The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-19
COTTON AND THE TURK
INTERESTING REPORT FROM
 CONSUL RAVNDAL AT
Finished Product of the Southern Staple by Far the Most I'm portant of the Importa-
 tions of Turkey.

mas taken u great uedl OI IutGTSSt HI tHS improvement of the reports for the prac- tical news interest they may possess for the newspapers of the country. MT. Cor telyou has well appreciated the value of all available information to be had through United States consules and con- sular agents of the subject of cotton, the manufacture and the cultivation of cot- ton in foreign countries.
 2 bulletin which the department pub fishes today embraces a communication from the consul at Beirut. Syria. Bic Ravndal. on the subject of the cotton goods market in Turkey, Arabia, Egypt and the Sudan, and is as follows:
 By far the most important article of importation into Turkey is cotton goods. In British returns Turkey figures as one of Eng1and's best customers. coming, in 1901. after Germany and Holland for yarns and after China and India for piece goods. Cotton yarns importer from the United Kingdom into Turkey in 1901 amounted to 17.791 300 pounds, valued at q, ,191 ,013, of which Asiatic Turkey took Il, 1,79e,600 pounds and European Turkey 5,3S3, 200. The cotton piece goods import ed into Turkey from England during the same year amounted to 4ss.SOO,0Oo yards. valued at nearly $2l,Ooo.ooO. Asiatic Tur- key taking 297 900, 900 yards and European Turkey 14O.OoO.ooo yards.
 American manufacturers of cotton tex tiles are not receiving their share of the cotton goods trade of Turkey. Cabot A" sheeting bears a high reputation in the Levent. Contrary, however. to the general belief the actual quantities of cotton fabrics from the United States sold in these and adjoining markets, in- cluding Arabia, Egypt. the Soudan, etc., are comparatively insignificant.
 Initiating American Cottons to Win Native Trade.
 In this connection would quote as fol- lows from 8 levantine publication of re- cent date:
 During Lord Cromers recent trip on the upper Nile he wrote from Gondokoro | to Lord Landsdowne stating that he had
 noticed that all the cotton goods ex- posed for sale at Gondokoro came from the United States. Lord Cromer added: 'I learned on inquiry that the natives greatly preferred American to British
 made goods. They complained of the quality of the latter, which, 1t appears. contains a great deal of what Is called I dressing Sir Reginald Wingate in- forms me that Abyssinia Is entirely sup
 piled with cottons from the United
 States. Up to the present time England
 supplies the Sudan, but when the native becomes acquainted with the United ! | be the case before long, 1t is not improb- | able that, under present conditions, this | market will also be lost to British trade. The matter is one which would appear
 to merit the attention of British cotton | spinners." As these remarks were of
 considerable importance we instituted
 some investigations on the subject and
 the following results of our inquiries may be of interest. Many years ago a | sAafra 70 gray shirting. was imported into Egypt from the United States. It adapted it.
 self admirably to the Egyptian process
 of dyeing and was thus reexported to
 Candia, Beirut, and other Mediterranean ports. It also found its way into the
 Sudan, and being of stout texture, with
 out any finiah (which. by the
 way. the, Sudanese prefer to the
 bleached). 1t gained favor. was
 successfully introduced. and was l thenceforward known 6 as "Ameri-
 can" and "Americani." Some Manchester
 firms. having had their attention drawn
 to this particular trade. soon followed suit with a similar and, as we understand, a
 somewhat superior article and, what was
 most important, at a cheaper price than | the original American make, which lat
 ter was finally busted from the market. l Since then the Manchester cloth has been | exclusively imported. With their usual conservatism. however, the natives still call it the "Americani." as signifying tho articles quality, but not it's origin, of
 which they have but little notion at best.
 There Is a precisely similar instance ex- tant even now in Egypt. A number of years ago a local firm of importers, Messrs. Peel 6 Co.,. introduced into Egypt white calico that was much appreciated end has ever since retained their name. The native is only satisfied as to what he is buying when it is pointed out to him that it is Peel" or "Beel," which 1t does not follow 1t always is. As a matter of fact, about two years ago a merchant at Omdurmann imported a small parcel of genuine Americani, but the transaction resulted in pecuniary loss and was not so satisfactory as the English Americani. Our inquiries tend to show that when the native speaks of Americani he expresses the distinguishing quality of the article and not the origin. If there is an imme- diate competitor in view for piece goods 1t is the Italian make, some of which dur ing the last two years has been imported Into the Sudan under English names ana with imitation trademarks. This has
 been imported hitherto principally by As- | stout merchants, who can obtain these
 goods on six months credit. They sell the
 goods in the Sudan and speculate in Su-
 danese produce. such as gum, and so
 within the term of their credit. turn the
 money several times over. A notable fea-
 ture in the Sudan business is the credit
 system. which is daily becoming more &C., | centuated, and as Italian makers are nre-
 pared to grant extensive credits, where
 Manchester demands ready cash against
 documents, there is a probability that, as e consequence of such facilities. Italian cloth may In time obtain a footing and
 become a potent rival to the Manchester | trade.
 How to Win Syrian Cotton Goods 1 Trade.
 Tn Beirut silk thread Is the principal ar- | ticle of exportation, constituting about | two-thirds of the total amount, which la l figured at $5,O00,000, and cotton goods form
 the chief item of imports, being valued at
 more than one-h half of the whole, provided
 the latter is estimated at $S,C0O,O0O, which
 is considered proper.
 l It would seem reasonable that the Uni- ted States should control a fairly large
 share of this trade.
 | Our relations with Syria are constantly
 growing more intimate. through mission
 aries, emigrants, tourists and commercial l transactions. and it Is hoped the day is
 not distant when we can buy silk thread
 here for our mills and sell in return cot-
 ton goods (as we'll as machinery to Syria. | No doubt the New England Cotton Man | ufacturers' Association and other United | States trade bodies will soon find it ad-