Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-07
A Floating Exhibition by
American Manufacturers

perilous Horn will stand no longer as a
hazard against American shippers, and
the remote countries south of he 1sthmus
of Panama along the western seaboard OF
South America will become fertile fields
for trade expansion
These are some of the facts which have
prompted the American manufacturers to
send out as an advance agent this ex-
pensively equipped vessel, the trade ex-
plorer, this physical demonstration OF
what the enterprise Of North America
has to offer the thrift of South America.
The services of some of the leading
students of trade conditions and trade
possibilities of the countries to be visited
on this cruise have been called in by the
manufacturers in the organization of this
great commercial movement. Henry L.
Wills, foreign trade expert and secretary
of the American Manufacturers Export
Association, and John j. Finnell, consult
ing engineer, have assembled the data
and have been placed in executive charge
of the project They will be under the
advice of board composed of representa-
tive manufacturers throughout the ceun-
try.
These men came to Washington and
laid the plan before the Departments of
State and Commerce and Labor. They
reminded the officials here that every ad-
ministration for forty years has preached
trade expansion in Latin America; that
consular and diplomatic agents OF the
government have been made trade educa-
tors; that "doller diplomacy" had become
fixed policy of the federal government,
and that the Pan American Union. main
tanned under the patronage of all these
countries. has at its single mission the
cementing of closer trade relations with
the American republics.
Then 1t was that the practical plan of
appealing to the consumers of the coun-
tries to the south for their business by
means of a floating exposition was laid
before the government Here was an
agency for carrying out the very policies,
these men said, that all administration
forces have been concentrating upon for
years. The plans were spread out and at
once the two great departments OF the
government most vitality interested in the
extension of the export trade approved
More than that, President Taft re-
viewed the possibilities Of the manufac-
turers project. He saw in it the OPP
portunities for the exploitation of Ameri-
can-made products, and wrote Mr.. Wills
a letter strongly indorsing the whole
movement and commencing it to people
of the countries to be visited as a plan
worthy of American enterprise.
Plans are now under consideration to
send along with the vessel distinguished
diplomatic officer of the United States.
He will be loaned to the enterprise by the
State Department and will be given a
leave of absence for six months or such
time as the cruise may take. A d.plo-
mat familiar with the customs, languages
and needs Of the Spanish Americans will
make for the cultivation Of closer social
relations with the countries that Will en-
terrain the commercial visitors.
X
UNIQUE methods have been adopted to
acuuaint the visitors who will board the
exhibit ship with the qualities of goods
displayed before them. For instance, a
general bureau of information Will be
provided This will be connected by
phone with each exhibit booth. The ex-
hibitor. unable to speak Spanish. or
French, or German, as the case may be.
will talk to the customer through the bu-
reau. Expert linguists will be at the
switchboard to translate the inquiries and
then the replies. Should there be no ex-
hibitor present at the time the visitor can
inquire himself of the bureau concerning
the article he may be inspecting.
Passenger accommodations for at least
200 exhibitors have been reserved. Also
accommodations for the force of mechan-
les who will be needed for the machin-
lists and for the general staff of the manu-
facturers are provided. Motion exhibits
will for the most part occupy the decks.
while the show cases and other classes
- xv-1 L. aI.r.vr