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 Can
Never Sell Goods In Mexico I'm
ill They Speak the Ian
auage of the Country.

Washington. Aug. 7.-Joseph G. 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-
luaintance with the Spanish language
as an important factor In securing trade
with the Spanisht speaking countries
that should receive the careful consid-
sration Of those merchants and manu-
cacturers who desire to promote trade
With Mexico. Central and South Amer
lea. Consul Donnelly calls attention to
The fact that. Notwithstanding the ad-
vantaEes of geographical position, Unit
I'll States trade with Mexico and other
Spanish-American countries is surpris-
ingly small. These countries are this
eountry's neighbors n natural allies.
Their ports are much carer to 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 high
este degree friendly, and they would
prefer to trade with this country than
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, n one of the principal obsta.
Giles to the extension of American trade
In that quarter is the ignorance OF
Americans Of the Spanish language
IL, - - - a. a.n 80. n, ,,ltl .baI
language, and Americans have paid nc
attention to the importance OF this re-
quisite TO trade. The United States do
more business with 5000, 900 of English
speaking people in Canada than with
the 81, 900, 900 Of Spanish-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 justifies the conclusion that trade
follows language. Consul Donnelly
makes this fact apparent by briefly
and skillfully 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 Ia, 1000. 900 people
one-half of the population of England;
a people advancing marvelously in all
the arts of civilization; a people who will
soon require as necessities what are
now Injuries; who will be housed, fed
and clad as well as any people in Eu-
rope. What a field this would be If
worked with that skill and industry and
~tireless vigor which have made our do
nestle trade the wonder of the world.
D,,t - g., not 90 urnrLad JurAra nf
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 at 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 have 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 han circulars st
home.
would any manufactures of mining
machinery sen as agent to Cripple
Creek, for instance, some Russian emf
rant, whatever his fluency In his own
tongue, who is ignorant of English?
Yet American agents come into Mexico
from the United states, knowing as 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
readily 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 nay do some
business-money and goods talk. But
money and goods, be their merit ever
so great nowadays, need the advocacy
of a ready tongue. Be it known that in
the ever quickening competition In Mex
lean markets. circulars won't do, nor
friendly offices of consuls. Mexican
trade must be talked for, and 1t must
be talked for in Spanish.
1.-THE influence of language on trade
is well understood in America, and no.
where else Is it 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
lear methods the whole field of Ameri-
Gan 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
eon OF average intelligence. This is less
time than is needed for learning short.
hand. and the day is not distant-in fact
I believe 1t Is almost at h~and-when
there VIII be more demand and better
wages for the young man or woman
who can read, write and speak Spanish
than there will be for stenographers.
The astute statesmen now directing the
affairs of Mexico are alive TO the topic
treated. They have to dea with a 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 lam
guage at the capital. Mexico realizez
that English and Spanish are the Ian
guages of America"