The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-10-14

The recent departure from Washing
ton OF the special train carrying the
United States and numerous other dele
gates 70 the approaching Pan-Americaa
Conference 10 be held at the city of Mex
leo lends especial interest 10 some figures
on the commerce Of The United States
with the territory at the South. which the
treasury bureau OF statistics has com
piled for the convenience Of the United
States members Of that congress.
The Importance OF development OF our
commerce IN this particular direction is
pointed out by this publication. which
shows that our exports have shown less
growth TO the countries of Central and
South America than to any other parts
OF the world:
''The commerce Of the United States
with the American countries lying south
OF her borders" says the opening page OF
this discussion. has long been an object
of solicitude TO her statesmen. economists.
and business men. With the English
speaking people OF American territory Iy-
ing upon the north her commercial rela-
tions have rapidly grown and proven mu-
tually satisfactory. with those Of anoth-
er language, occupying the contiguous
territory at the south the growth has
been slower and less satisfactory, and as
the distance increases the growth de-
creases.
ITO British North America the United
States supplies 50 per cent. of the total
imports for consumption; TO Mexico.
equally adjacent. but speaking another
language than our own 40 per cent; to
the Central American states, next re-
moved by distance. though readily reach
ed by water and now being tapped by
railway, 30 per cent: TO Colombia, n trife
farther removed, but equally accessible
by direct water communication, 80 per
cent; TO Venezuela. equally accessible,
q per cent to the West Indies, which lie
In close proximity, but which have been
up TO the present time controlled by
commercial nations whose policy In many
cases has been TO retain their commerce
for their own people. 20 per cent TO the
Guianas. also readily reached by water
70 per cent Of the imports OF British
Guiana, IL per cent of those OF Dutch
Guiana, and but less than six per cent OF
those or French Guiana,
FAIRLY SATISFACTORY.
"Up to this point the study Of the
growtA of commerce between the United
States and other American countries Is
fairly satisfactory. Beginning with 80 per
cent OF g import trade OF Canada. 40
per cent OF that OF Mexico. and ranging
on downward along the Gulf of Mexico
and Caribbean sea, a fairly satisfactory
share OF the commerce of those countries
is enjoyed by the people OF the United
Gfaf 10 x.sf1I l.. .IaI fIat
her people have a right TO expect larger
share OF the commerce OF the countries
lying near at hand. especially I'm view
OF the fact that our purchases from them
are much larger than our sales to them.
Even this somewhat unsatisfactory
condition of trade with the countries
bordering upon the Gulf OF Mexico and
the Caribbean sea -, however gratifying
when compared with the traffic relations
of the United States with the countries OF
South America bordering upon the Allan
tic and Pacific oceans.
"Of the total imports of all South
America 81 per cent. is taken by the
countries bordering upon the two oceans.
and but 13 per cent. by those upon the
Caribbean. On the eastern coast of
South America we find Brazil importing
I'm 1899 goods 10 the value OF over sos, ,00O,
000 of which the United States supplied
about ten per cent. Uruguay and Para
quay $26.0OO 900. OF which our share was
less than seven per cent, and Argentine,
SIP, 900 900. of which about ten per cent.
was from the United States, while tour
of the Pacific coast shows imports into
Chile OF $3s, 00O, 900: Peru, $s500.O00: Bolivia,
81, GOO, ,000 and Ecuador, 81 600, 900; the pro-
portion from the United States averaging |
about ten per cent.
Thus the northern coast of South |
America. fronting on the Caribbean Sea, |
imports goods to the value of S26, 900 900, |
of which we supply an average OF 25 per |
cent: the eastern coast. fronting upon |
the Atlantic, $4,000. .OO0 and the Pacific |
coast, seO,OOOO0O; of which our proportion |
is in each case about ten per cent.
Nor can IL be urged that this condi- |
tion is a temporary one. While exports |
from the United States 10 Mexico have |
grown rapidly, especially since the open |
ing of railway communication, and have |
experienced a moderate development I'm |
the case of the countries bordering upon |
the Caribbean, the total sales to the south |
of us have not grown with the rapidity |
which has characterized those TO the |
world at large. In 1865 our sales TO the |
countries lying south of ms were POS of |
our total exports I'm 1873, little less than |
ten per cent. in 1895. but seven per cent, |
and I'm 1901 about nine per cent. of our
total exports.
INCREASES THE ANOMALY.
"An examination of our list OF pur-
chases from Central and South America |
seems To increase the anomaly presented |
by their small purchases from us. or |
Brazil we are by far the largest customer |
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