Inclosure No. 1 is a copy of a letter addressed to me by the president of the
Illinois Central Railroad Company (asking for information), which explains
itself, and which I made the occasion of my letter to the Hon. Salvador
Camacho Roldan. This letter was written after several conversations on the
subject, and the answer of the Hon. Salvador Camacho Roldan contains not
only a great deal of valuable information on the commerce of this country,
but also a statement as to the probability of the Colombian Government
contributing to the enterprise, thereby showing a most gratifying desire to
assist in cultivating closer commercial relations with our country.
To the views advanced by the Hon. Salvador Camacho Roldan, I desire to add,
that to both the United States and this country it is of the greatest
importance that the line of travel to Europe from Colombia should be by the
way of the United States, in order to enable the people of both countries to
become better acquainted with each other.
It is also deserving of attention in this connection, that the more regular
and frequent exchange of mails would not only produce more intimate
commercial relations, but I am also of the opinion that a reciprocal
arrangement could be effected with this government whereby letters from the
United States would be distributed free of postage here in exchange for a
similar free distribution of Colombian letters in the United States, and
that in this way the postage between the two countries could be reduced to
five cents for letters of half an ounce.
[Inclosure 3 in No.
23.—Translation.]
Mr. Roldan to Mr.
Dichman.
Bogota, November 26,
1878.
My Esteemed Mr. Minister: It is with much
pleasure that I give an answer to your semi-official note of the 22d
instant, in which you solicit an opinion from the department of foreign
relations upon the advisability of establishing a line of steamers
between New Orleans and the ports of our country.
For some years I have had the conviction that the commercial relations
between the United States of America and Colombia had not all the
importance at which they might arrive, solely for the want of lines of
transportation, since Colombia produces many articles which are consumed
extensively in the United States, and consumes many articles of European
production which might be received, perhaps, with advantage from your
country.
Colombia exports principally tobacco, quinia, coffee, gold, hides,
straw-hats, caoutchouc, balsam, cotton, hard wood for railroad-ties,
dye-woods and other coloring materials, tortoise-shell, preserves,
cattle on the hoof, ivory-nuts, and mother-of-pearl.
I judge that of these articles, you receive only one-half or three-fifths
of our exportations of coffee, half of the quinia, four-fifths of the
hides, and insignificant quantities of all the rest.
The exportations of quinia and coffee have increased considerably in two
years, perhaps doubled for your country, solely upon the introduction of
the line of steamers (Atlas) recently to the ports of Sabanilla and
Barranquilla.
[Page 260]
The abolition of duties upon these articles, which took place in 1870,
has, of course, contributed to this result in a considerable degree.
It must be borne in mind that by the way of Maracaibo (Republic of
Venezuela), more than two-thirds at least of the exportation of coffee
from our country takes place, which appear probably in the United States
as importations from Venezuela.
I estimate that only to the amount of 25 per cent. to 30 per cent. of our
exportations (which amount from $12,000,000 to $14,000,000) seek a
market in the United States.
The importation of American articles in Colombia does not exceed,
perhaps, 15 per cent. of our total importation, which vibrates between
$9,000,000 and $10,000,000, and which must have been more than
$12,000,000 in 1877–’78.
The articles which are at present imported are flour and crackers; lard,
butter, cheese, beef, and pork; furniture, to a small amount, for the
coast States; soap, Florida water, and perfumery, drugs; printing
materials; steamers for the Magdalena River, and articles for repairing
the same; fire-arms; materials for dentists; agricultural implements
(principally Collins).
We might import on a large scale, cotton and woolen goods, boots and
shoes, felt and cloth hats, school furniture, printing and wall paper,
printed books, blooded live stock, beer, fish, ice, watches and clocks,
petroleum and lamps, gas-pipes, fixtures, &c., ready-made wooden
houses in pieces, and many articles of glass and crockery and glassware
from Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, which enjoy a very good reputation.
Regular lines of steamers between New York and New Orleans on the one
hand, and Colon, Carthagena, Barranquiila or Sabanilla, and Rio Hacha on
the other, touching, perhaps, as well at Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello, and
La Guayra, will surely give, in my opinion, good results.
For passengers alone, more than $50,000 annually might be counted upon,
and more than 50,000 tons of freight, belonging to the commerce of this
country; not, of course, in the first two or three years.
I believe that in time it will be much more advantageous for our
exporters of gold to send it to the United States instead of to Europe;
for, with the same amount of gold, from two to five per cent. more
sterling exchange can be bought in New Orleans and in New York than in
London.
England sustains three semi-monthly lines of steamers with our coast;
France, one, and Germany, one, aside from lines of sailing vessels. The
establishment of a line of Spanish steamers is spoken of, and another
line of French steamers proceeding from Bordeaux. Why should not the
United States sustain one, situated as they are nearest to our coast?
The establishment of a line of steamers between New Orleans and the
Colombian ports, will require, in order to give the desired results, the
establishment of commission houses, known to our merchants, and provided
with funds to accept drafts against consignments, or to draw upon Europe
for account of our exporters. It would require as well to initiate
relations between this city, Baranquilla, Medellin, Cucuta, and Cali,
with the merchants of Chicago, Saint Louis, Pittsburg, Cincinnati,
Louisville, and San Francisco.
Such a line would not only be able to count upon the freights and
passengers to and from the United States of Colombia, but also upon
those of the West Indies, which already, are not to be depreciated, as
well as the commerce of Venezuela, which, would not be inferior to that
of our country.
In former years, we were disposed to grant a subsidy, of $30,000 annually
to an American line of steamers, which, however, was not established. In
our present condition, I judge that Congress will, perhaps, be willing
to vote $10,000 annually, for two years, and somewhat more for the
following years, if the rates of freight and passage would give real
advantages to our commerce.
I suppose that you have the very interesting tables of exportations from
Sabanilla to the United States for the one part, and Europe and the West
Indies for the other, in the past year, published by Mr. Pellet, the
consul of the United States, to which (tables) I refer more or less.
With sentiments of the highest consideration,
I am, &c.,
