s, and particularly
Guatemalas, in this country. The time was well chosen, as the world's
exposition at San Francisco offered a good opportunity to acquaint the
public with the fine qualities of Guatemala growths. Furthermore, it was
necessary to create new markets for these coffees, which in former years
had been very extensively used in Europe. Figures show that San
Francisco's efforts were crowned with success. In 1916, the importation
increased by fifty percent; and in 1917, importations were double those
of 1915. In 1918, a total of nearly 1,000,000 bags was reached; and this
mark was passed by almost 200,000 in 1919. In 1920, 971,567 bags were
imported.

The origin of San Francisco's fight for control of Central American
coffee dates back to the years 1908 to 1910, when the German Kosmos Line
was fighting the Pacific Mail for the Central and South American
shipping business. W.R. Grace & Co., at that time, were already the
heaviest shippers of American merchandise to the Latin-American
countries; and while their own steamers were not touching at Central
American ports, they were handling merchandise from the United States
and nitrates from the South American countries in their own bottoms, and
were also engaged as general carriers for that trade. The fight directed
by the Kosmos Line against the Pacific Mail, which at that time was
under the control of the Southern Pacific Company, was accordingly
directed against the Grace interests also, so far as South American
countries were concerned. The fight was long and bitter, and costly to
both sides. At times, the contenders offered to take freight, not only
without charge, but to pay the shipper a premium for the privilege of
carrying his freight.

Differences were finally settled in conference; but the experience
taught the American interests that they could survive in any territory
only if at all times they were able to provide their own cargoes for
their own boats, as had been accomplished with nitrate in South America.
J.H. Rosseter, the Grace manager, who later became well known as
director of operations of the United States Shipping Board during the
war, undertook an extended trip to Central America in 1912 to study the
situation at close range. There was only one product of Central America
that was available in cargo quantities, namely coffee; and naturally his
attention was drawn to the possibility of carrying coffee to San
Francisco to provide return cargoe