Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-07-08


Last Winter large delegation of mer-
chants and manufacturers from Philadel-
phia visited the South American Republics
with the view of extending their trade to
them. They were received with open
arms, and with genuine friendliness. In
return delegation of business men of the
South American countries came to the
United States. They landed in Philadel-
phia, and were accorded a real Philadel-
phia welcome. From thence they have
visited every large city in the Union, and
been handsomely entertained. At Cincin-
natl last Monday night, June 10Th, the
Chamber of Commerce entertained them.
We quote from the speech of Carlos Liz
Klett, of the Argentine Republic, editor OF
the most prominent newspaper in his
country and specialist in wool, hides and
skins, delivered on that occasion -
"The United States have never had q
better opportunity to extend their CONNER
cial relations than this one offered by thee
Philadelphia Museums in ssembling noted
business men of Latin America, as my
colleagues are. | am perfectly sure that
all of the delegatessare inspired with the
best wishes in regard to closer relations
with the United States, and l should feel
very glad if the Argentine Republic should
find herself in the same position, but. un-
fortunately, our visit to the United States
and our good will are put aside by the
Tariff bill that is now passing in your Con
gress and whose result will render difficult
the realization of closer commercial rela-
tionsiwith Latin America. The two prin-
cipal products that we export to the United
States are wool and hides; we haye over
900, 900 sheep, which produce every year
about 250,000,000 kilos of wool, and this
article hes always been imported into the
United States free Of duty, the same as we
import free OF duty your machinery and
your petroleum. But the new Tariff bill
has imposed a prohibitive tax upon our
wool. We have been exporting to your
country our hides during the past twenty
FIVE years free of duty, but now you have
taxed them IL cents per pound. You may
consider how much this duty will effect our
trade when you think we have over 22,000,-
600 of oxen. We have been treated in an
unfriendly manner and at the same time
you submit to as the idea of reciprocity
treaty. l am very sorry to say that, under
the circumstances, the statesmen of the
Argentine Republic will not accept any
kind of treaties, not only for certain reasons
that you can easily understand, but because
our products are exported free of duty to
England, France, Germany. Belgium and
Italy, and we receive from Europe all the
goods we require, all the capital that we
need for cur commercial development, and
all the immigration necessary to populate
our extended territory. AS we find no
compensation nor any reason to tie our
selves to the United States under the pres
emit circumstances. we think that taking
into consideration the protectionist doctrine
of this country, we have nothing to do but
to use the same principle in our own de-
fence and impose prohibitive duties upon
all the American goods that may be i'm
ported into the Argentine Republic. We
regret very much to take such action, but
we will be compelled to do so, and it is con-
venient to EOte that Europe is trying by all
means to hold the Latin American markets,
and is sending to all of the Republics to
study the resources, the commerce and the
financial state of each. / think / am right
when call your attention to the oppor-
tunity that is offered to you to control the
markets of Latin-America, which offers
most extensive field for the consumption of
your manufactured products. All you have
to do is to put one side the obstacles that /
have noted SO that the way will be COM
pletely open. and the commercial relations
with the country of Washington can be
easily extended"
The boasted prosperity is long way off
if the party in power, in its determination
to pay the debt it owes to the trusts, is
going to close the foreign markets to our
staple agricultural products and machinery
and manufacturers.