The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-12-23


lures are disappearing from the Bra
lillian market very rapidly. while those
OF Great Britain and Germany, made
from American raw material, are rap
idly Increasing" This statement Is
borne out by the latest satisfies avail
able. those for the nine months ended
September 80. 1908, which show that
we sold to Brazil only 1,4SS.5ss yards
OF cotton goods during the nine
months. as compared with 4,543,555
yards during the corresponding months
OF the previous year. It would seem
to be worth while for the cotton goods
manufacturers Of the South to make an
effort to win back some of this trade
which Is being captured by Great Brit
ain and Germany.
The demand Of the Latin-American
markets Is chiefly for manufactured
goods and largely for commodities the
raw materials for which are produced
In our Southern States. and which are
already being manufactured in our
section. Among the articles which
these countries import in large quan-
tites, and which can advantageously
be produced In the Southern States,
may be enumerated agricultural i'm
plements. all kinds OF vehicles, loco
motives. cars. machinery, tools, steel
rails. builders hardware, stoves cot
ton textiles, vegetable oils, and furni-
ture.
While 1t Is fact that the imports
into the Latin-American countries
consist almost entirely Of manufac-
tured articles. 1t does not follow that
Southern manufacturers would be the
only ones benefited by an increase In
exports from our section to those
countries. On the contrary. the bene-
Ats would be shared by all our people
For instance, IL an establishment in
one Of our Southern towns engaged in
the manufacture Of stoves or furniture
can build up an export trade to Mexi-
CO or one to the Central or South
American countries. 1t means that 1t
will give employment to more men
who will buy more goods from the To-
cal retail merchants and who will give
to the farmer a larger home market
for his products.
1t is to the interest. not only of the
South Atlantic and Gulf ports. but of
our inland communities as we'll. that
our Latin-American trade-both i'm.
port and export-should flow through
Southern ports. A large proportion Of
the commodities which the United
States imports from Latin-America are
consumed IN the South. Southern
manufacturers can supply large pro.
portion of the commodities which the
Latin-American countries buy abroad
1t would, therefore be to the advan-
tage Of all concerned IL coffee, nitrates
tropical fruits. mahogany timber, rub
ber. and other products Of Central
and South America and the West In
dies. could be brought into Southern
ports in ships which would return
laden with the products OF Southern
manufacturing establishment. For
this reason I believe that, in seeking
TO develop this Latin-American trade
the merchants and manufacturers, not
only of our seaboard cities but of the
interior as we'll, and Southern trans
portation lines should all cooperate.
as far as practicable, in systematic ef-
forts to guide both imports and ex-
ports through Southern ports.
In view Of the present Importance
OF the Latin-American trade and its
future possibilities. believe that the
people OF our section of the United
States may well give II increased at
tention. The Federal government,
through the publications OF the Bu-
reau of Manufactures, is constantly
giving valuable information about
trade opportunities In the Latin-Am-
erican countries. the special needs Of
their markets. and the best methods
of conducting business with them. The
International Bureau Of American Re-
publics. to the support Of which the
United states is the largest contribu-
tor, Is devoted exclusively to the work
OF drawing the Republics of North
and South America into closer social
and commercial relations. AS a re-
suit OF suggestions made to him by
citizenn of the South. Hon. John Bar
rett. Director Of this Bureau, is now
contemplating a trip through the
Southern States for the purpose of
delivering q series of addresses on the
general subject Of trade with the