The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-13
Opportunity Is Knocking. No. III
How Are We to Get our Share of the American Trade
By c. ED ALBEs

In the two preceding articles under this caption. the writer endeavored to direct attention to the wonderful opportunities for the extension of our foreign trade with Latin American countries, especial ly in Alabama products. At the outset two questions were suggested-1st: Is so, what are the difficulties to overcome? :?
 The first two articles attempted to an swer the first question by showing the tremendous volume of the foreign trade of these countries, particularly in coal, and in the products of cotton, iron and steel, and contrasting our share Of that trade with that enjoyed by European countries. The second question-What are the difficulties to overcomeT-is the one dealt with as briefly as possibly in this final paper.
 It is but fair to state that the writer lays no claims to originality in evolving the ideas and methods for promoting our commerce with our Latin American
 neighbors His own ignorance of the true conditions and his inexperience in meeting and solving the difficulties con fronting our American exporters would bar any such assumption The facts and statistics heretofore given and the ways dHQ InednS OI uedluiR With tiiO oihu0hfo%is have been gathered by a careful study of the literature furnished the writer by the Pan-American Union.
 That this institution has become the recognized clearing house for the dis of information relative to in commerce is evinced by the fact that in addition to it's publications, it sends out some 5000. letters per month In its work of gatheing and again dis 1.flx. ,r,d in- formation relative to every phase of so- cial, educational and commercial condi- tions obtaining in Latin America.
 MT John Barrett, director general of
 the fan-American Union, called Pan American commercial conference to meet in Washington, D. C.. Feb. 18th to 18th, 1911. The purpose of this conference was, ''To consider, first the actual, practical, business conditions surrounding the eX- change of commerce and development Of trade between the United States and the other American countries; and second, the non-political business opportunities and advantages which will be opened to Pan-American commerce by the Panama canal and the steps which should now be taken by the business interests Of the Americas to get ready for the canal and enable them to gain direct benehts it's opening"
 In response to this invitation the rec ords show that there were represented in this conference P commercial clubs. 70 boards of trade, 32 chambers Of com 42 other trade bodies, together with about 531 manufacturing, exporting and importing firms and a large number of individuals and delegates. The Pres ident of the United States. the Secretary of State and nearly all of the Latin
 American diplomatic representatives were present and participated in the con ference.
 To further show the nature of this con- ference, I quote from MT Barretts ad- dress of welcome. Tt general terms, 1t can be said that this conference was by the overwhelming cores pondence which has been pouring into this alice during the past year asking for information about an extraordinary of matters regarding the cond- tions and possibilities of trade between the United States and the 20 Latin Amer ican republics
 "T'he work of this institution has ouadrupled during the last few years un- til now it has become a partial clearing house. as it were for the exchange ot useful data concerning all the American nations.
 'It seems wise, therefore, to concen- Lrat6 eHOTIS tO get lHtO CfOScI tOdSh Witii the situation by inviting here, on the one hand. manufactures, exporters and inn porters, and others desiring information, and on the other, those officials, author ities and commercial experts familiar with Pan-American trade. to exchange views and apinions, to ask and answer questions, and engage in such appro- priate discussions as would greatly help the growing movement to build up Pan American commerce and commity, and to get ready for the Panama canal, which Is nearing completion, and means as much to South America as it does to North America"
 Accurate minutes of the proceedings of this convention were kept and subse- published by the Pan-American Union. and it is from the discussions, statements, ideas, etc. evolved in this conference and from the other publica- tions of the Union that the writer has drawn the material for this series of ar tices.
 The first great obstacle to the promo ton of our commerce with our Latin American neghbors is our own ignorance of and indifference to our opportunities. This ignorance doubtless grew out of the fact that we have been so occupied in de- veloping the immense natural resources of our own country, in developing our commerce. and that with Euro pean nations. that we have taken but little interest in the conditions existing in Latin America, especially in South American countries. In this connection quote from the address of MT. Charles M Pepper, of the Bureau of Trade Rela- tons, Department of State:
 Tn considering that. and in speaking to you as practical business men, I wonder how many Of you have really studied the of South America? I have harped on this subject, and it has be- come something of a hobby with me, but in numerous addresses on South Amerisa, the first question has been, Have you a map? Do you know where it is? Do you know what the countries are?' I am bound to say that in many instances I have found very vague ideas indeed of what South America is. I am glad to say that the ignorance is not en- tnrely our own. We. can poke little of that ignorance at our English friends, etc. So our ignorance. while great, is not any greater than that of some of our Flu ropean friends. But that is no excuse, and the point I make is that the very first thing for you to do in order to get into the technical matters of your busi- ness and the different lines of your trade is to form a definite idea of the geogra phy of these countries. of what the con- merce amounts to In them, af what their resources are: and I think myself the very best way for anybody to accomplish that is to travel with map. The very best thing for business man to do. when a letter comes in from South Amer ica. is to look at the map and see where the point is. That is the first thing that occurred to me. I know some persons that. but commercial geography follows physical geography. We all