Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-06-19
OBSTACLETO RADEExPANSlON

our people supply South America ana
Asia with the larger part of their i'm
EaIts will the United States. have.
reached the position in the worlds for
eigR trade to which it is entitled both
in the quality and in the prices of it's
productions One of the greatest OBJ
stacleS to our trade expansion is the
lack Of direct lines Of American
steamships to the leading ports OF
South America. This is a matter
which cannot be explained too often,
nor can too great emphasis be laid up
on the consequences Of our neglect.
Scores of lines of fine steamships reg
ularly ply between Europe and South
America. These ships carry to the
Republics of the South infinitely more,
in value. than they take from them.
The United States, on the other hand,
buys infinitely more from South Amer
lea than it sends there.
For a dozen years the Republic of
Argentina offered subsidy of a hun
dred thousand dollars a year for a di
rect line of American steamships with
Buenos Ayres, If the United States
would pay an equal amount. Congress
paid no heed to this long standing of
fer, and it was finally withdrawn. Even
the resolutions adopted at the conclu-
sion of the Pan-American Congress.
held in 1889. pledged the Republics of
South America to pay subsidies to
American-built steamships if establish
ed in lines trading directly with them.
Nothing has been done by Congress to
secure the gifts thus lavishly prof
fered us by our good friends to the
South.
1t is not surprising to find the new
Minister to the United States from the
Argentine Republic pointing out the
lack of direct steamship communica-
ton between the United States and his
country as the real reason for the
Smallness of our trade, and the large
ness of European trade directly trace
able to the many lines of steamships
plying between Buenos Ayres and
Europe.
Argentine's Minister to the United
States, DR.. Wilde, in a recent interview
Presidents of Brazil and Paraguay
held while he was on his way to the
United States. they agreed with me in
acknowledging the necessity of a closer
intimacy between the two continents,
which can be accomplished in one way.
the establishment of direct lines of
commerce" Here we have the chronic
obstacle to our trade expansion brought
clearly to our attention.
Minister Wilde makes it infinitely
clear in the following statement. well
deserving the attention of our people
who are so interested in the securance
of new foreign markets for our sur
plus products:
My government will gladly join
with the United States in extend
ing a subsidy to one or more regular
lines of steamers between the Rio de Ia
Plata and some important port Of the
United States. At present we must
ship the greater part of our commerce
with this country to Liverpool for re-
shipment to the United States. Under
such unnatural circumstances there
must of necessity be lack and diff
Guilty of imports not favorable to the
parties interested"
The conclusion, based upon the fact
stated, is undeniable. 1t is 4 notori-
Gus fact that American manufactures
shipped to the Argentine by the way
of Europe have been placed in ware
houses and kept there for months, in
the meantime foreign merchants send
ing to the Argentine the very things
which the Argentine merchants had
| ordered from the United States. An
| noyed at the delay they have taken
the European goods, and when the be
| lated American manufactures arrived
| they were not accepted. Our consuls
! have pointed out that our manufac-
tured articles pay twice, and sometimes
! three times, rs much freight to South
America as the Identical things pay
when shipped from Europe. If Amer
| lean goods were laid down in South
American ports at the same freight
rates that European goods are, IN a
short time our manufacturers would
| supDlant the Europeans in supplying
South Americans. These conditions
loudly call for the early passage Of the
/ Shipping Bill at the next session OF
| Congress.