The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-01-30
POINTS To TRADE
Of PAN-AMER|CA
JOHN BARRETT SEES CHANCE TO
REAP HARVEST IN THE LATIN
COUNTRIES.
HE ALSO SHOWS WAY
SAYS NATIONS TO SOUTH DID A
FoREIGN BUSINESS OF s2,50o,-
100000 IN THE PAST
he ALSO SHOWS WAY
WASHINGTON.

/ WASHINGTON. Jan. 29.-John
Barrett, director general of the Pan
American union, in signed state
ment points the way to reciprocity
with Latin America.
Mr., Barrett is an authority on the
trade possibilities of the twenty re-
publlcs to the south of the United
States. having been minister to Ar
gentina, Panama and Colombia II is
his opinion that the greatest oppor-
tunity for worthy achievement ahead
of the Democratic national admins
tration will be in promoting tariff re-
lations that will build up the com
merce between the United States and
South America. Here is what he
says;
BY JOHN BARRETT.
The United States is face to face
with mighty opportunity. VIII she
take advantage of it, or will she neg
1ect it? Her attitude depends upon
the attitude of the great newspapers.
1t is no exaggeration to state that
no administration ever took charge
of the government of the United
States with a greater opportunity in
foreign relations than is presented
to the coming administration in our
twenty sister republics. With no re-
Election whatever upon the present
administrations, it's policies and its
methods, but simply looking into the
future, / say unhesitatingly that the
greatest opportunity and RESPONSE
hility before this nation during the
next four years is it's opportunity and
responsibility in South and Central
America and the countries OF the
Caribbean.
To Win Confidence.
The vital necessity of the hour in
dealing with these countries is not to
their confidence The people and the
press of the United States must give
the press and the people of the TWEEN
ty Southern republics a square deal
The press and people of the United
States must stop any suggestion of a
patronizing attitude in dealing with
Latin America.
What is wanted is a strong note
and a prevailing tone of appreciation
countries and people credit for the
remarkable things they have done,
for their wonderful history, for their
splendid resources, for their mighty
opportunities in the family of ma
tons.
Proud Of our enormous commerce,
our marvellous growth and eur Won
derful cities. we have failed to com
prehend that's these twenty countries
south of US. although off the greatest
and west routes Of travel and popu-
lation, last year conducted a foreign
trade, bought and sold products with
the rest of the world, valued at the
mighty total of nearly two billion five
hundred millions of dollars. This
staggers those who have not studied
Latin America, but they must be all
the more impressed when they real
ize that this represents an increase of
nearly one billion dollars in the last
ten years.
Building Up Commerce.
The Pan-American union, the inter-
national organization of Washington
maintained by all the republics, the
United States and its twenty sister
Latin American governments is striv-
ing in every way to build up the com
merce, the prestige and the prosperity
Of every republic in the Western
Hemisphere, from the United states
and Mexico on the north to Argentina
and Chile on the south.
During the six years of the present
administration of the Pan-American
union, or since II was reorganized in
early 1907, the annual trade of the
United States with these twenty coun-
tries lying south of it has grown from
less than five hundred millions of dol
lars to nearly seven hundred and fifty
millions OF dollars.
The Panama canal will soon be
opened Its opening, however Will be
meaningless unless the United States
gets ready for it, The slogan of the
American people should be. Get
ready for rho Panama canal amigo
after Pan~American commerce.