Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-03-04
DETERRENT POLICY.
Two Examples from South America O
How shipping May he Built Up.

Two Examples from South America of
How shipping May he Built Up.
There is another United States i'm
which the men who make laws pursue a
policy for the building up of domestic
shipping entirely different from that
pursued by us.
This is the United States OF Colombia,
in South America, of which the 18TH
mus of Panama forms part This is a
country in which vast forests of the
choicest timber abound. and this timber
varies from the tropical palm to the
hardy Alpine types. There are also vast
mineral resources, such as copper, lead
and iron, and the precious metals are
abundant, too.
Although the United States of Colon
bia raises nearly all of lis revenue
through tariff duties, still its law max
ers do not go to the length of refusing to
let the citizens of that countrv buy their
ships abroad and enter them for registry
as Colombian vessels. They have not
yet learned that way of building up
home enterprises.
Accordingly we hear of a Pittsburg
firm which is building two lig 1t draught
stern wheel steamers for use on Colon
bian rivers.
We do not learn that there are any
wise Colombian statesmen who would
like to refuse entry to these vessels.
Evidently the peculiar type of states
manship which prevails with is has few
imitators in this backward South Amer
lean state, and the example OF our own
country as the leading Ameri can nation
has not been properly presented to these
old Spanish fogies of the tropics.
How is it that these men are so dull OF
perception as not TO see that ii true and
only way to develop Colombian shiI
building is to shut out these Pittsburq
river steamers? The Cauca and the
Magdalena rivers of Colombia-ar they
not better than all the rivers of Pennsvl
vania?
AT the same time another dispatch
reaches us from Chill, which states thai
the government of that country viii
shortly take steps to reduce materially
the duties on raw materials in order t
encourage Gillian manufact 1ring en-
terprises.
Those persons seem to make a grear
mistake who assert that the prestige Of
the United States will make it from THU
time forth the model of all our southern
sister republics.
On the other hand, it seems clear thai
the South American delegates to tn,
Pan-American congress did not come W
here to learn political wisdom from u.s.
How little the Chilians are disposed tc
| follow our example as the leading natior
is further illustrated by an occurrence.
which happened some years ago. A
commission was sent from this country
to South America to effect reciprocity
treaties with the various nations of thai
continent. When the commiss ION cam,
to Chill they had hearing with tn,
president of the republic.
But what did they accomplish?
The CHILEAN president politely told tn,
commissioners some things which mus
have struck them as founded on very
queer and even heretical prir ciples Of
political economy.
This is what he said:
1T is out of no want of respect for tn,
United States, but it is my sett ed belief
that all treaties are needless. There car
be no control by any convention Of tn,
laws of trade. Men will buy and sci
where it is most to their advantage, anc
this cannot be aided or materially in
fuenced by national compacts. Chill
/ opens all her coasts to the vessels of any
nation, the United States inclu led, anC
/. in turn the Gillian flag ought to have &C
cess to the ports of the United States OF
| the same terms"
The commission accomplished nothing
and reported that ''of course it was NO
worth while to dwell upon this avowal