New-York tribune., 1906-07-09
L. S. GETS LIONS SHARE.
Possibilities of Trade 1cith Santo Do
mingO-Amcrican Goods Preferred.

Probably country on the globe of equal ex-
tent has many natural elements of prosper
ity within its borders as has Santo Domingo. It's
agricultural. forest and mineral resources, al
though comparatively neglected by it's people,
are remarkably varied and important. The prin-
cipal products of the soil are sugar, cocoa cof-
fee, tobacco bananas and other tropical fruits
The mineral resources include gold. iron cop
per quicksilver, petroleum. rock salt and other
valuable minerals and metals The products Of
the forests are also extremely rich. including
mahogany, satinwood, lignum vite. lancewood.
oak. pine, logwood. several species of palms
and many valuable fibre producing and medicinal
plants.
Fertile lands suitable for the production Of al
most any product of the tropical or the tenn
perate zone may be purchased very cheaply,
and stock raising has proved 20 be a very profit
able industry. shelter for the stock not being
required and nutritious grasses being found in
abundance on the plateaus. Several fields of do
mestic enterprise await profitable occupation,
particularly railroads. coasting steamers. banks
and sawms.
The total foreign commerce of the republic
now amounts in value TO about S1OO0lO0O 2
year, Of which the imports constitute in round
numbers, $3O00l0GO and the exports $1,000M0,
These are record making figures FOR the foreign
trade of the republic The foreign trade OF 1908.
TO which they refer, vas carried principally
with the United States. Germany. France and
Great Britain. in the order of their relative I'm
portance. The share Of the United States in
this total trade was 81 per cent: that of Ger
many. IL per cent; of France II per cent and
of Great Britain, AZ per cent. The remainder of
the trade was distributed among Italy, Spain
Belgium. Cuba, Porto Rico and other West
Indian countries.
For American manufacturers and producers
who are seeking new and enlarged foreign mar
kets the trade possibilities OF Santo Domingo are
well worth studying. The share of the United
States in that trade. which had barely averaged
30 cent for the last decade, has now increased
by about one-third. An analysis of the trade
however, shows that this share should be much
greater than it is both in volume and percent
age In books. breadstuffs. chemicals coal. pre-
served fish and products, fruits and nuts. glass
and glassware. gums and resins iron and steel
manufactures. leather and it's manufactures
metals oils paints papers rubber goods vehi-
cles and manufactures Of wood the percentage
share of the United States is fairly satisfactory
In nearly all these lines the United States al
ready controls the bulk of the import trade of
the island.
On the other hand the showing Of American
exporters is comparatively poor in these items
Of import: Agricultural implements. cotton man
ufactures, earthen. stone and china ware. manu-
factures of vegetable hbres. jewelry bottled
beer perfumery, rice umbrellas and canes wines
and spirits and woollen goods. OF agricultural
implements. out Of total Importation valued at
S3SS3l the United States supplied only S15394
while Germany furnished S19,230.
The export trade Of Sa1to Domingo does not.
of course, present the same interest to American
manufacturers as does the import trade but II
nevertheless has a vital bearing the develop
ment of American commercial interests. The
United States needs the tropical products of
the island TO supplement the production of its
own insul2r possessions, and where SantO Do
mingo sells the bulk of her products she will
naturally make the bulk Of her foreign pur-
chases. The value of her total exports for 1905
was 81 S:'6O!'s of which shipments the United
States represented "A value of 81. .4S4.27l. or 10
per cent of the total Exports of sugar amount
ed to 1882, 400 pounds valued at S3.292, 40. Of
which about 30 per cent was consumed in the
United States.
Santo Domingo has eleven ports of entry,
Monte CrisU and Puerto Plata on the north,
Samana and Sanchez on the east, and MacorS,
Santo Domingo AZua and Baranona on the south
coast with the land ports Of TERRA Nueva, Com
mendaCYor and Dabajon on the west along the
Haytian frontier The relations, both pohtcal
and commercial, between the United States and
Santo Domingo have long been Of the friendliest
kind and the Dominican people welcome the In
Vestnnent Of American capital and are ready and
anxious to give preference 10 American productS-
American citizens have done more than any
other foreigners 10 develop the resources OF the
country and American financial investments on
the island are relatively very important. Al
least one half the capital invested In the sugar
plantations, most Of that I'm the banana INDUS
Try and in railroad and Other industrlal enter
prises is American, and one of the two railroads
In operation the island. that between FoIto
Plata ard Santiago, a distance or slAty-elsHI
miles belongs 10 and is operated by an Anleri-
can ton1panv Under alI these favorable condi-
lions the Iradc possibilities for American eX-
po-tegs are very promising IN Sant0 DOMINGO