Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-12-06
The DEPARTMENT OF STATE.
Foreign Trade Is Improving-Mer-
chant Marine DEVELOPMENT.

All these tariff negotiations. so vital
to our commerce and industry, and the
duty of jealousy guarding the equi-
table and just treatment of our prod
ucts. capital and industry abroad de
volve upon the department of state.
The Argentine battleship contracts,
like the subsequent important one for
Argentine railway equipment and those
for Cuban government vessels, were
secured for our manufacturers largely
through the good offices of the depart
ment of state.
The efforts of that department TO Sc
cure for citizens of the United States
equal opportunities in the markets of
the world and to expand American
commerce have been most successful.
The volume of business obtained in
new fields of competition and upon
new lines is already very great. and
congress is urged to continue to sup
port the department OF state in its en-
deavorS for further trade expansion.
Our foreign trade merits the best
support of the government and the
most earnest endeayor of our manu-
facturers and merchants. who. if they
do not already in all cases need a for
eign market. are certain soon to be-
come dependent on it. Therefore. now
is the time to secure a strong position
in this field.
l cannot leave this subject without
emphasizing the necessity of such leg
iSlation as will make possible and CON
venient the establishment of American
banks and branches of American banks
in foreign countries. Only by such
means can our foreign trade be favor
ably financed. necessary credits be ar
ranged and proper avail be made of
commercial opportunities in foreign
countries, and most especially ia Latin
America
Another instrumentality indispensa-
bic TO the unhampered and natural de
velopment of American commerce is
merchant marine. All maritime and
commercial nations recognize the i'm
portance of this factor The greatest
commercial nations. our competitors.
jealousy foster their merchant ma
rine. Perhaps nowhere is the need for
rapid and direct mail. passenger ana
freight communication quite so urgent
as between the United States and
Latin America. We can secure in no
other quarter of the world such imme-
date benefits in friendship and COM
merce as would flow from the estab-
liShment of direct lines of communica-
ton with the countries of Latin Amer.
lea adequate TO meet the requirements
of a rapidly increasing appreciation Of
the reciprocal dependence OF the coun-
tries of the western hemisphere upon
each others products. sympathies and
assistance.
l alluded to this most important sub
ject in my last annual message. II has
often been before you. aud need not
recaptulate the reasons for its recon-
mend9tion. Unless prompt action be
taken the completion of the Panama
canal will find this the only great
commercial nation unable to avail in
International maritime business of this
great contribution TO the means of the
worlds commercial intercourse.
Quite ss1Ss, '-eIE t5> commercial e.
pect. unless y crSNfS. { SSSechs4s2 "a
rine where can we find the senfaring
psQG9zfton necessary as a natural ma
val reserve and where could we find.
in case of war. the transports and sub
sidiary vessels without which a naval
feet is arms without n body? For
many reasons | cannot too strongly
frge upon the congress the passage Of
: measure by mail subsidy or other