Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1906-11-22
AMERICAN TRADE
FOR AMERICANS
Root Proposes a Great West
World Alliance of
Commerce.
PROSPERITY MEANS PEACE
Secretary of State Tells How
South American Business
May Be Secured.

of the Trans-Mississipp Commercial
congress here last night was a speech
by Elihu Root, secretary of state. He
dwelt upon our relations with the
South American republics, telling OF
his recent trip through these coun
tries. He said the time had come for
expansion of trade between the coun
tries of the north and south that
would result in the peaceful prosper
ity of a mighty commerce. He de,
clared that means of communication
between these countries must be i'm,
proved and Increased. and said the
"woeell deficiency In means to carry
on and enlarge our South American
trade is but part of the general de
cline and feebleness of the American
merchant marine"
Representatives of Bolivia, Peru,
following Mr. Roots theme closely,
speaking of the possibilities of invest
ment of American capital in their en-.
terprises, and dealing also with the
political aspect of the situation. Mr..
Roots subject was Commercial Union
With South American Republics. He
spoke in part as follows:
''Since the first election of Presi.
dent Mckinley the people of the
United States have for the first time
accumulated a surplus of capital be-
yord the requirements of internal de.
velopment. That surplus is increas-
ing with extraordinary rapidity. We
have paid our debts to Europe aud
have become creditor instead of a
debtor nation; we have faced about;
we have left the ranks of the borrow
ing nations and have entered the
ranks of the investing nations. Our
surplus energy Is beginning to look
beyond our own borders, throughout
the world, to find opportunity for the
profitable use of our surplus capital,
foreign markets for our manufacture
ers, foreign mines to be developed,
foreign bridges and railroads and
public works to be built, foreign riv.
ers to be turned into electric power
and light AS in their several ways
Eng and and France and Germany
have stood, so we in our own way are
beginning to stand and must continue
to stand towards the industrial enter.
prise of the world.
THAT we are not beginning our
new role feebly is indicated by
81 1918, SCI 666 of exports in the year
, 1905 as against $1,117 ,513,07l N i'm
ports, and by $1,743,S64, 500 exports
in the year 1906 as against $l,226
| 563,S43 of imports. Our first steps
in the new field indeed are somewhat
clumsy and unskilled. In our own
vast country with oceans on either
side we have had too little contract
with foreign peoples readily to under
stand their customs or learn their
| Languages; yet no one can doubt
tina we shall learn and shall under
stand and shall do our business
abroad as we have done 1t at home
with force and efficiency.
"Coincident with this change in the
United States the progress Of polit
ical development has been carrying
the neighboring continent of South
America out of the stage Of militar'
ism into the stage of industrialism
Throughout the greater part OF thai
vast continent revolutions have
ceased to be looked upon with favor
or submitted to with indifference; the
revolutionary general and the dicta
tor are no longer the objects OF ad
miration and imitation; civic virtues
command the highest respect, the
people point with satisfaction and
pride to the stability OF their Govern
ments, to the safety of property and
the certainty of Justice; nearly every
where the people are eager for for
eign capital TO develop their natural
| resources and for foreign immigra
ton to occupy their vacant land. I'm
mediately before US. at exactly the
right time, just as we are ready for
it, great opportunities for peaceful
commercial and industrial expan
sion 10 the South are presented
Other Investing nations are already
in the field-England. France, Ger
many, Italy, Spain; but the field Is
so vast, the new demands are SO
great, the progress 80 rapid, that
what other nations have done up "a
this time is blu. slight advance In
the race for the grand total The
opportunities are so large that figures
fail TO convey them. The area OF
this newly awakened Continent Ia
1902 S4s square miles, more than two
and one.half times as large as the
United States without Alaska and
more than double the United States
including Alaska A large part OF
this area Hes within the temperate
zone, with an equabIe and inyigorat
ing climate, free from extremes Of
either heat or cold. Farther north In
the tropics are enormous expanSes OF
high tablelands stretching from the
Atlantic to the foothills OF the Andes,
and lifted far aboxs tho trOnical