The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-10-07
4 MISSION TO ABYSS|N|A
u. S. Consul Skinner TO Treat With
King Menelik.
WILL HAVE ESCORT OF MARINES

TIE CorSuf-General al Msrxeii!cS Thinks
Trade with .AbyssiDia sTay 10 In
creased by n Conferences, Will: tlse King
- yYarsI,ip VIII Iaud Hi::,. and a
Guard Go With jii:n to the Capital.
Washington, y. C.--Ti?" report from
London that United States Consul
General Robert L. Skinner. at Mar
aeilles. is going to Ahyssinia TO arrange
~ commercial treaty with King Memo
lik was confirmed ii the State Depart
ncrr.
Mr. Skinner has been planning this
trip ior the past two months. and has
several times consulted with the Off
eers OF the State Department on the
question Of trade possibilities in Abys-
sinia. Mr.. Skinner is still in this couG-
try on vacation, ard is expected to
return to Washington and perfect his
plans for the trip to AhySsinia before
departing for his post ut MarsailleS.
According to information obtained 1T
the State Department. AR. Skinner is
Of the opinion that trade with Abys-
Binia may be improved by personal
conference with King Manclik. ana
that some kind Of friendly relations
may he established with the AbysSin-
ian ruler to the ;ig:t!lta:e Of the Uni
ted States
The officers Of the Navy Department
acknowledged that there had been co.,
eSpondence between the State and
Navy Departments in regard to fur
nishing q guard to accompany Consul
Skinner to King Menel;k's capital in
AbySsinia, and that it had also been ar
ranged that Mr.. Skinner is TO so 10
Abyssinia OH an American naval YES
gel. The port where it is proposed to
land Mr.. Skinner is Jubitil, and while
no ship has yet been selected for this
mission it is considered very probable
that the Machias, now at Port Said.
will be used.
1t is explained that only small ma
rine guard will accompany Mr.. Skin
ner. and this will probably be taken
from either the Brooklyn or San Fran
cisco, now at Beirut. but not unless
they can be spared from these vessels.
The Navy Department officers insisted
that they did not know what Mr.. Skin
ner's mission to Abyssinia is 10 be, and
that all that has passed between the
Navy Department and the State De.
partment was letter asking for the
use of warship and small body OF
men to go with the United States Con-
Eul.
American cloth is The standard Of
value in Abyssinia. according to au-
thorities quoted by Consul-General
Skinner in his annual report, pub
Hshed by the State Department III
Commercial Relations" 1902. Consul
Covert, Of Lyons, also quotes from tho
report of the Italian Consul in Abys-
sinia, who says:
''The population of Abyssinia is sabout
10,000,O00. The products Of the coun-
try. exclusive Of cereals, are ivory. si-
beth or civct, wax. hides. coffee and
gold, the latter abounding in the
mountains, where the mines are mere
3 scratched. In cotton. North Ameri-
cans have captured the market against
England. France and Germany. In
spite Of the high price Of labor and the
enormous cost Of freight for such 4
distance, Americans have succeeded in
capturing the trade by the low prices
Of their products. Different nations
sell these goods, but they are all Amer
9can made"