The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-13
LETTERS TO EDITOR
Our Foreign Coal Trade

To the Editor of The Age Herald. 1 As far back as 1881, in a very able l and exhaustive report of the Warrior coal fields and more particularly of the lands of the Gulf Coal and Coke com pany, J. w. Burke of Mobile, used these prophetic words
 "The great Warrior coal field Is the only practicable source on the Amer l ican continent-on the Atlantic sea board or anywhere else-from which coal may be floated to the tide at a price lower than the cost at British tidewater, and that for the supply of our ships of war. the merchant ma rine, the Nicaragua canal and comin E American coaling stations in the Cuff of Mexico, the Warrior river can alone furnish coal at prices low enough to throw this large trade into American hands exclusively. and retain it for ever."
 Major Burke, the writer of that re- port, did not foresee the stupendous convulsion in Europe, now shaking the whole earth, but he knew our opportu- nifty would come, whether from peace or war.
 The opportunity now comes to us like a great horseman in the night and rides into our very parlors.
 He demands coal for South America, coal for Italy, coal for Norway and Sweden. He is cabling to Washing ton for it almost every day He wants not 5000 tons-but 5.O00,Oo0 tons per annum, and we stand like stuck pigs, unprepared and unable.
 What are we going to do about It, The quality of our coal has been tested by our warships and found good enough to enter the admiralty lists It has been thoroughly tested in Panama, Mexico and South America, and all make satisfactory reports. There are ships available in abun- dance. Shipping facilities by rail to Mobile are good, ready and waiting. l Foreign credits are known to be good, else why have England and Ger many been shipping to them on six months to 12 months time for many years?
 If this European war lasts only siS months longer, it would then require at least 12 months for the English and German mines to gather themselves to- | gether and resume operation. so we would have IS months to work in the building of this enormous trade. and l honesty could prevent us from keep ing 1t.
 The Birmingham district has al vantage over any and all other markets of being 300 miles closer to South American ports. 31 hours shorter time and lower rate of freight to the gulf. Acknowledging as we must that there are not other prohibitive reasons in the way, we are confronted by the dis agreeable and humiliating fact that our individual coal companies are not biz enough to handle such business.
 Big business is not only legitimate, but il is a godsend when it is not in violation of the law, and I submit that | 1t is the only medium through whic h Alabama coal can ever be successfully placed and maintained in the South American markets.
 Except the Steel corporation, which l IS not strictly in the commercial coal business, and one or two others, there are no coal companies in the Birming- 1 nam district big enough to take con tracts of such magnitude as this South American trade calls for. The individ- ual coal company of the Birmingham district, with only one or two excep- tlons, perhaps, Is not equipped to avail itself of this opportunity, and can do nothing, because it cannot supply the coal of uniform quality and quantity, and, above all, it cannot discount for eign six months or 12 months paper at any of our banks.
 We have the coal in quality and quantity. we have the cheapest ship ping facilities to tidewater of any coal in America. Ships for carrying can be had in abundance. South American markets are today calling for millions of tons of coal at profitable prices.
 Will Birmingham meet the opportu- nifty? H. w MNUTT.
 Birmingham. September Il. 1914.