Speech #610234323

We bought last year $67.000.000 worth of coffee from Brazil. and every cup of coffee that was made at any breakfast table in tLe United States out of that $67.000.000 worth paid toll to this trust formed in Europe to put up the cost of transporting to the United States the coffee of Brazil. The gentleman who is reported here as having effected this arrangement. Herr Ballin. one of the most able and forceful men in the business world of Europe. is the same gentleman whose signature appears at the foot of the trust agreement made in Europe in regard to the immigration service between the United States and Europe upon which the Attorney General has just filed a bill in equity under the Sherman antitrust law. Fortunately. it happens that in the trade between the United States and Europe there is an American line built up and maintained by adequate compensation for carrying the mail under the act of 1891. and because there is that American line we can control and frustrate any trust combination made in regard to the carriage of immigrants or of freights between this country antd Europe. but the combination made by the same man to tax our trade with the great ports of South America is beyond our control. because the act of 1891 has not yet been made applicable to that trade. Mr. President.