Evening journal., 1912-08-29
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Man Who Gave Amer
lea a Great Grain Market
By Holland

In 1869 John Meredith Read of New
York became the first United States
consul-general to France, and organ
lied the American consular service In
that country When the Franco
Prussian War broke out he also act
cd as consul-general for the German
states; all the German citizens who
lived in Paris during the war receiv-
ed his protection. His services as
Germanys representative in the
French capital were so valuable as to
bring forth from Bismarck words of
the most cordial approval
President Grant, in 1873, promoted
Mr. Read to Minister to Greece. In
that post Mr.. Read served seven
years, or two years after the close
of the Russo Turkish War. The last
year OF his service was purely honor
airy although authoritative, for Con-
gress, in order to reduce expenses,
had withheld an appropriation for the
United States representation to
Greece. Mr.. Read, thereupon, at the
earnest request of the authorities of
Greece, asked and secured permission
from the State Department at. Wash
ington to remain in Office without pay.
William NJ. Evarts was Secretary OF
State at the time of the war between
Turkey and Russia, in 1878 Some
years after he had retired from the
State Department he said Il do not
think that the business men or the
people OF the United States have any
realization Of the great service rem
dered by Mr.. Read In 1877 to the
United States.
1T was a two-fold service. II tend
ed greatly to overcome the still re-
naming effects of the panic and the
business Generalization of 1873 Il
also gave to the United States the
first great opportunity for command
ing upon a large scale the markets
of Europe for American grains or
food products.
Shortly after the war between
Russia and Turkey began the State
Department received a confidential
communication from Mr. Read, who
was then at his post at Athens. He
narrated in detail the situation at the
various Turkish ports upon the
Black sea. His information was, he
assured the department. accurate. He
said that of all the Russian ports on
the Black sea only one remained open
That was a small one, with only limit
ed terminal facilities.
AS Russia had closed all her sea-
ports, there was certain to be a fam
Inc or great scarcity of Russian wheat
In Western Europe, and it was at that
time chiefly upon the wheat and rye
fields of Russia that Western Europe
depended for her imports of grain
Mr.. Read. therefore. suggested that
American merchants. in view of the
scarcity of Russian wheat and rye.
make preparations to ship as large
quantities as possible Of wheat and
rye to European ports
1.-THE State Department acted upon
his hint Information was sent to
New York. Chicago. Milwaukee and
other places intimating that there
would be a very profitable market for
American grain in Europe on account
Of the war between Russia and Tur-
key Instant acceptance Of this great
opportunity was made by the grain
shippers of the United States. They
sent to Europe unprecedentedly large
cargoes of wheat. oats and rye.
AT that time the United States was
greatly in need of money. for the re-
covery from the panic Of 1873 had
been very slow and capital very timid.
But as a result OF the information
sent to the State Department by Mr.
Read, the cereals rushed to Europs
from the United States were a little
over eighty million dollars greater in
value than the value OF any earlier
expectations of cereals. In addition
to that the market thus obtained was
maintained In great measure by the
United States and the money that the
United States was so greatly in need
of was-thus secured abroad
"Of course. the public knew that
this country sent phenomenal
amount of cereals to Europe in the
fall and winter Of 1s77-S But very
few persons knew that this was due
to the information sent to the State
Department by our Miniser TO Greece.
John NJ. Read; or that by suggesting
the application of his information he
materially helped the country to re-
cover from the effects of the panic
of 1873, and opened up to It what has
ever since been one of its greatest
grain markets"
Copyright. 1912, by r. J. Edwards.
All rights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr. Edawrds will tell
OF The Syllable That Would Have
Spelled Disaster"