| Importers of Coffee by Sea San Francisco, 1906 | |
| Bags | |
| Haas Bros. | 38,947 |
| Otis, McAllister & Co. | 34,342 |
| Jno. T. Wright | 21,741 |
| Geo. A. Moore & Co. | 17,851 |
| Castle Bros. | 17,397 |
| Lastreto & Co. | 15,609 |
| Bloom Bros. | 14,372 |
| W.R. Grace & Co. | 14,143 |
| Baruch & Co. | 9,400 |
| Schwartz Bros. | 7,310 |
| Dieckmann & Co. | 6,981 |
| H. Hackfeld & Co., Ltd. | 4,466 |
| M.J. Brandenstein & Co. | 4,281 |
| Urioste & Co. | 4,081 |
| Goldtree, Liebes & Co. | 3,962 |
| J.Z. Posadas. | 3,950 |
| Mohns-Frese Com. Co. | 3,714 |
| Welch & Co. | 3,385 |
| Thannhauser & Co. | 3,328 |
| E. Mejia | 2,965 |
| Hind, Rolph & Co. | 2,814 |
| Hellmann Bros. & Co. | 2,170 |
| Parrott & Co. | 2,137 |
| J.A. Folger & Co. | 2,094 |
| S.L. Jones & Co. | 2,042 |
| Ariza & Lombard | 1,133 |
| Hamberger-Polhemus Co. | 1,096 |
| Theo. H. Davies & Co., Ltd. | 955 |
| Livierato Frères | 927 |
| J.D. Spreckels & Bros. Co. | 828 |
| McCarthy Bros. | 795 |
| W. Loaiza & Co. | 642 |
| Wm. Halla | 591 |
| H.W. Burmester | 582 |
| Williams, Dimond & Co. | 399 |
| M. Phillips & Co. | 381 |
| Alexander & Baldwin | 358 |
| London, Paris & Am. Bank, Ltd. | 333 |
| P.J. Knudsen Co. | 309 |
| Ballou & Cosgrove | 300 |
| M. Schweitzer & Co. | 300 |
| Johnson-Locke Merc. Co. | 270 |
| The Lewin-Meyer Co. | 250 |
| Sperry Flour Co. | 231 |
| Canadian Bank of Commerce | 200 |
| Porto Rico Coffee Co. | 148 |
| McChesney & Sons | 145 |
| Bowring & Co. | 145 |
| China & Java Export Co. | 140 |
| John Weissman | 126 |
| Montealegre & Co. | 120 |
| W.H. Miller | 109 |
| Maldonado & Co. | 105 |
| De Fremery & Co. | 100 |
| Sundries | 683 |
| ———— | |
| Total | 256,183 |
Bird's Eye View of San Francisco's Coffee District
The imports of green coffee at San Francisco in 1914–15 amounted to about 400,000 bags. The beginning of the World War was almost coincidental with an energetic campaign waged by San Francisco coffee interests to popularize Central American coffees, 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 cargoes for ships of the Pacific Mail, or associated lines, carrying merchandise for the Central American countries.
While in Guatemala, Mr. Rosseter outlined a future policy in regard to Central American coffees; the basis being his firm determination that coffees grown in Central America, and logically and geographically tributary to San Francisco distribution, should come to San Francisco in largely increasing quantities.