Show COAL TRADE Tl e e is some chance that the tin ted etates w 11 cut into the coal trade of C eat Br tan with South America. At the o tbreak of the war the British n n stry put an embargo on coal but t was tal en off very soon and most of the trade lost was soon rega ned The longer the war cont nues however the gi eater the opportun ty for tho coal mine operators of this country and tho note tonnage for the newly establ shed but small merchant'marine Some ddea of the enormous coal trade of Great Br ta n with the South Amer ican republ cs w 11 be ga ned by a perusal of tho consular reports on the subiect The s tuat on ra. Argent na may be taken as an example To be gin w th no coal whatsoever is mined n that republ c The amportat ons of oal to the country in 191" totaled 3 0 Jo6 metr e tons (of 204 6 pounds each) The principal countr es of or g n we e England -nh ch suppl ed 3 49 ) metric tons Un ted States 11d 901 tons and Germany 56 48 tons In 1913 the total imports were 4 046 "78 tofts and n the f rst s x months of 1914 2 09 087 tons The nTO tations of cole into 4.r gent na n 1912 totaled ol 0S7 oo tons tho p ncipal countr es supplying t bo ng England 24 29o 4 tons United States 5292 34 tons and Germany 1002 50 tons In 1913 the total mports amounted to 21 31 45 tons and in the t rst s x months of 1914 9084 8' tons The year 1912 is tho latest for wh h stat st cs by countr es are ava lable and the tremendous lead of Great Br t ain for that year w 11 be noted There s no reason to suppose that the rela t ve pos t ons of the coal producing co ntr es n tjio A gent ne trade are any d f f e ent at the present t me Great Br ta n fosters her coal trade lust as she does every other industry n which her peo) le a e engaged he branch banks in Argent na and other South n er can countr es and almost unl m tod n mber of merchant vessels plo v ng tho seas being among tho most val uable a ds As the war s 1 kely to last for consid erable t me the Un ted Slates should secure its share of the coal business i espec ally f vessels can be prov ded n time to take ad antage of the opportun lty offered Great Britain has proh b ted the transfer of reg stry of any more British ships without the consent of the government which it s needless to say will not be granted if there is any way to avoid it Under the cir cumstances the need of a merchant ma rine n th s country is mperat ve and na t me should be lost n see ring it if there is anr ntent on of extending our commerce with South America and the rest of the world as well |