Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-11

will be present IN force ard will con-
tribute much to the interest and value Of
the discussions. They will tell the dele
gates, as they have been telling every
body for more than a quarter of a cen
tury. that The governments and the people
they represent are anxious and eager to
trade with the United States. and that
they have been astonished at the indif-
ference on the part Of the merchants and
manufacturers Of this country cn>cGn-
ing the opportunities that are Offered
them. The people of Central and South
America cannot unde rstand why We
don't go down and compete with the Eng
lish. the Germans, the Belgians and Inc
French in their efforts TO sell goods. They
cannot comprehend the Indifference and
corning the opportunities that have been
offered them In their own waters.
But 1t has always been so. and the CHEZ
reason is that we have been so absorbed
In building up our country. in deNeiop'ns
our own commercial opportunities and III
supplying our home market that we .laVe
not had time to go outside, either to CEN
trail and South America or TO China and
Australia. or to other markets that are
within our reach There has been an
enormous increase in our exports. but II
is due to the fact that the buyers o. E.u-
rope have come here for the goods rathef
than through any concerted enort on the
part Of our government and the merchant
community such as has been mace by
Germany during the last two years
President Taft delivers the opening ad-
dress Monday afternoon and VII! be foi-
lowed by Secretary Knox. Senator Root.
Champ Clark, the democratic leader OF
the House Of Representatives; Spe3lal
Ambassador Casasus OF Mexico Minister
Calvo of Costa Rica. Minister Calderon OF
Bolivia and President Farrell OF the
United States Steel Corporation, the lat
ter making his debut before pubic
audience on this occasion.
Tuesday morning the practical sessions
| Of the conference will begin. and they VIII
continue for two hours in tie morning
and for three hours in the afternoon dur
| ing the week. o. as long as anybody mas
| anything to say.
Attempts Prove Futile.
| There have been various attempts to
awaken the commercial susceptibilities OF
| the people Of the United States at inter
walls for twenty-seven years. and, like the
| offer Of salvation. it has been accepted by
the few and neglected by the many. And
there has been considerable progress
since President Arthur sent a comm ssion
to the governments of the other American
republics in 1884. asking them to Cooper
ate In promoting trade between the three
continents Various propositions have
been made at different times.
Mr.. Matias Romero, the greatly be-
loved amba SS2dOr from MEXICO 10 the
United States once offered a plan for a
customs union of the American republics.
as he called it, similar to the zolverein OF
the German empire which provided for
free trade between all the countries Of
! this hemisphere. This would have given
a tremendous advantage to the United
States because those countries produce
the raw materials and food products we
need. such as sugar. coffee, rubber, hides.
wool and other things, and we could have
provided them with very nearly every
thing in the way Of manufactured mer-
chandise and the necessaries OF life. But
I don't believe Congress would have rau-
fled any such arrangement, because the
wool growers of Ohio and Montana, the
sugar growers of Louisiana and the
orange men of California would have OBJ
jected.
Nothing will provoke an exhibition of
human seliishness like a reciprocity
treaty. Practically everybody is in favor
of reciprocity as q principle. but ever
body wants the application limited TO
other peoples affairs. You have an exit
bition of 1t In the conduct OF the pro
9ressiyes'. in the United States Senate.
they have been demanding a revision Of
the tariff and a reduction of duties but
the moment President Taft sends them A
reciprocity treaty with Canada that Will
admit the products OF the Dominion at re-
duced rates OF duty into the United
States and the manufactures of the
United States at reduced rates OF duty
into Canada everybody who is hit begins
to howl and the progressives take to the
TAN timber.