The Washington times., 1905-10-24
HAITI De EhANDS
FAIR EXCHANGE
Wants United States to Buy
Her Coffee.
WILL THEN DEAL HERE
AT Present the Little Republic Does
Most Business With Countries
of Europe.

because your American is prejudiced
against Haitian coffee, and will not buy
1t OF us, We cannot buy many things
from you, said Mr.. Leger the minister
from Haiti. when asked about the COM
mercial relations between the United
States and Haiti.
All the coffee grown by us is sold to
France and Germany Necessarily what
we need, and can purchase from them,
We get there. Commerce begets COM
merce. If you buy our coffee. We hnve
more money and we will exchange by
purchasing from you whenever and
wherever possible.
Machinery From Europe
For instance. We need agricultural
machinery, dry goods. and Other domes-
t!c utilities. Most of those we now get
from Europe. As for -four, we get what
We use from the United States. out we
could possibly use more, because no
Wheat is grown in Haiti. Another thing
we could purchase from you. and whicn
We now get from France. is wine. Your
California wines would be preferred by
Is. because We could get them cheaper.
the transportation from that State to
Haiti being cheaper than from France. -
And Is coffee about all tllss; we would
have 20 purchase from YOU! Mr. Leger
w,,s asked
s'Conee is our principal product And
cur conee is OF the first quality. not TO
be compared with many of the cheap
qualities which are being sold today.
the end. the Anerican would not object.
because he would be sure that he was
getting value returned for his money"
Relations Excellent.
How are general commercial relations
between this country and Haiti?r
.yely good. when due allowance is
made of the size of the countries The
transportation facilities are excellent. as
there are practically three companies
maintaining steamship service between
the United States and Haiti. Tele-
graphic communication is also very
good, and 1t would be well to have a
few good American drurnmers sent
there. so that the Haitians would be
enabled to see the things your country
has to offer Then number of dis
eliminating travellers should be sent
there, men who know the value of
things. II they are sent TO buy coffee.
1t is more than likely that they will
recognize tie superiority of the grain
grown by as; With this conviction,
they shoaia take steps necessar.s g have
their houses carry il in stock Not
necessarily bank, but a banking agen-
cy would be welcome by us. since il
Canal Help.
Would the Panama canal help in any
way trade relations between your coun-
try and the United States?"
Yes. indeed Its value TO both coun-
tries. so far as their common inter-
ests are concerned. cannot be measured
now. Most of the ships from the At
lantic coast bound for Colon would pass
close to our coast. part of which over
looks Cuba. With the huge amount OF
commerce which would pass through the
canal. our island could be made a stop
ping place for those ships which could
not stop at Cuba.
But the canal proposition is rather
gloomy now.
.'All beginnings are gloomy, usually, -
replied the minister. But you Ameri-
cars have The push and the energy which
bring success in everything The ssorJ
failure is seldom known by Americans
Besides. the government is interested in
the Panama canal How, then, could il
be n failure?"
Mr.. Leger ended by saying that tho
canal Will be finished, not in ten. twenty
or fifty years. bIt in just the time II
takes TO complete IL.