Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-08-15
LEARN TO SPEAK SPANISH
Advice Of Consul Donnelly Of Mex
leo to Americans.
Merchants OF the United states n
Never Sell Goods In Mexico Un-
ill They Speak the Lam
guagc of ehe Country.


Washington. Aug. ~7.-Joseph O.. Don
nelly, United States consul at Nuevo
Laredo, Mexico, has furnished to the
state department a communication on
the Importance and necessity OF an ac-
lualntance with the Spanish language
az an important factor In securing trade
with the SPANISH speaking countries
that should receive the careful consld-
ration Of those merchants and manu-
Cacturers who desire TO promote trade
with Mexico, Central and South Amer
tea. Consul Donnelly calls attention 10
The fact that, Notwithstanding the ad-
yantages OF geographical position, Unit
ed states trade with Mexico and other
Standardization countries Is suTprls-
ingly small. These countries are TINS
eountry's neighboTs and natural allies
Their ports are much nearer 10 ours
than those of Europe. yet Europeans
get there ahead and take the trade.
rhe feeling Of the people OF those coun-
tries towards the people and govern
nent OF the United States Is In the nigh
este degree friendly, and they would
prefer to trade with this country thar
to deal with Europe, II that could I'D
done upon even the same terms and
with the same advantages now derived
from dealing with Europeans.
There is. OF course, good commercial
reasons for this preference for European
dealing. and one OF the principal obsta.
cles to the extension Of American trade
In that quarter Is the Ignorance OF
Americans Of the Spanish language
European agents are familiar with thai
language, and Americans have paid nc
attention to the importance OF this re-
qulsite TO trade. The United States do
more business with 5000, 900 Of English
speaking people In Canada than with
the 80, 600, 900 Of Spanlsh-speaking peo.
pie In Spanish America. The reason for
this is plain. The people OF the United
States can talk with Canadians-a fact
which Justities the conclusion that trade
follows language. Consul Donnelly
makes this fact apparent by briefly
and skilifully reasoning from a few
facts. Taking Mexico to illustrate his
theory that trade follows language. he
says:
Here, within a few hours ride by rail
from our frontier, are $4,000, 900 people
one-half of the population Of England;
a people advancing marvelously In all
the arts of civilization; a people who VIII
soon require as necessities what are
now luxuries; who will be housed, fed
and clad as well az any people In Flu
rope. What a field this would be II
worked with that skill and industry and
~tireless vigor which have made our do
nestle trade the wonder OF the world.
But Il Is not so worked. Ignorance OF
the language makes our usual business
methods impossible. The Spanish
tongue builds about the country for
American trade a barrier bigger than
the tariff.
ITO many OF our merchants Mexico
appears AZ remote as China or Japan,
and they strive for her trade by methods
that might serve with countries OF the
orient. They depend upon consuls for
lnformation-an effort which, to be of
any avail, should V the full time and
best energies of competent Spanish
speaking agents. Almost daily the mall
brings To my Offices letters containing
circulars which / am requested to dis
tribute among Mexican merchants.
Some OF these are In English and are
utterly useless; the rest. In Spanish,
have even less effect than circulars at
home.
Noulu hb1 ~ ~ '''''H
machinery send as agent to Cripple
Creek, for instance. some Russian m
grant, whatever his luency in his own
tongue, who Is ignorant Of English
Yet American agents come into Mexico
from the United states, knowing AZ lit
tie Spanish as they know Sanskrit. Good
takers they are around home, no doubt
but once across the Rio Grande, the
alert. keen, quick witted American IL
stricken dumb and tongue-tied. He
~eadily turns his American dollars into
Mexican pesos, but he cannot turn his
English into Spanish. He goes through
the land emulating the graduate of ar
institute for the deaf. He may do some
business and goods talk. But
money and goods. be their merit ever
so great nowadays, need the advocacy
of a ready tongue. BE 1t known that In
the ever quickening competition In Mex
lean markets. circulars won't do, nor
friendly offices of copsuls. Mexican
trade must be talked for, and 1t must
be talked for In Spanish.
The influence of language on trade
is well understood In America, and no
where else Is 1t SO powerfully exercised.
Talking business Is our national gift.
Surely this gift should not forsake us
at our southern border. Ignorance with
Spanish bars the way to intercourse
with nearly half the people of our CON
tinent. knowledge of Spanish takes
down the bar and leaves clear to Amer
lean methods the whole field of Ameri-
can trade. The Spanish Is a beautiful
language, musical and easy to learn.
Its construction Is simple, and, what Is
no small amount to the student. ii Is
pronounced precisely as written. An
hour a day for six months should give
n fair command of 1t to any young per
son OF average intelligence. This Is less
time than Is needed for learning short
hand, and the day Is not dlstant-in fact
l believe Ii Is almost at hand-when
there Will be more demand and better
for the young man or m
who can read, write and speak Spanish
than there Will be for stenographers.
The astute statesmen 10Y directing the
affairs OF Mexico are alive to the topic
treated. They a to deal with n peo-
pie who love their language and are
tenacious of custom, yet, seeing It's i'm
portance to the nations commerce., they
have introduced the study of English
into their schools, and English Is dis
placing French as the fashionable Ian
guage at the capital. Mexico reallzes
thai English and Spanish are the Ian
guages of America"
Dying OF Heat In 81. Louis.
st. Louis. Mo-. Aug. Last night was
the hottest experienced here In years.