The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-07-13
Editor, Times and Democrat,

SI SOulEeEu newspapers, oA SAAS ~
terest of the South in the expansion
of our export trade with the Latin
American countries, take the lib
erty of addressing you on the great
Importance of direct and regular
steamship communication between
the South Atlantic and Gulf ports and
those countries.
It is obvious, of course, that II
the products of the Southern States
are to be sold in Mexico, Central and
South America, and the West India
Islands, they must be carried to those
countries. Mexico is the only one
with which We have rail communi-
cation, and to a great part of that
country, especially from our terrific
ry south of the Ohio and Potomac
rivers and east of the Mississippi,
traffic can be moved efficiently by
water as well as by rail. There are
direct and regular lines from some
of the South Atlantic and Golf ports
American, and West Indian ports.
There are no such lines to any South
American port. New York is the
only port on our Atlantic coast from
which there are regular steamship
.sailings to ports south Of Venezuela
There are four regular steamers per
month from New York to Brazil;
seven to the River Plata, and three
or four to the West coast, making
a total of seventeen or eighteen.
From European ports there are four
teen to Brazil; eighteen to the River
Plata, and three to the West coast,
or a total of thirty-fire. The in
feriority of the service from the
United States is even greater than
is indicated by the comparative num-
her of sailings, as the steamers form
European ports are generally faster
and have superior passenger accom-
modations.
From our South ATLANTIC and Gulf
ports there is occasional communi-
cation by tramp steamers with ports
south of Venezuela, but as a rule
such off the products of the Southern
States as find their way into the
markets of South America are sent
through Northern ports. In fact,
a considerable proportion of the ex-
ports from the United States to the
east coast of South America, south
of Para. Brazil, go from New York
across the Atlantic to Europe, and
across the Atlantic again to South
America.
For instance, in report on trade
conditions in Brazil, by Special Agent
Lincoln Hutchinson, published by the
Bureau of Manufacturers, it is stat
ed that at least fifty per cent of the
American hams sold in Brazil are
shipped by way of England, and con-
siderable proportions Of other kinds
of traffic move by the same route.
It is sometimes argued that, if our
merchants and manufacturers would
devote sufficient attention to culti-
waiting Latin-American trade, and
would develop a sufficient volume
of traffic, there would be no difficulty
about securing adequate transporta-
tion facilities. To certain extent
this is true. There are large num-
bers of so-called tramp steamers con-
stantly looking for traffic wherever
it is to be found, and any shipper
in any American port, who had a
full cargo for South America, would
doubtless have little difficulty in dnd-
ing ship to carry it. The difficulty
is that our merchants and manufac-
turers, in their efforts to build up
trade with the Latin-American coun-
tries, come into competition with
European rivals who are generally
served by regular lines OF steamers
receiving aid, either in the form of
subsidies or Of liberal payment for
carrying the mails. from the coun-
tries whose flags they fly. Vessels
from these countries sail on regular
schedules The South American
merchant ordcrin:; goods in Liver
pool or Hamburg by mai! know 5
: when his order will Ee received, NE
what steamer it viii be shipped, and
lust when he may expect I t.: ar
river. If he sent his oder To the
United States, unless it was from one
of the comparatively few points hav-
ing regular sailings, he could have
no idea when it would be received
by the American shipper or when
the goods would be shipped. There
fore while it is true that, after trade
ing has once been developed there
would probably be no difficulty in
obtaining all the ships needed to
carry it, the difficulty Of building
up such trade is greatly increased
by lack of direct and regular steam
ers carrying the mails and passengers
rs we'll as freight In the report
on trade conditions in Brazil, above
referred to, Mr.. Hutchinson tells Of
instances in which it took twice as
long to get mail orders from the
United States as from Europe, and
says: In a very large part Of our
Brazil trade the mails are an i'm
portant factor. and there can be no
doubt that many orders which might
otherwise go to our manufacturers.