Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-18
GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY OPENED
TO AMERICAN TRADE BY WAR
Commercial Supremacy Assured by Foreign Business But
Advantage Must be Taken of Situation Which Offers
Fufment of Manifest Destiny.
By VANCE THOMPSON

| WOlAhS OL DeluB WOOed, lne Onlbeu otd'N'
win begin to take her profit from the war
or course, the wooing is the main thing.
The story Of how Germany sought for thai
Latin-American trade worked and wooed
and kneeled for It is one Of the tragic stories
| of trade history-now especially that she is
in the way Of losing it. She, sent out scouts
! who visited even the little villages. They
had nothing to sell; what they brought back
were samples Of everything the natives used
the kind Of things they liked. They brought
back even samples Of the kind Of paper and
string the natives liked to have their goods
tied mp in And knowing the market the
Germans made their goods to At the want,
Then only the commercial travellers went out
with their samples and with them, by the
way went financial crew to arrange salts
factorily the matter of credits.
Somewhat in this way the American mer-
chant will have to go after the Latin-Ameri-
can trade, If he is to supplant the foreign
ers"-if he is to build up permanent trade.
Ripe for Yankee Sickle
The opportunity is there, as it is in the
Orient, in Australia, the world over Indeed,
over in old Europe the opportunity waits,
for their manufacture has decreased or
stopped; but the nations, even those at war
will not cease to use manufactured articles
II they can get them It's a worldwide
chance, the trade experts win tell you The
great foreign trade fields are ripe and ready
for the Yankee sickle
Only you have got to give the foreigner
what he wants, not what you think he ought
to have, and when you go trading with him
you have to talk his language and meet his
ideas of payment And the warning the ex-
perts send out is that there is no use looking
for snap profits; the United States will
profit by the war II she lays broad founda-
tions for we'll organized foreign trade.
At home the proht-takng has already be-
gun Germany had made an immense inva-
sion of the home markets In many manu-
factured articles II was impossible to compete
with her. Now that her ships no longer
come to port these articles are being manu-
factured here. Not as cheaply. Labor costs
more. But even at that there is fair chance
that this trade will never go back again to
Germany's manufacturers.
Do you think there will be cheap labor in
Europe after this war?
Think it out. do not believe there is any
exaggeration in the statement that already |
two million men, those who did the work |
of Europe, are dead, disabled or perma- |
nently incapacitated for tool handling And |
has to be done over there-that will have to
De done when this ferment Of destruction has
lied out. I was in the north of France not
ong ago. know that villages, cities, all,
rave been trampled into ruin, as wild swine
rample a rose garden. And Belgium is a
lrearier ruin. Years will go to the upbuild-
ng Of Europe. There will be work for all
he men who come whole-or half-out of the
var. I do not think we need fear the COM
'etition of "cheap labor for many a day.
And I'll give you a stronger reason. When
he armies in Europe are done fighting the
eople Of Europe are going to have some
hing to say to their Governments-and that
'ill keep them busy for while Crowns will
e cheap and sceptres used for toasting forks
before there is ultimate peace in Europe
nd the dust of ruined edifices settles down.
From all Of which America may profit
nth what heart 1t can.
Opportunity and Destiny
oh. there is opportunity enough! And it's
grim thing to think of, that the longer and
wager the war the greater It will be- Out
{ that torment over yonder we can pluck
ain. And one thing know: There is not
trader not a merchant of goods or money
the United States, who would not stop the
Is hand None of them wants that gain
ut there it is. And there is even a kind of
I'D inhumanity In not taking advantage of
lie opportunity, for half the world wants
9th and tools and food and we have them
!. and to spare.
You can look at 1t in a larger way The
nitsd States is going to get more than
IEsing profit out of this world upheaval. It
as in our destiny. The Panama Canal was
It hint, an intimation of It. Without the
ar. or with 1t, it was on the wayl In a
" years the United States will find herself
e commercial centre OF the globe The Eu-
peanization of China and most of Asia will
ve-inevitably-to the United States the c
o-political position England occupied in the ,
shteenth century. The war is only advanc- :
g the day. The only question is whether /
; are ready for 1t. new turn of events
mands new methods and offers chances to
W men. And undoubtedly there is 4 new
rn OF things-the future Of America is COM a
8 down the road. Z