Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-04-16
Our Trade With South America.

| our Iraoe WIN ooutn AmeT'cd'
! Unquestionably the United States
has lost a great deal of trade by its
failure to properly investigate and ex-
plot the great South American mar
ket Here is a section of the world Pc
culiarly well situated to furnish a large
and expanding market for the prod
ucts of American farms and factories.
and yet it is matter of regret that
the great bulk of the imports of these
republics to the south of US come not
| from the United States, but rom Eu-
rope.
This condition of affairs is not cred
liable to this county and is one that
should cali for the careful investiga-
ton, not merely of our government but
of. all industrial and commercial
agencies in any way interested in the
expansion of our markets. The ques-
ton is one that directly or indirectly
comes home to every citizen of the
republic, for anything that promotes
the prosperity of the nation as whole
must, also promote the welfare OF each
and every one of its citizens. Undoubt-
edlv the United States has been slow
to recognize the opportunities Tor
commercial expansion offered by the
South American republics. We have
prn these
countries as mere hotbeds of petty
revolution, affording few opportunities
for business enterprise and expansion.
1t is evident, however, from the re-
ports of our ministers and cunsuls,
that this is a very short-sighted view
of the situation.
The republic of Argentina affords an
excellent illustration of this fact. Its
capital is Buenos Ayres, one of the
most beautiful cities in the world, with
a population of over million people,
and it's agricultural products last
year were more than s1,OOO,OOO,OOO in
value. while it's foreign trade increased
in 1908 by $15,000,000, gain of more
than IL per cent. over it's foreign trade
of the preceding year. This remark
able showing, let it be bourne in mind,
was made in a year of Worldwide bus
mess depression, which makes it all
the more striking, and shows how
firmly based is the prosperity of this
progressive republic.
Not only was there this remarkable
growth in 1908 in the foreign rade of
Argentina. but during the same period
1000 miles of railroad were constructed.
an increase of 20 per cent. Naturally
enough, so prosperous a country has
attracted the attention of the people
in Europe who are looking to this side
of the ocean for better opportunities,
and it is not surprising to find that in
1905 no less than 265,O00 immigrants
made their way to Argentina and We're
easily absorbed by the needs of its
material enterprise and progress. Not
offered loan of s4S, 900 at 5 per
| cent. and the avidity with which it
was snapped up at the financial centers
of the United States and Europe was
| the best possible proof of the strong
| financial standing of this republic.
Scarcely less prosperous than Argen-
l Ar
| lie of Brazil These two countries i'm
port every year merchandise to the val
us of $500, 600 900, of which only about
10 per cent comes from the United
States The rest is bought from Eu-
rope 1t is evident that this condition
of affairs is one that should be given
serious thought in this country. In
stead of Europe supplying 80 per cent
of the imports of Argentina and Brazil
and the United States only 10 per
cent, it should be just the other way.
The United States should supply 80
per cent of the imports of this coun-
try and Europe should feel fortunate
if it succeeded in securing 10 per cent.
cent.
| Unquestionably. the lack of a liberal
legislation on shipping matters has
been a very large factor in putting
this country at it's present disadvant-
age go far as the enormous and grow
ing trade of South America is concern
ed. II is a strange and unaccountable
thing that the legislative bodies of this
country have been so slow in recog-
nizing the Importance of encouraging
the transportation of American goods
in American bottoms and the building
UP of great steamship lines connecting
this country with the large markets