COPY IN LETTER BOOK.

February 1, 1911.

My dear Carstairs Mr. Johnson, President of the Norfolk & Western Railway, Roanoke, Virginia, under date of the 31st ultimo writes me in reply to my letter of January 30th as follows:

"In regard to the matter of shipping coal to Mediterranean ports: I cannot tell you at what price coal could be delivered per ton free on board vessels at Genoa, Naples or in fact any of the Mediterranean ports. Our coal people have been actively engaged in trying to find a market for the Pocahontas coal in the foreign countries in competition with the Welch coal. The most serious problem confronting our producers and shippers is that of water transportation, and until this question can be solved I doubt if we can depend upon regular and active delivery of coal at foreign ports. A number of parties have interviewed me within the past six months on this subject and I have undertaken to explain the difficulties confronting us. If the parties that you are in conference with can make arrangements for the transportation of the coal from Lamberts Point to Mediterranean ports, the most difficult, and to-day the only serious problem is solved to insure a large tonnage of Pocahontas coal to the Mediterranean ports. Coal can be bought free on board cars at the mines at

[end page 1 of 3]