San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-09-27
ALL-AMERIcAS CONFERENCE.

(
pond. The monarchs OF Europe
view with alarm the commercial
union which may, and certainly
should, grow out of this conference
of the Central and South American
republics with these United States.
They see, or think they see, the end
of European supremacy in the trade
and finance of these Central and
South American states il an Ameri-
can union is formed, and persistent
effort is being made to enlist the
pride and prejudice of the Latin races
against the movement. 1t depends
more upon this country herself than
upon any others to say him far these
hostile efforts will be successful.
A broadminded, generous, liberal
policy on the part of this government,
by which it shall demonstrate its
desire for close commercial relatives
with MISREPRESENTATION states, will
carry the day against all the efforts
of the French and English merchants
doing business in the American states
to the south of us. The battle for a
vast empire is about to begin and the
forces of the opposition are not un-
equally matched. England, France
and Germany enter the list with that
possession usually considered nine
points of the law. Their hold on the
commerce of these states is by no
means precarious one. All that
wisdom in commercial dealing
through generations of experience
has taught these foreign merchants
has been learned by them. They
have familiariZed themselves with
the habits of trade and peculiarities
of dealing which mark these South |
American states and bid for their |
trade in the light of that knowledge. |
They have come to them with goods |
to sell and are not unmindful of the
necessity of making that trade attrac-
tive to those with whom they deal. |
They are in close communication by |
subsidized lines of mail steamers with |
the principal ports of these states and |
so stand much nearer to them in |
point of fact than do we, notwith-
standing our advantage in geographic
cal position. We have no mail COM
municatiOns with them save by way
of Liverpool, our successful rival |
on the other side of the great |
water. All this must change if
we would make oul selves in any de-
gree master of the channels of trade |
with central and southern America. |
In the conference to open at Washing |
ton within the next thirty days a |
real desire for commercial inter-
course must be manifest on our part. |
Such , desire as will make itself felt |
not only in the minds of those who |
represent the sister states to the |
south of us, but also in the halls of
our own national congress, demand
ing and securing such subsidies for
mail steamers to the South and Cen
trail American ports as will place US
as advantageously with them so far
as means of communication are con-
cerned as those states are now placed. |
Not only So our representatives in
that conference must divest them |
selves of all ideas of their superiority |
over their southern neighbours. There |
Is no Disgusting the fact that people |
like those of Buenos Ayres, with a
single bank the paid up capital Of
which is So 100000, its circulation
So, 900 900, its deposits $50, 0OO, 900 and |
its loans and discounts $4,000, 900, |
such a people are no chickens, COM
mercially speaking. 1t must of
ing eat inducements to the
American manufacturer and it is only
the part of commercial wisdom for us
70
bulk Of that trade to ourselves No |
peoples have gained the Importance
that these Americas have, without
understanding somewhat their own
worth in the scale OF National eX-
changes, and it will he polite as we'll
as courteous for us to recognize to the
full the advantages we may mutually
derive from intimate trade relations
with them. 1t is not in the power of
England, or of Germany. to distance
us in competition for this South Amer
ica's trade, if we are in earnest in Sc
curing it. In inventive genius and in
labor saving appliances we can lead
the world. We are thousands of
miles nearer these countries than are
our foreign rivals; we have in many
things community of interest not
shared by the nations with whom our
Southern neighbOrs are now bound in
commercial bonds, and it is within
our power to so use our advantages as
to make them minister to these most
desirable trade relations with these
Cen trail and South American states.
KANSAS CITY j. all alive for that
Bankers convention, which assem-
bles in that city today. and tomorrow.