The Washington herald., 1909-03-03

CT S5Oa.oo0Oo0. We should have had
three-fourths. We should have had 1880 :
OO0Ooo
Why have we lost out in Latin Amer
lea? There are a number Of reasons In
the FIRST place until comparatively re
Gently. we have been cultivating domestic
and not foreign trade. and. naturally,
what foreign trade We have had has
been along the lines OF latitude, and not
along the lines Of longitude
IN the second place, they speak Spanish
and French and Portuguese We speak
English This has been a barrier that
has greatly hindered.
IN the third place. we have exagger-
sted notions Of their tendency 20 revolu-
ton. and have failed 10 diTerentiate be-
tween the few republics that were IN
settled and the many that were stable
IN the fourth place, we have been
under the Impression that epidemics that
have scourged Us in days gone by have
come TO Us IN infected ships from those
ports and the fear OF pestilence is al
but an insurmOUntable barrier 20 COM
merce.
Hindrances Vanished.
But during recent years these hind
RANGES have all but vanished Being able
to more than take care OF our domestic
trade. We are going after foreign trade
In the last ten years We have more than
doubled our foreign trade. And We are TAX
ing UP the language proposition Since The
Spanish-American war and our acquisi-
ton Of the Philippines and Porto Rico,
and our relations 70 Cuba, hundreds OF
colleges and many high schools have IN
stftuted Spanish courses. Our boys and
girls are getting ready for their work
The boys and girls OF the United States
have not only kept abreast Of the AmeTi-
can Congress. but they have gone ahead
Of Us. They are preparing 10 enter those
inviting fields equipped 20 speak the Ian
gusge Of the people with whom they
come in contact
Let Us look at these republics. First
there comes Mexico. Incalculably rich
Mexico. Ambassador Creel told ne re-
Gently that sS90.Oo0oo0 OF American capl-
tai had during the last decade been IN
vested in Mexico. Soon she VIII hsvs
three tanscontinentaI railroads. There
should be nothing Mexico desires that
we should not be prepared TO furnish.
There should be nothing she offers that
We should not be ready 70 take.
Beyond her lies Central America, with
her mountains and her lowlands. with
her great forests, and rich mines. and
splendid agricultural areas. There We
End Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Riea,
Honduras. and Salvador The continental
domain Of every one Of them, excep;
Salvador. is washed by the waters Of
two great oceans. midway between the
Orient and the Occident.
Until Is1 ali FIVE OF them constituted
q Spanish kingdom From then until
1871 they were known as the Republic OF
Guatemala Then they divided Up into
FIVE Independent republics and there have
been years OF strife and bloodshed. Bu;
they worked their problem out
Building Railroads.
These Central American states are
building railroads. Each viii soon have q
transccntiaental railroad. Thousands
and tens Of thousands, OF acres Of the
iovlsnds known as the Mosquito Coast
have been reclaimed and planted in ba-
nsnas. They are n close touch Will
Galveston, and New Orleans. and Mobile
and New York. Those states have re
sources, wealth. and people Salvador {:
more thickly populated than New Hamp-
shire. With the advantage that vii
accrue, TO Central America with the con
/ strUction Of the Panama Canal n,
prophet can be charged with being IN
/ duly enthusiastic, Il matters not what
picture he might paint Of the future o.
! those FIVE republics"