Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-19

| TIoNs OF THE PAN-ANERIcAN CONGRESS-.
The President transmitted to Congress today
the report and recommendations of the Inter
national Conference on Customs Union"
The report upon the customs union"
adopted by the international American confer
ence is accompanied by letter of Mr.. Blaine
to the President, briefly reviewing the pro-
| ceedlngs of the conference, which declared
that partial reciprocity between the American
| republics was not only practicable but must
| necessarily increase the trade and the develop
| ment OF the material resources of the countries
| adopting that system and it would in all prob
ability bring about as favorable results as those
obtained by free trade among the different
states of this Union.
The conference recommended therefore,
that the several governments represented
| negotiate reciprocity treaties ''upon such a
| basis as would be acceptable in each case,
taking into consideration the special situations,
| conditions and interests Of each country, and
with aview to promote their common welfare. "
"Only those" writes Mr.. Blaine, who have
| given the subject careful study realize the
magnitude of the commerce of these sister ma
tions. In 1888 the combined imports of Chill
and the Argentine Republic reached the enor-
nous sum of $3.50, 1868. The statistics OF
| Gillian commerce for 1889 have not yet been
received but the imports of the Argentine Re-
public for that year were $149, 000, 900. These
imports consisted in the greater part, Of arti-
cles that could have been furnished by the
manufacturers of the United States, yet in
| 1888, of the total of S233, 600 600 imports, We
contributed but S13,000,000 while England
contributed $90,000,000, Germany S43, OOO, 0Ol
| and France $34 100000.
with our extraordinary increase in popula-
| ton, and the even more extraordinary increase
| in material wealth, our progress in trade with
| South America has been strangely hindered
/ and limited.
"Iu 1868 our total exports to all the world
were 1915, 1877 900, Of which 49, 1871, 900 went to
| Spanish America-14 per cent
In 1888 our exports to all the world we're
S742, 36S 900 Gan increase of 100 per cent? while
but S69, 273, 900 went to Spanish America, little
more than per cent and the greatest gain
| $4,000, 0OO), has been noticed during the last
two years.
WHAT TREATIES MIGHT ACCOMPLISH.
'1t was the unanimous judgment of the del
egates that our exports to these countries and
| to the other republics could be increased to a
great degree by the negotiation Of such treaties
| as are recommended by the conference. The
practical everyday experience of our mer-
chants engaged in the trade demon
strates beyond question that in all
classes OF merchandise which We have
long and successfully produced for ex-
port they are able to compete with their
European rivals in quality and in price, and
the reiterated statements that our Latin-Amer-
| lean neighbors do not buy of us because we do
not buy of them, or because we tax their
products, has been annually contradicted by
| the statistics Of our commerce for quarter Of
a century
1.-The lack of means for reaching their mar
kets has been the chief obstacle in the way Of
increased exports. The carrying trade has
been controlled by European merchants who
have forbidden an exchange of commodities.
The merchandise We sell in South America is
carried there in American ships, or foreign
ships chartered by American commission
houses. The merchandise we buy in South
America ID brought to us in European vessels
that never take return cargoes but sail for
Liverpool, Havre, Bremen or Hamburg with
wheat, corn and cotton. There they load again
with manufactured goods for the South Ameri-
can markets and continue their triangular voy-
ages, paying for the food they are compelled to
buy of US with the proceeds of the sale of their
manufactures in markets that we could, would
supply if We controlled the carrying trade.
NO DIRECT COMMUNICATION.
"There is no direct steam ship communication
whatever between the United States and the
Argentine Republic and there are no direct
banking facilities. The International American
Conference has earnestly recommendedsthe es-
Enlistment of both; but reciprocal exchanges
Of tariff concessions will be equally effective in
stimulating commerce and in increasing the ex-
port Of the products Of which have the
public named, but to all the other American
nations.
"The conference believed that, while great
profit would come to all the countries if reci-
procity treaties should. be adopted, the United
States would be by far the greatest gamer
Nearly all the articles we export to our neigh
bors are subjected to heavy customs taxes; SO
heavy in many cases as to prohibit their con-
sumption by the masses of the people. On the
other hand, more than 81 per cent of our i'm
ports from Latin-America admitted free
leaving but II per cent upon which duties may
still be removed. But, mindful of the fact that
the United States has, from time to time re-
moved the duties from coffee, cocoa, india
rubber, hides, cinchona bark, dye and cabinet
woods and other Latin-America products, our
government may confidently ask the conces-
sions suggested.
"The increased exports would be drawn alike
from our farms, our factories and our forests
None OF the Latin-Amercan countries produce
building lumber; the most Of them are depend
ent upon foreign markets for their breadstuffs
and provisions, and in few is there any oppor-
tunity or inclination for mechanical industry
The effect OF such reciprocity would be felt in
every portion of the land"
WAY TO DO IT.
In closing his letter the Secretary says:
Fifteen of the seventeen republics with
which we have been in conference have indi-
Gated, by the votes of their representatives in
the international American conference and BY
other methods which it is not necessary to
define, their desire to enter upon reciprocal
commercial relations with the United States:
the remaining two express equal willingness
could they be assured that their
advances would be favorably considered.
'To escape the delay and uncertainty of
treaties, it has been suggested that practical
BILE and prompt mode of testing the question
was to submit an amendment to the pending
tariff bill, authorizing the President to declare
products OF any nation of the American hemi-
imposed, whenever aud so long as such
nation shall admit to its ports
free of all national, provincial (state), mu-
nicipal and other taxes our flour, corn meal
| and other breadstutfs preserved meats fish,
vegetables and fruits, cottOn-seed oil, rice and
other provisions, including all articles of food,
lumber, furniture and other articles
of wood. agricultural implements and
machinery, mining and mechanical ma
chinery, structural steel and iron, steel
rails, locomotives railway cars and sup
plies, street and refined petroleum l
mention these particular articles because they
have been most frequently referred to as those
with which a valuable exchange could be
readily effected. The list could no doubt be
profitabiy enlarged by q careful investigation
OF the needs and advantages of both the home
and foreign markets.
1.-The opinion was general among the foreign
| delegates that the legislation herein referred
to would lead to the opening of new and profit
able markets for the products of which we
have so large surplus, and thus invigorate
every branch of agricultural and mechanical