TREE PORT OF GENOA 233 
git] 
od 
169 
157 
186 
204 
figures published by the same authority in the statistics for the year 
1926, in which comparisons are made with the years 1925, 1924, 1923 
and 1913. These statistics are given below. It is to be presumed 
that discrepancies have been caused by the inclusion of Port Baross 
in some items and by the exclusion of the same port which under the 
treaty of Rapollo was separated from Fiume and was placed under 
Yugoslavian administration. 
The traffic of Fiume 
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30 
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78 
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By rail 
By sea 
AAT 
Arrivals ' Departures! 
Total 
Arrivals 
Departures] 
Total 
Tons | 
518, 701 
335, 748 | 
180, 912 
121, 752 
314, 781 
Tons 
340, 155 
304,417 
80, 463 
58, 272 
825. 877 
Tons 
858, 857 
640, 165 
261,375 
180, 024 
1.940. 857 
Tons 
378, 650 
373, 442 
222, 230 
128, 671 
022 959 
Tons 
360, 602 
306, 548 
166, 609 
84,162 
1.178, 883 
Tons 
739, 252 
679, 990 
388, 839 
212, 833 
2 (006. R42 
THE FREE PORT OF GENOA, ITALY 
[From H. P. Starrett, American consul general, Genoa, Italy] 
The instruction under reply calls for a report on the free ports of 
Genoa and Savona. Provisions for a free port at Savona have 
received legislative authority but thus far the free zone has not been 
sstablished. This report, therefore, deals only with the port of 
Genoa. 
History of the free zone.—The history of the free port of Genoa goes 
back to very ancient times and the exact date of its establishment is 
uncertain. A constantly increasing sea trade between Genoa and 
the old colonies of the eastern Mediterranean resulted in the building 
of certain warehouses for the storage of goods awaiting transshipment 
to other ports and thus facilitated the development of a trade which 
enabled the old Republic of Genoa to compete successfully with its 
chief rival, the Republic of Venice. 
In 1595 the Bank of San Giorgio (Saint George), the oldest bank in 
the world, and, incidentally, the one which had financially assisted 
King Richard I of England in his crusade to the Holy Land, and paid 
his ransom when he was captured by the Saracens, built several ware- 
houses, and the Government of the Republic permitted storage in the 
free port for grain subject to duty (when imported by vessels above 
a certain tonnage). In 1623 this privilege was extended to all classes 
of goods, and it is perhaps fair to say that Genoa as a real free port 
began its experience in that year. The area of the free zone was 
extended from time to time, and it is now proposed that sometime 
during the present year it is to be extended to include most of the 
ares, of the whole port.