The Washington herald., 1913-01-26
BY JOHN BARRETT,


Director G-asraI q the Pan-Ans-ican Union. for
merly United States Minister 70 Panama.
Colombia ard Argentina
Contributed Exclusively 10 Cotton.
The South cannot exert itself too vigor-
ously and comprehensively in getting
ready for the Panama Canal. 1t cannot
make too general efforts in studying and
mastering the Latin-American field OF eN-
port and import trade. The greatest era
Of an International character in the hts
tory Of the United States is beginning.
but the real solemn inauguration of that
era will be formal dedication of the Pam
anna Canal. Then will start what might
be termed the Pan-American era OF the
commerce and prestige of the United
States. Although the volume of our
trade at the present time with Latin
America is only small part of our total
foreign trade, there is no section of the
world which offers greater opportunities
for development in the future. II is
peculiarly a market which will want
much Of what We manufacture and will
supply to us. in turn. raw products which
we cannot produce ourselves. Throughout
Europe We are face to face with condi-
tions of labor which will not characterize
Latin America in another fifty years. The
same condition is true of the Asiatic
field. Especially is this confirmed by the
remarkable development Of cotton manu-
featuring in China and in japan. There
is some manufacturing of cotton in
South America and it will gradually in
crease. but 1t cannot approach large
proportions as it has in the United States,
England, and the Orient. because of the
lack of the right kind of labor.
Latin America is to-day purchasing
800. .0O. 900 worth of cotton goods, the
greater portion of which comes from
Europe. But 1t is only a question ef
time when the manufacturers of the
United States, II they make the same ef-
fort in the countries to the south of US
which they have made throughout the
United States and some other parts of
the far world, will get their share of
the trade Even though. however, the cot
ton manufacturers of the United States
do not participate directly to a consid-
erable degree in this Latin American
market, the cotton producers of all of our
Southern States are benefited indirectly
through the increased demand that must
come for raw cotton from the manufac-
turtles of England and Europe which are
supplying cotton goods to Latin America.
1t is an interesting characteristic of all
classes of people in the twenty countries
reaching from Mexico and Cuba south
to Argentina and Chile. that they are
heavy buyers of all kinds Of cotton
goods provided they only have the pur-
chasing capacity. The record of the
growth OF the imports OF cotton goods
in different countries is evidence of this
fact. The average Latin American.
whether he belongs to the limited higher
classes or to the masses of lesser edu-
cation and wealth. or of native Indians,
is a heavy buyer when he has the money
to purchase. In other words. the Latin
American does not hoard his wealth or
pursue a miserly attitude toward pur-
chasing opportunity.
What, therefore, can be done TO de-
yelop the buying capacity of Latin
America through our purchasing from
them their raw products will. in turn.
react by greater sales from the United
States to them of cotton goods directly
or indirectly. We need the imports of
raw products from those countries for
our manufacturing plants and for our
labor and our capital, and. when we i'm
port rubber or hides, or their other nat
ural products and manufacture them, we
bring even greater returns to ourselves
than to the countries from which these
products originate.
The total foreign trade of the twenty