Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-04-06
Eorcian Trade d South America

tiaual Association of Manufacturers IN
this country organized and sent conf
mission to Argentina, Uruguay and
Brazil last summer. Five weeks were
spent in those countries and every
facility was afforded the commission fer
making its Investigations. The report
in detail has at last been issued in
| pamphlet form by the National Asso-
ciation and the distribution Of them IS
made gratuitously. This report con-
| tains many valuable statistics not else
where available. The work seems to
have been done thoroughly and the
conclusions are those made by business
men, who sought facts not for the pur-
pose of confirming theories already es-
whatever they might be.
They found that if American con-
Germs hope to get their share of the
trade with those countries they must
seek it with the same intelligence and
pertinacity that the English and more
especially the Germans seek it and OBJ
tain it. They must interest themselves
in the undertaking, send American
drummers who can speak the Spanish
| language to those countries. for they
found that no commercial agent sur
passes the American salesman. More
over they should have such encourage
ment as q wise reciprocity may afford.
| Ii Will not be forgotten that many, who
assumed to know all about the matter,
have Of late been telling the American
people that the reciprocity had with
countries in South America under the
Mckinley bill was of practically no
value This commission, representing
an organization of business men found
differently after eXhaustively consider
| ing the subject. They are very clear
upon this point and do not wish to be
| should be placed upon legislation to
bring to us our share in that great
trade, now almost wholly diverted II
foreign countries. Indeed they express
| Iy urge that success must come through
| individual endeayor personally directed,
lpersistently carried out with the same
energy and intelligence that would be
exerted| lin working up a trade in this
country The Germans have surpassed
| the English because they have given
more attention to the demands of the
country, have kept in touch With the
people, have their personal representa-
tiFes upon the ground at work with
pertinacity as admirable as ii may at
times be disagreeable.
| The people now settling Argentine
customed to the cheap, in quality and
price, goods manufactured in their own
countries. Besides this, England es-
pecially, and France and Germany, to
some extent, have invested many hun
dreds of million dollars in the develop
ment of those countries. and are still
1
lines of communication, banks and
other facilities which the American
does not have. 1t was the belief of
the commission that sentiment has
| something to do with trade, that
American vessels and banks would
exert a very beneficial influence but
. nfta oil tln o1ne. ret
cede these and establish sufficient trade
to warrant such enterprises. There
are many aids, which are needed to
supplement individual and personal
effort says President Search Of the
commission. THE principle of reci-
| procity in trade is powerful factor,
treaty in our commercial relations with
the nations to the south of us would
/ help nightly in opening those markets
mere freely to our goods The reci-
procity treaties which We're negotiated
under the customs law of 1890 We're
pretty generally recognized as good
policy and practical business measures.
The sudden and unwarranted abroSa
ton of those treaties has worked no
Il little injury to our trade relations with
) South America, and their restoration
and extension would greatly promote
our commercial interests in that part
of the world" While in Brazil two
prominent importers of -four told the
commission that it would only be a few
} years, unless some reciprocity treaty
affecting flour should be made, before
the Argentine product would drive out
Of the market that from the United
States.