Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-07-13
Misesllaasuus 8eadins.
TRADE WITH LATIN AMERICA.
President Finley Gives Interesting In
formation About Important Subject.
Icditor vnrkyilla Eno,lirer.


Editor Yorkville Enquirer:
Referring to my letter Of Dec. IA,
1903, to editors of southern newspa-
psrs, on the interest Of the south in the
Expansion of our export trade with the
Latin American countries, I take the
liberty Of addressing you on the great
importance of direct and regular
communication between the
South Atlantic and gulf ports and
those countries.
i 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 coun-
tries. Mexico Is the only one with
which We have rail communication,
and to q great part Of that country,
especially from our territory south Of
the Ohio and Potomac rivers and east
of the Mississippi, traffic can be moved
efficiently by water as well by rail.
There are direct and regular lines from
some Of the South Atlantic and gulf
ports to some Of the Mexican, Central
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 sailinss
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 q total Of seven
teen or eighteen. From European
ports there arc fourteen to Brazil;
eighteen to the River Plata, and three
to the west coast, or total Of thirty
FIVE. The inferiority of the service
from the United States is even greater
than is indicated by the comparative
number Of sailings, as the steamers
from European ports are generally
faster and have superior passenger ac-
commodations.
From our South Atlantic and gulf
ports there Is occasional communica-
ton by tramp steamers with ports
south of Venezuela, but as rule such
Of the products Of the southern states
as find their way into the markets OF
South America are sent through north
ern ports. In fact, a considerable
proportion Of the exports 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 a report on trade conditions in Bra
I'll, by Special Agent Lincoln Hutch
inson, published by the bureau Of man
ufactures, it is stated that at least 30
per cent Of the American hams sold
in Brazil are shipped by way Of Eng
land, and considerable proportions of
other kinds Of traffic move by the
same route.
It. is sometimes argued that, II our
merchants and manufacturers would
devote sufficient attention to cultivat-
ing in-American trade, and would
develop a sufficient volume Of traffic,
there would be no difficulty about Sc
curing adequate transportation facil-
tiles. To a certain extent this Is true.
There are large numbers OF so-called
tramp steamers constantly 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 finding a ship to carry it. The diff
ficulty is that our merchants and man
ufacturers, in their efforts to build up
trade with the Latin American coun-
tries, come into competition with Eu-
ropean rivals who are generally serv-
ed by regular lines Of steamers receiv-
ing aid, either in the form Of subsidies
or Of liberal payment for carrying the
mails, from the countries whose flags
they fly. Vessels from these countries
sail on regular schedules. The South
America. merchant ordering goods In
Liverpool or Hamburg by mail knows
when his order will be received, by
what steamer 1t will be shipped, and
just when he may expect 1t to arrive.
II he sent his order to the United
States, unless 1t was from one Of the
comparatively few points having reg
ular sailings, he could have no idea
when it would be received by the
American shipper or when the goods
would be shipped. Therefore, while 1t
Is true that, after trade has once been
developed, there would probably be no
difficulty in obtaining all the ships
needed to carry 1t, the difficulty Of
building up such trade ia greatly In
creased by lack Of direct and regular
steamers carrying the mails and pas
sengers as well as freight. In the re-
port on trade conditions In Brazil,
above referred to, Mr.. Hutchinson tells
of instances in which 1t took twice as
long to get mail orders from the Unit
ed States as from Europe, and says:
IN a very large part Of our Brazil
trade the mails are an important fac
Tor, anu tneTe can De HO uOuul liidl
many orders which might otherwise
go to our manufacturers, go to Europe
instead" In similar report on trade
conditions in Argentina, Paraguay and
Uruguay, Mr.. Hutchinson says:
There are some direct mails to the
River Plata, but they are carried on
slow freishters and the service in gen.
eral is greatly inferior to that from
Europe, both in dispatch and in fire.
quency. Constant annoyance and de-
lay results, and merchants who have
no direct American ties will, other
things being equal, place orders in
Europe rather than in the United
States"
There are differences Of opinion as
to the methods which should be adopt
ed for the improvement Of our steam
ship communication with the Latin
American countries. I think we can
all agree, however, that II We are to
realize the full benefits Of our geog-
raphical relation to those markets and
of the demand which exists in them
for goods which we produce. some