Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-04

Emperor Charles once uttered q satire
concerning its enormous cost that was re-
peated In every European court. As he
stood upon the sea beach of Spain one day
gazing thoughtfully at the horizon a cour-
tier asked what he was looking at.
I am looking for San Juan de Ulua,"
replied his majesty. 1T has cost SO much
money that 1t ought to be big enough to be
seen across the sea."
During the reign of the viceroys 1t was
political prison, and enough horrors and
cruelties were enacted there to keep every
one of them in perdition for all eternity.
1t was the last foothold of Spain in Mexico,
and the Spanish comma nder. Gen. Copin-
ger, held it for months after the republic
cans were in peaceful possession of the
entire territory. On September 10, 1924, he
was allowed to evacuate, and withdrew the
as prison still. but instead Of being con-
fined In dungeons, the convicts are com
PEELED to work In the government machine
shops and armory. 1t Is picturesque old
pile of stone, but few thirteen-inch shells
from a modern battleship would scatter 1t
all over the harbor.
A Great Shipping Port.
Vera Cruz is one of the great shipping
ports Of the world. 1t is the terminus of
twelve or fourteen regular steamship lines
and has an average of one steamer day
to the United States. During the nine
months OF the current fiscal year the
records of the consulate show that there
have been seven more than one day.
They run to New York, Baltimore, New
Orleans, Galveston and Port Arthur and
there are regular lines to British, French,
German Spanish and Austrian ports. The
trade has grown rapidly since the improve
ments In the harbor, and the receipts or
the custom now average about milton
and a half dollars a month. The principal
exports to the United States are coffee,
rubber and hides. The imports from the
United States are composed OF every var
iety of merchandise. Those which passed
through Vera Cruz last year amounted to
nearly s27 600 600 gold. The coffee trade
with the United States is increasing, al
though the best qualities OF the mexican
product go to Europe, chiehy 10 france
and Germany, because the importers OF
those countries have agents here 10 PICK
the choice portions of the crop while the
remainder the cheaper queiltles' when
they do not want, are shipped TO the
United States and sold on commission
There is not one American mouse III vera
Cruz The same practice preValls through
out all the coffee countries OF the universe
The Europeans get the best berries and we
take what is left although we are the
largest coffee consumers in the world we
drink more than twice as much per capisa
as the people of any other natlon. .
The Mexican exports of cofree amount "
about 100000 a year The berry mas a
peculiar flavor which everybody does nov
the United States. In 1903 we DO. 5ou aon
1855 ooo worth; In 1904 we bought Sfeo'vpo
while In 1898 our imports amounted 10 Si'-
023. 000.
Risks Of Coffee Growing.
While coffee is one of the great staples
of Mexico and the demand must continue
and gradually increase with the grown
of population. those who are best qaaiihea
to speak of that industry do not beileVe
that 1t can develop much farther unless
something Is done TO relieve the labor
famine Coffee growing is nearly all fiaho
labor, and the payroll Is at least 20 per
cent of the cost of production. owing 10
the large number of new plantations that
have been started the wages of the Mexi-
can poems have increased from an average
of 81 cents to 81 a day. The latter price
Is almost prohibitory. Coffee cannot Dc
picked. sorted and otherwise prepared
for market with any profit at that price.
Various plans have been proposed and IN
some cases Chinese and japanese LABOR
has been imported, but the evidence ls CON
vincirlg that the supply and the usefulness
of native labor is gradually depreciating
ans, cannot be depended upon.
several American companies nave peeh
organized to operate coffee plantations in
Mexico and several Americans have under
taken enterprises individually with more
or less success, but coffee Is one OF tns
most uncertain and unsatisfactory OF
crops. And the price being often at the
mercy of spectators as We'll as innhenced
by the supply from other countries, IN,
wolves the business IN gfea.er, ish pea,a,a
who are unfamiliar with coffee growing
should not invest their money In compa-
niles formed for that purpose, notWith-
standing the alluring offers that appear
in the advertisements. No man snonld put
money into any business or investment
that he does not know all about. That ~
a good rule to follow everywhere and I'M
der all circumstances particularly IN
strange countries where conditions are 30
REGULAR as they are In Mexico. Nor should
cofYee-growing be attempted by people who
haze no experience IN that business. Green
men invariably fall.
Little to Interest the Tourist.
There isn't very much in Vera Cruz OF in
terest to the tourist. The town resembles
any one of forty other seaDorts of Latin
America. Any one who IL familiar with