The times., 1897-08-01


nication, such as the postal service, land
and ocean telegraph, etc, may lie CON
stantiy improved, enlarged and cheapened-
Above all the bureau will aim to make
all these countries well known 10 each
other IL is not TO tie real or permanent
interests OF an OF them that Inislea ding
Inducements, however glittering. shnuld
be heldout, but aliof them have certain solid
advantages of their own and certain
products which can lie exchanged aniong
each other TO the benefit OF ali, and
such information cannot be TOO attractvely
presented or broadly disseminated
Does the bureau have anything to do
with the politics OF other counrrles?'
Nothing at all; nor with politics in this
country Its great object is TO make busi-
ness for every country in the union and
every business man of every country, The
bureau is primarily commercial in char
acter; but, in my opinion, 1t has also a
high mission in this, that, without con-
cerning itself with the political relations
OF the different countries 1t will inevitably,
in promoting trade among them, bring
about better comprehension and more
cordial appreciation on all sides. Com
merce, after all, is the great pacficator
The mission Of diplomacy is no longer
the mere conservation OF peace by treaties
or bargains, but the promotion of trade by
honest interchange OF profitable business.
Men who are thrown together daily in
business intercourse contract friendships
Which are the surest guarantee against
serious quarrels. / t is the same with
nations, especially when their commercial
transactions involve no question Of rivalry.
4 keen commercial competition is sure to
breed trouble sooner or later betwe cen
countries. Not only have we nothing OF
this sort to fear in the relations of the re-
publics OF the western hemisphere, but, on
the contrary, every commercial as we'll
as every political reason encourages the
hope OF an uninterrupted exchange on
basis OF mutual advantage
'And we can beat the world in getting
this American trade" added Mr.. Smith.
"a glance at the map of the world will
show that til teegeographical relations of
the United States with Mexico, Central
America, the West Indies and the northern
part of South America are so direct, so
easily controlled and developed, that one
of the first results OF revival of Amer
ican shipping would seem to be the dot
flying the Stars and Stripes. The Atlantic
seaboard OF South America is more closely
related 90 Europe geographically, but the
distances are so nearly the same that
no serious difficulty is to be found on
that score in the development of inter
continental trade. BY the building of one
or more canals across the Isthmus OF
Panama the vest coast of South America
would be placed within easy reach. This
ought to be done under the present Admin
istration and 1 believe it will be-
But do the people down there want to
have such close relations with us?" he
was asked.
why, most assuredly they do; they
are our peighbors and friends. 1t seems
to me, therefore, that natural conditions,
as well as those which spring from SINH
larity Of political institutions and political
tendencies, offer sound guarantee that the
indefinite expansion OF trade between the
various American republics, conducted on
lines substantially similar to those on which
we have so successfully developed the
internal trade OF the States of the Union,
Us not visionary expectation. Indeed, I
am happy TO say that these ideas, so far
as 1 am Informed, are fully shared by the
leading thinkers of latina American coun-
tries, and that the efforts which are be-
ing made by our merchants and manu-
facturers will meet everywhere with
ready response.
South Americans recognize the fact that
they have a great market in this Country
for their products, and they say that IL
they have been backward in the past in
taking our goods it is due not to any dis
inclination on their part to buy from us.
but to the fact that, until quite recently,
they were in ignorance of what we did
manufacture, AMI because we did not manu-
facture a sufficient surplus to offer them
goods on terms at which they could afford
to buy. Even when we did offer th em our
wares, we restricted ours elves to compare
lively few articles, and these were not
manufactured especially to meet theirneeds,