No. 11.
Mr. Thorington to Mr. Evarts.
United
States Consulate at Aspinwall,
August 27, 1877. (Received September
7.)
No. 210.]
Sir: For further reply to your dispatch of date
July 13, ultimo, I herewith inclose an article taken from the Star and
Herald, of Panama, marked “Exhibit 1,” as showing the import into
Gautemala, one of the Central American States on the Pacific Coast,
whose trade by reason of her proximity to the United States should make
our ports her market for the articles mentioned. The article, and the
facts contained therein, are well worth the attention of our capitalists
engaged in exporting home products and merchandise.
It seems to me it would pay our merchant princes and exporters to
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see that agents are placed at
such ports where interest would seem to demand who would take more than
an ordinary interest in laying before the inspector at these points
samples of goods and articles of merchandise peculiar to our country,
for inspection, with prices and cost of delivery. If no better channel
could be adopted, why not require your consular and diplomatic officers
at their respective ports, other interests being considered, to act in
the premises?
I have made arrangements with the officials of the Panama Railroad and
other parties in possession of the facts, and at an early day hope to
lay the same before you for a similar statement to the one now
furnished, exhibiting all goods and merchandise in transit going to the
United States and other countries, that you may see at a glance the
immensity of this commerce and our disparagement in this comparison and
the advantage we have, and yet not availing ourselves of that
advantage.
Hoping, sir, I am not trespassing upon the license granted in replying to
your dispatch,
I am, &c.,
Exhibit 1.
[From the
Panama Star and Herald of August 20,
1877.]
guatemalan imports.
Our readers will find published below a statement of the imports of
the republic of Guatemala for 1876. From this it will be seen that
for the total represented by the original invoices, amounting to
$2,264,831.90, Great Britain furnishes about one-half, or
$1,125,150.31; France, one-fifth, or $449,537.38; Germany a little
more than one-eighth, or $264,288.25; and the United States only
about one-ninth, or $245,867.54.
In the statement showing the classification of imported goods,
manufactured cotton takes the lead, at $1,006,538.71, followed by
woolen goods, $281,247.32; silks, $112,592.35; haberdashery,
$80,469.05; linen goods, $67,233.11; boots and shoes, $52,845.37;
wine, $52,652.81; flour, $51,398.50; machinery, $48,486.97; hats,
$44,674.28; and so on through a list embracing fifty-three classes
of articles, the smallest of which is exotic seeds and plants,
$236.19. It will be well for our American mercantile friends to
study this statement. From it they will learn how insignificant an
amount of the total foreign supplies furnished, come from the United
States, and may be incited to make a more determined effort to
secure a larger share of the growing trade of the leading Central
American State. In the matter of cotton and woolen goods especially,
which amount in value to more than one-half the entire import, there
is no reason why Guatemala should continue to look to Europe for her
supplies, while in nearly every other article on the list, American
manufacturers should be able to compete successfully with those on
the other side of the Atlantic. In a few years, at the present rate
of improvement, Central America will furnish a market for tens of
millions worth of foreign goods, which should naturally he derived
from the Great Republic of the North, and Will be without doubt, if
the necessary efforts are made on the part of those most interested.
Then instead of furnishing the pitiful sartorial fraction of
one-ninth, the United States will be able to head the list.
The following is a classification of the articles imported into
Guatemala in 1876, with the cost of each:
| Oil |
$5,381
44 |
Sundries |
$8,922 65 |
| Liquors |
12,493
49 |
Drugs |
12,650 16 |
| Cotton goods |
1,006,538
71 |
Swords |
597 55 |
| Fire-arms |
1,762
52 |
Large mirrors |
2,806 59 |
| Boots and shoes |
52,845
37 |
Block-tin |
1,234 17 |
| Cinnamon |
11,683
77 |
Stearine |
19,711 94 |
| Carriages |
6,239
81 |
Matches |
6,472 18 |
| White wax |
7,121
43 |
Flour |
51,398 50 |
| Ale and beer |
1,846
36 |
Iron bars and implements |
43,569 87 |
| Sheet-copper |
3,074
22 |
Musical instruments |
973 26 |
| Provisions and confectionery |
39,369
88 |
Agricultural and other implements |
8,731
93 |
| Glassware |
10,785
09 |
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| Toys |
$1,828
46 |
Fine jewelry |
$37,694 38 |
| Woolen goods |
281,247
32 |
Hardware |
31,872 92 |
| Printed books |
14,384
98 |
Watches and clocks |
9,318 55 |
| Cordials |
3,894
18 |
Ready-made clothing |
1,921 66 |
| Linen goods |
67,233
11 |
Empty bags |
28,145 29 |
| Crockery |
10,764
83 |
Common salt |
2,037 40 |
| Machinery |
48,486
97 |
Silk goods |
112,592 35 |
| Medicines |
16,957
42 |
Seeds and plants |
236 19 |
| Haberdashery |
80,469
05 |
Saddles |
1,789 10 |
| Furniture |
9,591
76 |
Hats |
44,674 28 |
| Paper of all kinds |
29,829
25 |
Manufactured tobacco |
4,135 81 |
| Perfumery |
7,312
54 |
Iron roofs and tubing |
10,946 55 |
| Sugar-machinery |
2,778
68 |
Plain glass |
5,822 50 |
| Petroleum |
2,580
19 |
Wire |
52,651
82 |
| Pianos |
5,963
83 |
|
|
| Tanned leather |
21,459
64 |
Total |
2,264,831 90 |
