Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-09-23

| Union. speaks in no uncertain terms
| to the trade interests of this country
II sounds a timely warning TO gov
eminent and commercial forces OF
critical concern. Are we to benefit
largely by the hundreds of millions
spent or are We to allow Europe to
capture the lions share. because OF
our lack of enterprise and prepared
ness?
Only about a year and a half re-
main before the Panama Canal will
be open to commercial traffic. I'm
less the manufacturing, exporting
importing. and shipping interests of
the United States exert themselves TO
the limit during the next is months.
they will find that they will be dis
tanced from the start by foreign
competitors in deriving practical adj
vantages from the Canal and the
rapidly developing field of Latin
America.
From his own study on the ground
of European conditions and from re-
liable official reports received from
both South America and Asia, Direc-
tor General Barrett makes the above
statement at the beginning of his re-
port and then gives the following
facts:
/. Every important port of Great
Britain France, Germany, Holland,
Belgium, Scandinavia, Spain. Italy
and austria is being improved TO the
highest degree of efficiency for over
2. Every European shipbuilding
yard of recognized standing is busy
to its capacity constructing ocean
going merchant vessels. Old estab-
lished steamship lines are adding up
to-date vessels to their fleets and new
companies are being formed and or
dering ships.
8. European governments are in
strueting their diplomatic and consul
lar agents to study and report upon
every phase of trade opportunity ex-
pected to result from the Canal.
Their Chambers of Commerce and
their Commercial Organizations are
cooperating along the same lines
and the business schools are edu-
eminent officials and representative
men in private life are showing par
ticular hospitality and eourtesies to
the visiting representative men or
Latin America and all of the other
countries whose trade they want.
Their banking and investment houses
are extending their foreign facilities:
Their private business companies of
already large established trade and
their new companies are sending
agents and scouts to Latin America
and all parts of the world affected by
the canal to investigate trade posi-
bilities.
4. In Japan three steamship COM
panies are building vessels for the
Canal Japanese banks are consider
ing the opening of branches in Latin
America. A score of Japanese manu-
featuring, exporting and importing
houses have numerous agents in Cen
trail and South America. One Chinese
owned steamship company is plan
ming to operate a line from Shanghai
and Hong Kong to Central and South
America. Australians commercial or
CARNATIONS are sending men to South
America to develop trade, while Aus
tralia and New Zealand are planning
to establish canal steamship line of
their own. A new line of freight YES
sells is to run from Calcutta or Bonn
bay to South America. Canada will
run two new direct lines respectively
from Vancouver and Montreal to the
corresponding coasts of Latin America.
South America, reaching 5000 miles
south from Panama, is showing great
preliminary activity. Chill, Peru and
Bolivia are spending $50 100000 in
opening up their interiors with rail-
ways. Chile is building, at Nalparai-
so, a new artificial harbor to cost
S15,00o,000 Guayaquil the principal
port of Ecuador and one of the best
harbors on the Pacific Ocean. is to be
made sanitary at a large expense.
Callao, the chief port of Peru, is be-
ing improved. On the east coast the
activity Is even greater, for both Ar
gentina and Uruguay will spend near
| ly $50 600 600 in port improvements at
| Buenos Aires and Montevideo respec-
| lively. Brazil is putting in hrst-class
condition every port along her 5000
| miles of coast line from Rio Grande
| do Sui in the south to Para at the
| mouth of the Amazon. One hundred
| million dollars are being expended in
| constructing new railways into the
| interior of Brazil. Venezuela and Col
I ombia, Central America, Mexico,
| Cuba, and the other West Indian
| countries, are awakening, also, to the
significance and possibilities of the
| canal and sending agents and appoint
| ing commissions to study the situa-
ton as it affects them.
The conclusion of Director Genera
Barrett, after this review is summe
up in the statement that, while TIL
United States Government and som
of it's commercial organizations an
interests are doing much to get read
for the canal and to develop Pa
American trade and deserve grea
credit for what they are doing, the
must in view of these facts redoubl
and extend their efforts. Otherwis
they viii tail the international rae
: for the trade of the Panama Cana
r and Latin America. They mus
make their slogan from now on with
out any let up: "Get ready for til
y Panama Canal and go after Pa
$ American Commerce" If this repol
e excites new interest and desire fl
r information, the Pan American Unio
g at Washington, as an official organ