The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-26
GREAT TRADE OF
 SOUTH AMERICA North America Is Finding New Markets for Products NEW STEAMSHIP LINES Increasing Demands of Trade and Tourist Travel Creates More LInes of Transportation to ThIs
 Rich Country.

New. York, December 2S.-(Special.)- That there are tides in trade and travel as there are in the permanent migra- tions of mankind is a truism long ac- cepted by historians and sociologists. New markets are the constant quest of the merchant. but the confirmed trav- eler is no less seeker after novelty; fresh scenes and new experiences are sl- ways attracting him away from tho fields which familiarity has deprived of their interest. Particularly is this true of Americans, who have won for them selves the name of the most restless ana enterprising travellers of tho modern world.
 This being true, 1t is no wonder that statesmen and prophets of commercial expansion are alike considering with keen interest just now the developing symptoms of reciprocal interest in each other between the people of the United States and their Latin-Anerican neigh bors of the southern hemisphere. Con- sular representatives, government oh1- cers, returned travellers have for years been preaching the gospel Of South American opportunities to the English speak king Americans of the north, but, until recently, with very little discern able effect. While American trade and American travel have overflowsd Eng land and ''the continent" invaded the Mediterranean lands and the West Indies and made the United States familiar name throughout tbe near and far east, South America has remained the one great division of the earth's surface practically unvisited and unknown. The American of the United States has seemed anxious to know something about every part of the world except that lying geographically nearest to him and embracing the larger part of the New World with which he proclaims his Identification.
 It has been left for the beginning of the twentieth century to bring the first evidences of a change in this attitude of indifference on the part of the people of the United States toward their "oth- CT American neighbors." Within the past two or three years these evidences have been accommodating in a way which in dicates that, thanks to the introduc- tion of new forces in trade and politics, this indifference Is finally being replaced by a genuine realization Of the possibil- ities of South America, both as com mercial field and as a new region for | tourist travel. l
 1 It may almost be said that the first real general interest of this kind in I South American affairs dates from the l widely heralded Journey of Secretary i Root among the capitals of the great Latin continent in the summer of 1906, and that 1t was newly stimulated when our battle fleet in its voyage around the world visited the South American ports and the newspapers at homo print ed glowing accounts from their cores pondents of the Inequalities showered upon officers and men by the South Americans and of the strange and won derful sights of Rio, Bahia, Buenos Ayres. Lima and other places which pre- iyousiy had been merely queer names re- called vaguely from the geography books
 S&>~~O been fed by numerous books about South America written by travellers and stu dents and by the greater attention given l to South American affairs in the daily news In particular the attractions of l the lands south of the Caribbean as a new and untrodden field for the Amer | ican capitalist and tourist have been set ] forth in such attractive light by re- l nf ruhn Avfh RtihI nd | Charles M. Pepper are examples. that | the steamship lines plying between the | United States and South American ports | are reporting the beginnings of 6 de- l cided tide of travel setting to the south | ward.
 Upon the foundation of this evidence | enthusiastic proclaimers of the southern continents attractions nave already be- l gun to predict future which shall see | South America the great winter resort | of tho United States and an annual ex- l odus to the lands below the equator equalling in numbers that which crowds the European-bound steamships every | spring and summer.
 While the fulfillment of this prophecy
 does not seem to be among the things
 immediately probable, there can bs nc
 doubt that something like a new dis 1 covery of the other half of their own
 hemisphere by the travelling public of the 1 United States Is actually occurring. Int
 most convincing evidence of this Is the new policy adopted by the South Amer
 lean steamship lines in giving increased
 prominence to their facilities and to the attractions of the regions which they
 reaoh etill more significant is the very
 latest development in this direction. tho
 step which has been taken by the Ham burg--American line in adding to its an nual itinerary of winter cruises one O u days along the Atlantic coast of 6outl
 America from Para, Brazil, t. Punt'
 Arenas in the Straits of Magellan.
 Whatever else hs may discover. on ! thing is certain. The touring Ameri