Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-07-25
An Augusta Boy in South America.

has been for many years resident of
Bogota, Colombia. He is in this coun-
try on a flying visit to see his mother
and sister who reside in Fairfield, and
took a day or two to call on old
| friends in Augusta. Few indeed were
the old friends he found here, for he
has been here but little since he went
off to sea as a boy of II, just 40 years
ago. For a dozen years he was an Of
ficer in the United States revenue SER
vice, holding the rank of lieutenant.
Since then he has been in South
America most of the time, residing for
the past Is years at Bogota as the
representative of various American in
terests, being now the agent for Co.
lomhia and Costa RIGA of the Chicago
beef packers. For several years he
was the United States vice consul at
BogOta, but resigned to devote all his
time to business. Mr.. lockwood mar
ried a Spanish girl, the daughter Of a
high government official, and has three
children.
The observations of Mr.. lockwood
as to political and commercial condi-
items in Central America and South
America were extremely interesting.
In all his travels and long residence
abroad he has proudly asserted his
American citizenship, and he says that
much in South America as it does to-
day. This is due to the vigorous for
eign policy of the Roosevelt admins
tration which has made the flag more
respected abroad than ever before. Mr..
Redwood has great confidence in the
future of South America, but regrets
facturers are doing 50 little there in
comparison with those. of Europe. The
foreign trade of South America is
now about $4OO,oOO.OOO annually and
the United States is getting only about
II per cent. of this, and our percentage
| is decreasing rather than increasing.
some other products in which there is
little or no European competition, this
country has a large and growing trade
in South America, but in our manu-
featured goods We do not hold our own
and get very small part of the trade
that ought to be ours. This is not
| a Jac of r.
prise on the part of the representatives
sent there to secure trade, but to
| general failure on the part of the
| American manufacturer to conform
with the local conditions. Mr. Rock
wood instanced the case of the manu-
facture of cloth goods. In South
America they prefer width of 26
inches This has long been the stan
dard width there, and is much better
for various reasons. The European
manufacturers recognize this and send
only 26 inch goods to the South Ameri-
can market and in the small rolls
which are preferred there, while the
Americans keep on sending the So inch
goods in the large rolls and try to make
the dealers buy what they do not
want.
Then in the matter of packing goods
the American manufacturers handicap
themselves needessly by Indifferent
and sipshod methods. This complaint
has frequently been made of late by
American consuls writing home from
foreign lands where this country would
like to have more trade, and Mr.. Rock
wood says that his wide observations
have shown him that the complaint is
well grounded. Packing is an art that
our shippers have paid too little atten-
ton to, and the fragile crates and
poor wrappings that characterize our
| goods when sent abroad not Only
make a poor impression on the foreign
| buyer. but usually result in actual
damage to the goods themselves pc
fore they reach their destination.
European shippers have learned this
lesson and have profited by it.
The International banking system in
operatior in South America is another
obstacle in the way of American trade
English. French and German banking
concerns have branches there and
these easily find ways of making it
embarrassing for local merchant who
starts in to buy American goods.
There are no American banks, though
the International Banking corporation
of New York, of which General Ihos
II. Hubbard, a native of Maine, is the
head. now has branches in Panama
and Mexico, as we'll as in Europe and
the far East, and is understood to DE
contemplating the establishment OF
South American branches.
Before coming to Maine, Mr.. Rock
| wood was for several months IN
Panama and he says the dirt is flying
there. though the task still to be ac-
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