The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1899-08-10
The Pan American and the Pacific
Commerce.

Commerce.
Ever since the days of the Pan Am
erican congress and for long before
there has been a great fuss over the
development of the trade with the
South and Central American states.
That Mr. Blaine and other statesmen
fostered this movement not SO much
for commercial as for political ends has
been generally recognized. Mr.. Blaine
saw clearly that in no way could the
states of this continent be bound so
closely together, and in no manner
could they be made to realize the com
munity of their interests so thoroughly
or so surely, as by fostering communl-
cation through the development of
commerce. That the effort has been
successful is not open to question.
But the extent of that success is prob
lematic, and is likely to remain 80 for
many years, or until some crisis shall
reveal how thoroughly the leaven has
been working. Statesmanlike as the
project is, it has by no means been
accompanied by that rapidity of trade
development between the United States
and the other states of the continent
that was hoped for. The percentage
of American goods among the imports
of South American countries is still far
below that of British goods and often
below that of German and French
goods. The fault is not at all with the
policy but with individual exporters
and their ways of doing business, and
with congress for failing to provide
international banks and other Facilities
for the development of trade.
But IN one respect the hubbub
stirred up by the advocates of the Pan
American programme has had an IN
fortunate effect. 1t has attracted at
tentiOn to the South American trade to
the detriment of the Pacific commerce,
a circumstance that is more regrettable
because avOidable. Without the
slightest attention paid to it By the
government or the public at large the
Pacific export trade has been steadily
growing untilit outranks the combined
export trade with South America and
Central America with Mexico thrown
in. The value of the exports of the
United States to South America for the
last fiscal year was $35, $50 900; to
Central America, $5,000,000, and to
Mexico, $25, 100000, making total of
500, 100000. The total Pacific export
trade amounted to $40, 900, 900, of which
China and Hongkong took $50, loo, 900;
British Australasia, $40, IT'S, 900: Japan,
1861 900; the islands, $40, 100000,
and the East Indies and other Asiatic
states of the Pacific, 81, $4,000. If as
much attention had been given to the
development of this trade as has been
given to that of South America, the
total would probably have been much
larger.
Manufacturers who find money in the
export trade and the regular export
houses are said to be rapidly learning
the necessity Of adapting their wares,
their packing and their methods of
business to the tastes and customs of
various countries. With this lesson
learned, and with the establishment of
American banks and the creation of an
American merchant marine, the posi-
bilities of trade among the vast popu
latiOns that fringe the Pacific are I'M
limited. The cheapness with which we
manufacture and our proximity to those
regions, to say nothing of our dominat-
ing position as Pacific power, Opensa
field requiring only slight cultivation to
yield crop of astonishing value. A
firm, consistent policy in China to pre-
vent it's dismem berment or the viola
ton of our treaty rights and an ener-
getic effort to create an adequate
American merchant marine on the
Pacific afford an opportunity for direct
and substantial returns to the indus
tries of this country seldom if ever
paralleled in our history st. Paul
Pioneer Press.
Lake Geneva.