The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-02
EUROPEAN TRADERS
 ID BE HEADED OFF
Foreigners Have Eye on
 Panama Canal Trade
BARRETT COMMENTS
Director of Pan-American Union Just From Europe Declares Unless Americans Are Alert Euro-
 peans Will Reap Benefit

Washington. September 1.-(speciaL)--A careful survey just made by John Bar rett. director of the Panama American union and the leading authority in this country on Latin-America has convinced that official that unless American busi- ness men and shipping interests are alert the European nations will reap most of the benefits from the Panama canal
 Mr. Barrett has just returned to the United tSates from tour of the indus trial eenters of Europe. He went abroad to acquaint himself with the activities of the Europeans in connection with the canal and the trade of the Latin-Amerl- can countries to be opened to develop ment by that waterway.
 Americans Must Hustle
 As a result of this trip the traveller is firmly convinced that the business inter ests of the great ports of New Orleans, Baltimore, Philadelphia New York and Boston will have to hustle if they do more than capture the Atlantic to the Pacific business. This coastwise shipping Is natural American monopoly by req son of the navigation faws prohibiting foreigners from engaging in it. but the trade in Central and South America is not so protected.
 As soon as he gets time to do it. Mir. Barrett will prepare a detailed statement of the findings of his investigation. This he will distribute for the benefit of American business. In the meantime, however. he urges all hands to get to- tn han1 tl,n He is satisfied that the plans for gaining the lions share of the new trade are made and are ready to be put into effect T looked into the ports, the manufac- tories and the exports of the big cities of Europe" said MT. Barrett to the cor respondent, and I am convinced that un- less the people of the United States wake up, they will find that the Europeans will be ready to assume the mastery of the trade through the Panama canal.
 Europe Preparing
 Business houses and manufacturers abroad are getting ready on an enormous scale to capture this trade It is impor- tant to say, however, that there is an element of American business which is right on its toes and keeping alive for the opening of the canal. These business men are ahead of the Europeans but while that is true with regard to this one element of American business life the gen eral field of Europe is far ahead of the United States and far ahead of South America as a whole.
 Not only are the business men, the shippers. the explorers and shipbuilders of Europe humming with activity, but the governments of Europe are doing the same thing. I am certainly going to sound a loud note to North and South America to show the opportunity which may be lost unless we get busy,
 "The International conference of cham bers of commerce of the world will con- vene in Boston September 23. I am going to be there for further American interests and will have a good deal to say about what l found in Europe"
 Mir. Barrett has been in Europe since June studying the trade conditions there with reference to competition which Americans may expect when the canal is opened.