Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-18
Sell Latin Americans Little.

The least encouraging signs in the re-
ports of our foreign trade are found in
the returns from Latin America If you
will notice in tho above tables we PAID
the people of South American $132. 431. 434
for their products in 1905 and S193,2O2.-
1911 in 19O9-an increase Of more than
fifty millions for the year. This money
was expended for wool, hides, rubber,
sugar, coffee, cabinet woods, cocoa noers
and various other things which we must
have to eat or to use In our factories.
But at the same time, you VIII notlce IN
the other table we sold them only $76-
5b7.635 in 1903 and only $s3,5o9,ol7 In
1909. 4
There is an enormous difference between
orr sales and our purchases of the other
American republics, and the balance OF
trade is not only always against us. but
Is growing larger and larger every year.
Notwithstanding the efforts we are max
ing to cultivate their friendship ana 10
promote closer relations.
The results of the three international
conferences that have been held py lhe
tWent y-one American nations and the
work Of the bureau of American republics
which was established here twenty years
ago have not been entirely lost. but
have been wasted to a. great degree pc
cause our government has not IoIoWeo
them UP by furnishing facilities to carry
on a trace. UthS Is lIo uSc ~ ou4 sAAN
ing about increasing our commerce with
7 tin America unless the means OF trans
portatiOn are provided, and the HOUSE
of Representatives persistently refuses to
give the Post Office Department money
enough to pay for carrying the mails.
The Transportation business Is almost en-
tirely In the hands of foreigners, and we
not only pay the British. the GsrmAns
and other nations for carrying whatever
commerce we have with South America.
ttair lines. WE
also give them a commission on every
dollars worth of trade because We have
no direct banking facilities.
Yankee Shrewdness Lacking.
The Yankees have a reputation for be-
ing very shrewd and keen In business
matters, but, somehow or another, they
have prejudice against helping steam
ship companies, and such men as FRANK
10. Lowden and William w. Wilson OF
Chicago and other representatives from
Illinois and Wisconsin and Iowa will vote
against the establishment of mail com
munication with South America because
they are afraid of the word subsidy. We
subsidize everything else; we suDsidize
every railroad in the country; We SUBJ
sidize every merchant VINO sends or re-
ceives a letter through the post office.
we vote money to the FARMERS to educate
their sons; we send them garden SEEDS,
we send men all over the world looking
for new plants that they can probably
cultivate Congress Will vote money for
everything except man contracts, al
though the profit received from foreign
postage, IL applied that way, would pay
for all the service that Is necessary. and
the people would not have to be taxed
one dollar for the expense. Indeed. the
foreign mail service, the consular service
and the patent Office are about the only
branches of this government that pay
for themselves, except the custom houses
and internal revenue service.
II the money that is voted annually as
a subsidy to the farmers for garden seeds
were given to the Postmaster General he
could set up d very respectable mail
service between the United States and
South America, which would encourage
capttalists to invest their money In
steamships and give us chance to send
our freight under our own flag.
The balance of trade against us last
wear in Our commerce with South Amer
lea amounted to nearly 500, 100000. and
that money, which we paid .nem for then
raw products. was expended by them tor
manufactured merchandise in England
and Germany, when it should have been
used in buying American goods.