The Washington times., 1913-01-07

! cation. The hearings on the Brazilian
| situation, with its relations to th'
alleged coffee combine, will consume al
last a week. Two dozen witnesses have
been subponaed.
sydney Storey, of New Orleans, pro.
moter of the defunct Mississippi Valley
South America and Orient Steamship
line. and vice president of the Panama
American Steamship Company, was the
first witness called. He testified to
alleged boycotting of his line in Brazil
harbors in favor of the Lamfort and
Holt Prinz line, and North German
Lloyd steamships.
Storey prefaced his testimony by re-
latinG the history of the Mississippi
Valley, South America and Orient
Steamship line, which he said was the
outSrowth of his knowledge of Latin
America, gained while a member OF
DeLesseps' corps of engineers. in Pana-
ma in 1887. In 1910. he said, after ten
years of preparation, the steamship
line was launched, after he, as dele
cate, had visited Brazil. and received
from the Brazilian government warm
comme3dation, and a promise of sup
port This pledge was made in I
said, and the government later sent
two ENJOYS to investigate the new
line. ~.
Foreign Pool In Way.
In June. 1911. Storey said, the final
plans of the steamship company We're
approved by the Brazilian congress.
In June. 1912, the Panama-American
mail line was launched. with three
chartered British tramp ships. the wit
ness said. The transports started with
heavy cargoes-but were unable TO OBJ
tain a cargo at Brazil and came back
empty.
The witness said he had been warn
ed by capitalists that it would be i'm
possible TO run an American line sue
Gessf1ily. Can, because Of the strong foreign
Our company decided to withdraw
the line until such time as the govern
ment would protect u.s. Storey son
tinued. ''Our line was a civic effort.
No man could hold more than 500
"Our idea was to disseminate this
stock among shippers in the .Missis-
sippi valley and make this the initial
effort at restoring an American mer-
chant marine
Shippers Feared Combine.
Storey declared that because of his
close knowledge of Latin-America- he
was familiar with the "great war
commercial rivals of the United states
were waging against u.s."
ct was openly declared in business
circles by our foreign rivals in Brazil
that we would be run out of business
in FIVE. months" Storey said.
ed the Lamfort and Holt, Prinz line.
Lloyd company, and Hamburg end
South American lines so greatly that
they were afraid to fight them.
reaped by Europe because of their
transportation facilities" Storey de-
clared.
south Americans want to come to
America-but they are not induced.
Mail deliveries from the United states
are unspeakable. In most cases mcil
goes first to Europe and then to South
America. Letters / have written have
been nine months on the way
Charges Press Is Subsidized.
The witness charged that even the
cables and the press were subsidized.
Gable companies even change mes
sages to nullify their meanings" the
witness continued Newspapers print
long articles on Europe and ignore the
United States"
I'VE are pictured to South Americans
as barbarians and to us the South
Americans are pictured as revolutionists
and it's simply to keep us apart"
As an evidence that Brazil, II given
any opportunity. would trade with the
United States, Storey said that Brazil's
tariff on flour was 80 per cent preferen-
tial to this country and 20 per cent pref
erential on nineteen other articles to
certain other nations x
Despite this he said. "only two
-four companies have been able to sell
even small quantity in the country"
When American cement was intro
duced to Brazil and became popular, the
witness said. the foreign lines advanced
the freight to such a prohibitive price
that its sale had to be discontinued