The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-02-17
Wonderful Trade Possibili- ties That Will Be Ours for the Seeking When the Panama Canal Is Opened.
of Labor In Bridgeport Get at First Hand Information that Must Prove Immensely Valuable to Them.

distinguished American diplomat and director general of the Pan-American union at the annual banquet of the Manufacturers Association of this city. MT. Barrett has been in the diplomatic service of the American government for many years having served as ambassador to several coun- tries. He is perhaps the best posted conditions in the South American Re publfcs and what he has to say with regard to them is generally accepted as the final authority on the subject.
 MT. Barrett received an ovation last evening when he was introduced most fttingly by the president of the as sociation, Willis J. Hobbs. Frequently rupted with applause. Among other things he said:
 Greatest Opportunities.
 Pan American commerce and the Panama canal offer to-day our great est foreign commercial opportunities. includes, aside from the United States, the 20 Latin American repub- hes reaching from Mexico and Cuba south to Argentina and Chile. Let US, therefore, note some significant and impressive facts in regard to hem, in order that you manufactur- CTS may be awakened to the import anee of this field and the necessity Of familiariZing yourselves with it's con ditions of demand and supply
 These 20 countries comprehend This is three times as great as the connected area of the United States. They have population of 10000, 900 which is rapidly increasing. This Is equal to Seven-ninthS of the total population of our great country.
 'Commerce is often called the life blood of nations. If this is true Latin America is full and vigorous blooded. 1Zf af mi n "a publics bought and sold with the rest of the world a commerce valued at the magnificent total of $2, 300, 900, 900. Think what an enormous sum this Is for countries which are off of the great trade routes of the world, and have been too much neglected in the past by the United States. These figures are all the more impressive when we realize that they represent an increase of nearly S1,000, 0,000,00O in the last decade.
 Our Share.
 What is the share, you ask, of the United States in this Latin American commerce. Here I wish to correct d false impression. There is too much of a tendency throughout this country for superficial speakers and observers to declare that we have 4lttle or no trade with Latin America, and that we are being distanced by the countries of Europe. This Is mistake. Largely as a result of the BTOaQ and pTacI1Cal WOTR or the American Union the exchange of pro- ducts between the United States and these 20 republics has grown rapidly during the last five years They are for the manufactures of the United States, but the United States is pro Viding a splendid market for their raw products. Bear in mind always true measure of commerce. We must buy of Latin America as well as sell to her. One of the great pur- poses of the Pan-American Union, of which I have the honor to be the executive officer, is to help the coun- tries of Central and South America to find markets outside of their own limits. It is a mistaken impression half of a market for the products of the United States alone.
 Our Trade This Year.
 "This year I predict that the total value of exports and imports ex- changed between the United States and the Latin American republics will approximate $7O0,OOO,oOO. Last year it was valued at $640, 100000. nearly O,O0O,OOO over five years ago when the Pan-American Union was reorganized. Subdividing this total exchange of trade We find these States last year manufactured pro- ducts valued in excess of $270,000,- coo. This balance of trade in favor of Latin America is to its credit but not to the discredit of the United
 We need the raw products of Latin America in such quantities for our manufacturing industries and for our food supply that it is natural that this balance should be in favor of the south. For instance, We purchased from Latin America last year, sugar valued at $9OOOO,OOO; rubber S44- h md el-i copper, $2O,OO0,0OO; tobacco, $1s,- 100000; nitrates, $17,0O0, 0,000; f1bers s72.ooo,ooO; bananas, S10,o0o, 900; dyeing, $4,OOO, 1000; wool, $4,OOO,OOO; lead, $3,7OO,O0O, and so on.
 Considering, on the other hand, what we sold to Latin America we ind that all kinds of iron and steel manufactures aggregated $25,00O,- GGO; flour, which should be classed as a manufactured product, SIG, 6,00O, ,OOO; lumber, S15,O00.0OO; lard and com pounds, S11,OOO,OOO; cotton cloth, SIG, O,OOO,0 900; agricultural implements, S1O,OO0,0OO; electrical machinery and appliances, $7,0O0,O00; boots and OOO,O0O; furniture, $3,0OO,OOO; auto mobiles, $2, 100000 and so on through long list. The subdivision of iron and manufactured products shows: Steel rails, S6,O00,000; structural steel over $3,OO0,0OO; wire over S4,- 100000; sewing machines and type writers, $4,500,0O0; iron pipes and fittings. over $5,OOO,0OO; locomotives, over S2,OOO,OOO; sugar mill machin- cry, over $2,O00,OOO.
 Are Practical Figures.
 ''I give you these statistics because you are practical business men and you want to get some idea of the pro- ducts that are being exchanged with Latin America. If I were to go into full analysis of our Pan-American trade, you would be wonderfully in- terested to see how ramified and eX- tensive it is affecting nearly all the leading industries of the United States and yet manufacturers, exporters and importers of the United States have only begun to build up the com Inerce with these countries down there.
 "A most powerful influence for the development of trade is mutual ac- quaintance. I can recommend no