Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-15
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Ulh - Nm III Nv GUIIh AAkHANAH
A prominent British statesman said a
few days ago in the House OF Commons
that Germany had not hurt Great Brit
aims market in South America "and
when one considered the great natural
advantages Of the United States, her
size and her highly cultivated popula-
ton. it was marvellous that she had not
years ago attained the first place i'm
trade" The point herein presented is
one which has caused nc little surprise
to Americans who have given the sub
iect of trade relations with South Amer
lea attention. When our natural adj
vantages with respect to that trade are
considered it certainly seems %extraordi-
nary that European countries should
have secured control of nearly all the
commerce of the countries south of us
and are now steadily strengthening
their hold upon that trade. The United
States buys heavily of South America,
but sells comparatively little there, u
business with those countries last year
showing a decline from the proceed
ing year. The balance of trade between
the United States and South America
is largely in favor of the latter.
Discussing this matter a short time
ago the chief of the bureau of foreign
said that the main cause of
our failure to develop South American
trade is that we have practically left 1t
to develop itself. While there has been
no lack Of agitation of the subject
among our business men or of efforts on
the part Of the federal government to
supply the information and incentive for
concerted action, we have made but little
progress except in the countries nearest
to us. American goods find favor in
those Countries in many instances be-
ing preferred to similar goods of Euro
pean origin. 1t must be assumed, there
fore, that the fault does not lie with
what we have to sell, but in the lack of
proper instrumentalities and Of vigor-
Gus effort to extend our trade.
Among the instrumentalities needed is
the establishment Of adequate steam
ship lines. Perhaps nothing is so es-
sential as this to the increase of our
South American commerce, unless it be
greater energy and enterprise on the
part of our manufacturers and mer-
chants in competing for that trade. The
chief of the bureau of foreign COM
merce said that until the business COM
munity of the United States makes up
its mind that it is worth its while to go
into South American trade on the large
scale of its dealings with Mexico, with
Canada, with Europe, the tools and We
hicles we might provide could not be
probably employed. "That our export
interests have not arrived at this decis-
ion as yet" he declared, 'fs a PROPOSE
ten that can hardly be disputed. The
plain truth is that the home market
still absorbs all the energies of the av-
erage manufacturer and will continue
to absorb them 20 long as times are
prosperous and there is an active de-
mand for his goods. 1t is only when
the home market becomes stagnant or
depressed that he looks abroad and then
merely for openings to dispose of accu.
mulating stocks"
There will come a time, ana it may
not be very remote, when our manu-
facturers will find it expedient to seek
the markets of South America and the
longer they delay efforts to get into
those markets the greater the difficult
ties they are likely to encounter when
forced to look in that direction for
working off their surplus products.