The silver state news. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1907-1909, 1909-03-02
EUROPE LEADS AMERICA
FOR SOUTHERN COMMERCE
MONROE DOCTRINE NO HELP
TO COMMERCIAL RELATIONS

Citizens of South America. Strangers In
Both New York and Washington, at
Home in London and Paris.
| LONDON, Feb. 2O.-s'I have dis
covered why Europe gets tie lion .
share of South Americas trade" said
a well-known American fnancier at the
Hotel Cecil the other day. cit is be-
cause Europe takes some interest in
South American affalrs'
In his hand he held copy of Lon
don morning paper in which he had
marked several cable dispatches from
South America, five Of them on indus
trial and financial topics. Turning to
the financial page he pointed out that
South and Central American railway
and industrial shares were regularly
listed and that considerable part Of
the financial comment had to do with
those shares. On the same page was a
two-column advertisement of q three
and half million dollar Argentine
fioatation and news story relating to
the development of Brazilian gold
fields. On the editorial page of the
same paper was a leader on Brazil
as field for immigrants.
lis it unnatural" asked the aRsis-i,
can fnancier, "that the Soutl. Anleri-
cans should trade with people who
takee some interest in themf Did you
ever hear Of the American investing
public putting its money into Central
Argentine or Central Uruguay railroad
sharesf Why, see that even Havana
street railway shares are regularly
dealt in on the London stock exchange
Havana is at our very door, but the
New York stock exchange doesn t list
Havana securities.
"There seems to have been an utter
lack of intelligent effort to cultivate
friendly trade understanding with the
republics to the south of us. The
American, on holiday, comes to
Europe. The European is just as apt
to 60 to South as to North America.
The South American, on holiday bent,
comes to Europe invariably. For one
thing, there are direct steamship lines;
but the main thing is that he knows
Europeans will take more intelligent
interest in his visit. Every travelled
South American has been to London
and Paris; few of them have ever
seen New York or Washington. In
Buenos Ayres, Rio de Janeiro and
Montevideo there are fifty European
tourists to one American. Is it any
more than natural that the thoughts Of
South Americans should turn to Europe
rather than to the United Statesi
"The Monroe doctrine has not ad-
vanced American interests in Latin
America nor prevented Europe from
getting the only kind of a foothold
she really cares about. In his now his
torical message to congress in 1923
President Monroe said I'VE should
consider any attempt on their
| (Europe's) part to extend their sys-
tenn to any part of this hemisphere as
dangerous to our peace and safety.
President Monroe referred, of course,
to the political systems of Europe, and
his doctrine has served to estop
their extensions. But there has been
no hindrance to the extension of
Europe's commercial system, and it
has been far more profitable to Europe
than any possible extension of her
political system could have been.
"Former Secretary of State Root
made splendid bid for the commercial
good will of Latin-A America. But the
American trader has failed to build on
the foundation which Root laid. Every
year that passes sees the European
commercial system more securely en-
trenched. wonder what America is
going to do about itf'
The dream of making commercial
use of airships seems on the point of
realization in Europe. Count Zeppe-
line is planning excursion trips up and
down the Rhine from Lake Constance
to Dusseldorf and has assurance Of
whatever financial backing he may re-
quire. A French company has under
consideration passenger line from
Paris to London, with side trips to the
Isle of Wight.
The idea of airship passages over the
channel makes peculiar appeal to
Englishmen. Only few years ago
the project of tunnel under the chan
mel, in order that the discomforts of
the passage might be avoided, was un-
der serious consideration. An airship