The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-09-23
AMERICAN TRADE.

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AMERICAN TRADE.
So great is the interest which attaches
to every subject relating even remotely
to the trade of the Orient that it is al
most impossible to secure any measure
Of pubic attention for any other project,
no matter how directly or extensively it
may Involve the extension of American
foreign trade, in any direction.
This disposition is unfortunate in many
respects. If this nation is about to enter
into open competition with the nations
of the world for the trade Of the world,
it is well that it should not direct its
energies i'll any direction exclusively The
day was, in the very infancy. even of the
republic, when our keels secured the seas
from. pole to pole, and our Yankee trad
ers sWere more than a match for the
best trained dealers Of the word From
far Cathay to the Antarctic sea we found
some thing, to sell or to buy in every land.
We will never become what our admins
traton friends are telling US wesare. sure
to become unless we choose as wide a
range and as adventurous methods as in
the days of old, when Cape Codeand sChes-
apeake bay had more, commercial. signfi-
canoe, relatively at least, than they, have
today, e'''r
It is little more than decade since we
went little daft on the subject OF South
and Central American trade, as, today we
are doing on the subject of the Orient
But our enthusiasm has not outlived our
judgment in that behalf, and it Is now
something Of an effort to arouse popular
interest in the undertakings of shipping
and commerce, which relate exclusively
to our own continent James G. Blaine
no longer lives; and the spirit which an
mated him in life would doubtless never
seek Judgment within the temporizing
souls that guide the destinies of modern
imperialism. But all that he contended
for still remains to be achieved, and is
capable of achievement when it is ap-
preached by this people in anything like
the feeling of determination with which
the Oriental problems are seeking solu-
ton. Nor will it involve the sacrifice of
American life. or, to any appreciable ex-
tent, of American wealth
The movement which Mr. Blaine set
on foot is not dead. 1t is advancing slow
ly but surely to full fruition. The COM
merce of this continent is vast. The ma
ton which controls it will remain enc of
the leading commercial forces of its day.
That nation should be the United States
In time, when the Identity. Of interest,
commercial and political, of the Ameri-
can republics is recognized, as it should
be, by all Americans, whether Canadians
or Yankees or Mexicans or Brazilians;
when the great truth is borne in on the
American mind, that all that is essential
to human comfort among US is produced
here in abundance, the bonds of national
sympathy and interest will bind the sew
eral republics securely together.
The International American congress
which was held at Washington ten years
ago is forgotten by most newspaper read
ers. But its work goes on That body
had great purpose. Of discussing and
recommending for adoption to their re-
spective governments arbitration for the
settlement of disputes that may hereafter
arise between them, and for considering
questions relating to the Improvement of
business intercourse and means Of direct
communication between said countries,
and to encourage such reciprocal COM
mercial relations as will be beneficial to
all and secure more extensive markets
for the products of each of said coun-
tries" The various bodies that were
called into existence by that Pan-Ameri-
can congress have gone on with their
work, until it is recognized that today
| there is an extended and wholesome
knowledge prevailing among this people
concerning the resources, peculiarities
| and securities Of commercial wealth of
the several countries south of them that
| would not be possible to call into exist
| ence without just the concerted efforts
| that have thus been put forward.
There is great field left practically
untitled in the Central and South Ameri.
| can countries. We buy from them those
of their products that we need, but send
them little in return. England, Germany
and other European nations provide them
with what might be shipped to them
from these states under much more IA
vorable commercial conditions. The next
Pan-American conference wiz be held in
1901 in the City Of Mexico If the then
national administration OF QUE affairs