Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-02
THE NEW TARIFF LAW
Its Effect Upon Trade Relations With South
ern Republics.
The Director Of the Bureau Of A,.-rf,
can Republics Gives His View.
ut Some Length.

Mr. Smith. director of the bureau of
American republics. has issued n state
ment In regard to the effect of the new
tarin law upon our trade relations with
The southern republics. Generally sneak
ing. he thinks the law will boom trade
and that IL will increase the commerce he
tween the republic of the north and the
republics Of Central and South America.
In regard to the business outlook he saws.
1t Is most promising. trade In PAN
America is greatly on the increase The
operations of the bureau In the past have
undoubtedly been productive Of much good
but the measure OF success achieved has
been more in the direction OF pointing out
what might be accomplished I'm the future
than in obtaining for a great and strik-
Ing Increase Of trade. The time has now
come. I'm my opinion, when the bureau can
be made Immediately and practically use
Iui, not only to our own manufacturers
ana exporters. but to the business interests
OF all the countries concerned IL should
be remembered that untn a very recent
period the industries of the United States
nave been content with tie home market.
ana the recent tariff legislation will prob
ably have the effect of securing the con-
troll OF the home market more exclusively
TO them than heretofore.
But the great increase I'm the productive
capacity of our manufactures has resulted
In the creation of surplus of goods be-
yond the requirements of our consumers
which must be disposed Of i'm foreign mar
kets. 1t is more than likely that this in
crease of production will continue and
that the necessity for larger outlets for
our trade will become more and more
pressing as time goes on. Five years ago
We were more or less interested in secur-
ing the trade of the Latin American coun-
tries. but that interest is not to be COM
pared with the present attitude of our man
ufacturers upon this subject"
Chance for increasing Trade.
rs there any chance of increasing trade
down there?" Director Smith was asked.
I'm my opinion, the opportunities are ex-
.ceptionally good. The people in Mexico
Central and South America and the West
Indies appear to he quite as anxious TO trade
with us we are to trade with them. The
recent visit to this country Of commercial
delegates from the Latin American coun-
tries to the Philadelphia Museums demon
strates not only that our people appreciate
the market which is TO be gained by intelli-
gent effort in the southern countries. but
that those countries themselves are now
fully alive to the Importance of directing
their trade toward people who have given
such abundant evidences of n firm deter
miaation to support them against foreign
aggression, and to assist in every possible
way their political and material develop
ment.
while ii is true that there is no senti-
ment in trade, ii Is equally certain that
countries often find their material inter-
ests involved i'm closer. il not identical re-
lations with a friendly nation, always
ready to extend a helping hand. and hay-
Ing ideas of progress and development in
close sympathy with their own While
every one of the Latin American republics
has its own individuality distinctly marked
and is an independent power proud of its
dignity and honorable traditions there can
be no question that each looks to the
United States as source OF inspiration and
announcement in its own efforts to itd-
vance along the line of modern progress.
Position of the United States.
THE United States undoubtedly occupies
the front rank in material development
and in the application of inventions to the
manifold uses of scientific industry. but
the Latin American republics have no
reason to fear comparison in what they
have already accomplished, il We but con-
slder for an instant the many obstacles
created by the heritage left them of the
long abuses of European control. Their
emancipation from Spanish dominion was
In itself an immense achievement. as
creditable 10 them our own accession
of independence from Great Britain and
within less than three-quarters of a CEN
fury they have approached the same goal
toward which We had been tending under
the freer play of the Anglo-SaNon political
system for century or more before. They
are all making wonderful strides i'm the
great march of civilization and develop
ment.
THE duty of the bureau is not merely
TO expand the markets for United States
products, but to open the way, IL possi-
BILE, for the fullest trade benefits to all
the countries interested. This is what
reciprocity means in our vocabulary and
to my mind, the more such reciprocity
there is the better. What We wish to 10
is TO show just how trade can be increased:
now the industries of each country can he
stimulated and how the transportation
facilities and other means of quick COM
mnnication, such as the postal service. land
ard ocean telegraph, etc, may be constant
ly improved. enlarged and cheapened
Above all the bureau will aim to make
all these countries well known TO each
other. Ii is not to the real or permanent
interests of apy of them that misleading
Inducements, However giittering. should be
held out, but all of them have certain
solid advantages of their own and certai in
products which can be exchanged among
each other to the benefit of all, and such
Information cannot be too attractively pre-
scented or broadly disseminated"