Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-04-09
NEGLECTED OPPORTUNITIES.

The government and people of the
United States are shamefully neglectful
of the opportunities afforded for trade
with the Central and South American
States. particularly the latter. 4 large
portion of the commerce of these coun-
tries-which the United States might and
should controls in the hands of for
eigners, who have stolen the business
away from us while we slept. South
America is rich. Its lands are as fertile
as any on the globe, and its population, in
the main, peaceable and Industrious.
They are backward in their civilization.
but ready and anxious to adopt new i'll
ventions and methods as soon as brought
to their notice. Nowhere else are there
better markets for the products of our
mills and workshops than there But we
do not improve the chance. W. +. Cur
It's of the South American commission.
addressing the foreign relations commit
mittee of the Senate. the other dav, said {:
We buy 30 per cent. of what the South
American countries produce, and furnish
them only per cent. of their imports.
The balance of trade against us is nearly
500, 100000 a year. The cause of this
astonishing phenomenon is our neglect to
furnish the ways and means of commerce.
While we have been pointing with pride
at our internal development. England
and France have been stealing our mar
kets away from us. The problem of re-
covering them is easy Of solution. The
States of Central and South America will
buy all we have to sell if intelligent
measures are used to cultivate the mar
kets and means are provided for deliver
ing the goods. Those countries are seek
ing political intimacy with the United
States. They recognize the superiority
OF our products, and offer and pay subsi-
dies to our ships. Brazil is now paving
100000 annually to an American steam
ship line. The Argentine Republic holds
out a standing offer OF S9G, 900 Il wear To
any company that will establish line
between Buenos Ayres and New York
under the American flag, while at the
same time she has twcnty-one lines sail
ing from fOrty-five to sixty steamships
between Buenos Ayrcs and European
ports to which it pays nothing.
Even more surprising than our neglect
ol opportunities Is our ignorance of the
condition and progress of these countries.
The development of the southern half of
south America is nearly as rapid as our
own. Immigration is flooding it. inter
nal improvements are opening new and
fertile fields and wealth is Increasing in Il
ratio enjoyed by no other section of the
globe. The aggregate imports to Brazil,
Uruguay, Chilli and the Argentine Re
public reaches the enormous sum of $780,
OOO,O 900 annually, of which this country
furnishes about 100000 vet the man
ufacturers of the United States could
supply nearly everything represented in
the aggregate. The consumption of cot
ton goods alone amounts to over 800
OOO,OOO annually, % per cent. of which is
supplied by the mills of Manchester. Our
merchants send honest goods to compete
with dishonest ones. The Englishmen
send cargoes OF pipe clay and starch to
the tropical countries. The popularity
OF American goods is such that nearly
every bale of bogus fabric shipped from
Manchester bears the coat OF arms of the
United States and is marked 4" best Amer
lean drills, Massachusetts, United States
OF America" So long as the freight from
Liverpool, Hamburg and Bordeaux re-
mains Sl5 IA ton merchants cannot be in
duced to pay $40 ton to bring merchan-
disc from the United States.