New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-05
RIG ISTHMI1N TRADE.
Business Not Waiting for Canal
ReDOrts from COnSuiS.

rr,sn;,r,on March 4-The traffic at Panama is
treated i'm a report by Consul Kellogg, OF Colon
who shows what an immense Voiuihe Oh ueue
masses over the isthmus without a canal. As IRE
DESTROYED the government offices and several blocks
in that town last September the data was gain
cred from business sources The total felsht car
ried over The single track Panama railroad IN I'of
was 4l50oo tons. an increase of IS per cent over
1905 The total earnings were sl.57.OO "A per cent
over 1903 The number of passengers carried was
ll40ao compared with only 1880 in lSoS lhere
were transported free of charge l4e0 troops OF te
United States and $500 employees OF the hepunic
Of Panama Freight traffic from the United states
On $50. increased by 450O to South Pacific ports
GOO tons TO Central America and Mexico and 800
tons TO Panama. From Europe the increase was
10000 TONS while the increase from Pacific points
Europe was 1900 tons,
American merchants are looking forward TO the
canals completion among other things. for closer
touch with the west coast of South America. One
of the worthy fields for commerce there. as indl-
Gated in the consular reports, is the Republic OF
Ecuador. the annual trade report of which is pub
lished in daily consular reports from Consul Gen
eral Dietrich. of Guayaqu the chief port. Quito.
its capital lies six hundred miles south of Panama
Relations with Ecuador friendly and the United
States is now in the lead of all countries in sales
Of commodities there. In the last year American
exports to that country amounted TO 2.S40o.
against 81 $50 900 for Great Britain and $S6S 900 for
Germany. AT the same time Ecuador is still prae-
tically undeveloped.
Illustrative figures may he found in the conditions
prevailing in Uruguay. for while Uruguay mas
population % per cent less than Ecuador ana an
area 90 per cent less Uruguayan exports are three
and one-half times those of Ecuador. and her
imports from foreign markets are s2s.co"" as
contrasted with the 81 COCO bought by Ecuador
the larger and more populous country. A slsnin-
cant fact in connection with Ecuadorian develop
rnent is that although possessing land able TO
produce food sufficient TO support a population
hat
public % per cent of the money expended for
imports goes TO purchase of food for the people
Ecuador is country rich in agricultural and min
eral possibilities. but held in check by lack OF
population and transportation facilities HoWeVer'
the C;uayaqu and Quito Railway, an American
enterprise has its road as far Riobama, and
work is being pushed on toward Mocha and Afna'o'
which will be reached soon. The government mas
also contracted with FFenCh t orf Of Esmer
aidas 10 Quito. 50 10000 10 be expended on mo
Minister Sorsi,y Of La Paz. reports that the Bo-
lvian Congress has authorized the propoSeo SoN 5
miles in different directions from La Paz, whlch
American surveying parties have been mapping Out
BY Way Of the Panama Canal route, also. a still
greater American commerce VIII deveI9P WIN Sap
eral Rodgers, OF Shanghai, reports that since lae
close Of the war with Russia japan mas maTne
and that the flag of the Rising Sun may be expect
Canal passage, but in the harbors OF the Atlantic
Coast. Semi-official announcements have ALREADY
been made that Japans ships will soon reach every
port touched by Pacific waters.
Consul Lilfeld. OF Freburg, reports that Germany
has completed the laying of new Pacific cable ex.
tending from Shanghai to zap, in the Caronne
Islands. distance of over two thousand miles, ana
closing a gap that makes IL the nrSt continuous
non English line TO encircle the globe The new
cable is laid the greatest ocean depth OF any IN
the world reaching q sos feet. II even neces-
sary near the Linkin Islands 10 reach 26.2i7 feet,
which is of the deepest places in the ocean
world Up to few years ago there was no cable in
a greater ocean depth than 16,4G feet. The Ameri-
can cable IN the Pacific Ocean was in 1903 laid In
depths TO g. 469 feet
In British India the door Of commerce is open 70
all nations the tariff basis. Germany has
taken advantage of this. according to report
forwarded by Consul Britain OF Kehl. In the last
ten years the total value of the annual imports
from India 10 Germany has increased about 80 per
cent. while the total value of the annual exports
from Germany has increased about 100 per cent.
Germany now ranks third in Indian trade. The i'm
ports from India to Germany in 1904 amounted to
81 49, 600, and the exports from Germany TO India
10 slSO34OO0 as against Sl397O0O in 1902. Germany
now takes annually one-fifth of the Indian cotton
crop, or, next 10 Japan. more than any other coun
try of the world. Germany also takes 5000 900
worth or one-ffth. the Indian jute exports. The
greater proportion of the exports from Germany
to India are woollen and cotton textile goods and
iron manufactures, the very lines in which the
mills OF the United States compete.