The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-10
Trade with south America.

I
\ trade" who lately attended the opening
| of the commercial museum In Philadel-
phia, and who are now touring the coun-
! try, have told us nothing more than we
| knew before in asserting that there Is
! trade worth millions of dollars year
awaiting United States enterprise in Mex
| leo and Central and South America. The
| greater part of the trade of Spanish
America now goes to Europe. The reason
that 1t does so has been explained by the
visiting delegates. Our business men do
not give long enough credits. and there
are no adequate means of trans
portation between the three Americas.
Furthermore. our laws are not such as
TO invite close trade relations with our
southern neighbors.
The reason the merchants, manufac-
turers and other business men of the
United States do not give long credits
the Spanish want from six to
twelve fnonths-is that they have hereto
fore found fair market for their money
where it would give quicker returns.
They have been accus toned to making
their bills thirty, sixty and ninety days,
and thus turning their money over often
and securing larger profits for the Span
ish-Americans demand the use of capital
at a low rate of interest. The money
centers of this country are at the north,
and capitalists there have found that
they could do more with their money in
the south and the west than in Central
and South America. The capitalists of
Europe had no such field as the south,
and the west offered to the north, and
they were willing to accept the low inter
est and long time debts of the Spanish
Americans.
OF later years, however, the money CEN
ters of the United States have begun to
look about for new fields in which to In
vest their accommodations of capital. The
south and the west are beginning to be
a bit more independent; they are accu-
mulating considerable money of their
own, and are using it for the develop
ment of their own resources. The north
erners, therefore. are casting an eye to
the Spanish speaking sections of the con-
tinent as a promising field.
The field would indeed, be promising
Notwithstanding the long time and low in
terest custom of the countries, except for
the fact that our legislation has been,
is, and will be adverse to closer trade re-
lations with our neighbors. The republi-
can party has legislated the American
merchant marine almost out of existence,
through its policy of protecting the ship
builders so that there are very few Amer
lean vessels that could be employed In the
South American or Central American
trade If there were to spring up at once
a demand for them. The republican par
ty has also insisted upon a high protec-
tive wall around this country, designed to
shut out the products of many of the
countries, which would like to trade with
us. While the foreign delegates were
making speeches in Philadelphia, telling
how trade relations might be encouraged,
the republicans in congress were at work
upon a bill well calculated to discourage
all such relations, and even under certain
conditions, to retaliate through our tariff
upon the commerce of friendly nations.
The republicans from time to time make
great deal of noise talking about the
institution of a "pan-American" trade pol-
icy, yet Mr.. Blaine found it necessary to
arise in wrath and smash a silk hat Oh
the committees table to induce the Sen
ate finance committee to incorporate the
reciprocity scheme into the Mckinley bill
That scheme, by the way, disappointed It's
friends, and in the year after it was alb
rogated our trade with Brazil was larger
than it had been under reciprocity. Low
cred duties on imports had served to dc
more for increased trade than all of the
| conces 'ions Of the reciprocity arrange.
ment.
Instead of seeking to encourage trade
4 congress is now about TO put an increased
duty on South American woods and g
duty on hides. And there are other de.
tails of adverse legislation which might
be mentioned. but these are enough tc
show what nonsense il is to talk about
increased trade, and pan-Americar
policy under republican rule at Washing
ton, and how futile 1t is to open CONNER
cial museums for the purpose of direct
ing attention to the possibilities of tn,
trade of the several countries, while w,
sandbag these countries with our tariff