
up the deficiency Of China and the bit that
the Philippines need in addition TO their
own crop. China, probably the greatest
rice producer, does not export a pound,
for it is a misdemeanor. punishable by
severe penalties, TO sell China rice out Of
the country. Japan imports from the
Malayan islands cheaper rice than size
raises, for some markets, chiefly Australia,
prefer Japan rice and much Is sold at a
good price.
The paddy fields Of Burma are. of course,
the great centre of the world'e export rice.
the stream starting from Rangoon, swelled
by the tribute airy from Calcutta having
volume and moving straight TO
the Suez Canal. Java and Madagascar
add to It and Cochin China supplies nearly
all the rice that France consumes.
Ohshoots from the main Hoo make of
70 fiume, near the head Of the Adria;ic.
Genoa and Marseilles. and a considerable
quantity crosses the Atlantic to New York
direct from the Mediterranean. II is a
curious fact that though there is plenty Of
rice-growing area on the Atlantic coasts Of
all the Americas. a great deal of rice is inn
ported even into Cuba and Brazil, most Of
1t being forwarded from England. Brazil
also receives rice direct from the Bay Of
Ivy way Of tho Cape OF Good Hope,
There is one Incompatible cotton stream,
and that crosses the Atlantic from our
ports to the manufacturing centres Of
Great Britain and the North Sea countries
The greatest of the subsidiary streams,
those from India. Brazil and Egypt, are all
bound for these same countries, so that
northwest Europe is tho focus for cotton
shipments from all parts OF the world.
There Is just one other route Of sea ship
ments Of large importance and hat is from
India, mainly Madras, to China, which, in
addition to its own large home supplies,
up a great deal Of Indian yarn and
TIC tnOTl tldIhO lnulGl UDIt. buI own
shipments to Japan are growing, but the
main raw cotton trade In which Europe has
no share is from India to China. Practically
The only all-land routes are from this coun-
into Canada and from Central Asia into
Russia.
Both our east n west coasts receive a
good deal Of wool, that entering our Pacific
ports coming almost entirely from Sydney,
while Cape Colony and the La Plata States
furnish the Atlantic supplies. But these
streams are not very important in COM
with tho wider ones from the same
sources OF supply that converge upon the
Of Europe which buy the cotton,
Few commodities nave so wide a north
south distribution as wool. The most
northern supplies come from Iceland,
almost on the edge Of the north polar circle
and are landed at Leith, the port Of Edin-
by the little steamer that makes
eighteen trips a year to that northern edge
of the habitable world. The most southern
come from the southern part Of
New Zealand, almost as far south as the
OF Magellan.
In tobacco exports Manila Is the Havana
II the Orient. In fact it is about the only
BORT In the world that sends tobacco 10 all
points Of the compass. Its cigars and leaf
re pOpulnr alODp tho peiohhorinr ~