Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-01

tIdues Inc DulCnmen 90 not ike the
English. They can't get over the troubles
Of their South African cousins, the Beers
and other things being equal, they will
give the United States the preference every
time. There are hundreds Of articles which
we make that ought to be sold here, and by
studying the wants Of the people end drum
ming the trade there can be an enormous
increase.
But first let me tell you what our busi-
ness now consists OF. l have before me the
Dutch reports from the United States for
the first half OF the year 1900. They are
little old, but the trade is practically the
same today. / will give you some of the
items. They consist of cotton, cottonseed
oil, lard, tallow, margarine, meat and to-
bacco, as we'll as large variety OF othei
articles.
The cotton they bought amounted to 90.
100000 pounds, equal to more than 5000, 900
pounds Of cotton per month. This went
to the Dutch mills and large part OF it
was made into clothes for Java, Sumatra
and different parts of Africa.
The cottonseed oil weighed Just twice
as much as the cotton itself, and thereby
hangs tale. These Dutch are among the
chief artificial butter makers of the world.
They bought $4,000. 900 pounds of margarine
OF us during that six months but at the
same time they used this forty odd mil
lion pounds of cottonseed oil to make
other margarine and low-grade butter. for
use not only in Holland, but in England
and other parts of Europe. There is one
factory here which makes over 5000, 600
pounds OF such butter every month. A
Frenchman invented the process of max
ing this butter. but the Dutch have the
biggest factories and they 10 the bulk OF
the worlds business along this line. They
make also cow butter for export, so much,
indeed, that Holland has been called the
dairy farm of London.
Our biggest Dutch export in point of
weight is American corn. In this six
months 1t amounted to almost 100, ,OOO, 600
pounds per month and brought In several
millions OF dollars. What do you suppose
II was used for? To feed the Holstein cat
tie, to furnish butter for London? No the
grass here is good and II makes the sweet
est OF milk. For cornbread for the people?
No, the Dutch don't eat maize, though
they take vast quantities of our second
grade -four and like 1t. What then? /
can easily show you II you will come with
me to Schiedam, little way out from Rot
terdam. At that place are the great dis
tilleries which make the Holland gin or
schnapps. There are 200 Of them, and their
business is to grind up American corn and
reduce II to alcohol, which mixed in a GER
tain way with the juice OF the juniper
berry forms gin. Holland gin is considered
the best, and the Dutch think it is the
best drink OF the world. They consume
vast quantities Of II and il warns them
body aud soul. II is used not only here, but
throughout the Dutch East Indies, where
the hotels give you free gin cocktails be-
fore every meal and where the people drink
gin almost every hour Of the day.
large part Of what Holland sells to s
is gin. alcohol and wines. She sends us
Java coffee and something like 100000
pounds OF spices every year, all OF which
comes from her colonies in the East Indies
Rotterdam is by far the best place for
pushing our trade. II is, with the excep-
tion Of Hamburg, the best distributing
point on the coast OF northern Europe, and
IL has fewer trade restrictions than Ham
burg.
The city is about sixteen miles back from
the sea, built upon piles on both Lanks OF
the Mas. The piles are driven as much
as fifty feet into the soil and upon them
have BEEN constructed miles of stone quays,
enormous warehouses and a city OF about
S5O,OOO people. The town controls all pub
lie improvements. and II is spending vast
sums to increase its shipping facilities End
trade. II remember correctly the cost of
deepening the river Mas. so that the big