The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-12-09

heretofore distant but future close
neighbors, and acquaintance with
their social and racial characteris-
tics-all have direct and import
ant bearing on getting ready for
the Canal
1.-THE Southern States abutting on
the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, the first
tier of States back of them and the
Central Western States have a great
and rich commercial opportunity be-
fore them in Latin America. Without
enlarging upon the vast East Coast
of South America, which includes the
mighty areas of Venezuela Urugay,
Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina with
an annual foreign trade valued at one
billion dollars ($1,000,O00, 00O), let
us bear in mind that there reaches
directly south from Panama to Pata-
gonia a Pacific Coast line of five
thousand miles, in the very infancy
of its development blessed with a
climate, and one which, though COM
paratively isolated, is already con-
Quoting foreign trade valued at
three hundred millions of dollars
($9OOOO0,OO0) per annum. In other
words, the five republics of Colom-
bia. Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile,
practically debouching on the Paci-
fic, bought and sold In one year pro-
ducts equal in value to two-thirds of
the entire cost of the Canal. If
trade of such volume can be MAIN
tanned without the Canal it is diff
cult to predict safely it's valuation
few years after the Canal is COM
| pleted.
Northwest from Panama is the Pa
cific Coast line of Central America
| and Mexico, with a reach of nearly
three thousand miles, which will be
put into direct and intimate touch
with the South when the Canal is
opened. This coast line from Panama
to San Diego now carries on for
| eign trade valued at approximately
one hundred millions of dollars
| ($1OO, 100000; it is hard to prophesy
what total this will become few
years after the isthmian waterway is
done.
Directly en- route from the Allan
| tic Coast to the canal are Cuba, the
/ Dominican Republic, Hayti, and
Porto Rico, with an annual foreign
| trade valued at nearly two hundred
and fifty million dollars $3.50, ,OOO).
Speaking of all Latin America and
what it offers to the South and Cen
trail West, l would have every Cham
Der of Commerce or Board of Trade
rom the Roanoke to the Rio Grande
! and from the Potomac to the Platte
organize committees or subordinate
| clubs to awaken interest in every
| thing pertaining to Latin America. its
, history and development, it's COM
merce and industries, it's peoples,
institutions and government, and then
to study methods of building up ex-
| change of trade with all parts of our
sister republics and of taking advan-
tage in practical way of the great
| Canal. | wish we could start a Pan
American League with branches in
every important city and town of the
| South and West and supported by
| the best citizens of each community.
| Good results would surely follow
both for our trade and for our in
| fiuence. Such movement-a tang
| ible evidence to all Latin America
of our growing interest in our sister
republlcs-would accomplish won
derful results in removing any dis
| trust and suspicion which is often
| described as existing among the
masses of people from Mexico and
Cuba south of Argentina and Chile.
IF now we can actually start a
bona fide Pan-American movement
in the South and popularize the cry:
Get ready for the Panama Canal
we will astonish ourselves and the
world with the good accomplished
and develop unanimity of sentiment
in favor of suitable celebration in
1915 which will appropriately make
the opening of the Canal a far
reaching and historical national and
| international event"