The Washington herald., 1914-08-09
NATIONS OPPORTUNITY.
Vast Trade with South America
Within Our Grasp.


II is estimated that the trade Of
amounted to 81. 800 10000 in 1918. In the
fiscal year lsl2-l3 the trade OF South
America with this country was repre-
scented by these figures: Imports, S2l7. 49,
03s: exports, Sl46,lI .s93: total 1858, So, Oh
Europe's aggregate was considerably
greater than four times ours.
There are inspiring evidences that the
present opportunity will not be lost to
redress this unnatural state Of things.
Not only are our own business men,
bankers. shipping men, exporters. manu-
facturers awake, but South America Is
alarmed and is appealing TO us to come
to her aid. Her civilization is seriously
mensced by the paralysis Of European
commerce. A thousand things for which
she relies on importation are suddenly
withheld from her so far as her usual
sources Of supply are concerned, and she
turns 10 US in her need.
Practically every country that purveys
manufactured articles TO the South Amer
lcan peoples is now at war. Great Brit
ain, Germany and France, in the order
named, were the principal providers
Italian and Spanish commerce, what
there rs OF it, does not mean the things
most needed: machinery, textiles, prod
ucts Of highly developed manufacturing
ily opens the way for her shipping. her
share Of the South American trade OF
Europe was a scant one-third. viz. {:
E67, li4.0oO imports and fA.5S7,0O exports.
or, translated into our money. total OF
about 1851 sos, 900.
Here then is a shortage present and
prospective of. broadly speaking. thou
sand million dollars in the foreiSn trade
Of the South American continent. Who
l. a. 10 60 those
active and advancing republics the
means and appliances they need to work
out their destinies and to take from them
the articles Of food and the raw material
of industry which they produce? Who
but ourselves! And would IL not be
worse than madness for our people to let
such a chance pass them by?
The approaches which the South Amer
lean diplomats are making to the State
Department and the Pan-American Tn
ion have indeed been anticipated by ac-
ton In shipping and export interests
here The Newspapers within a day or
two announced that numerous houses
were sending ''drummers' and samples
to South American ports by the earliest
steamers. Yesterday the agents Of the
important Lamport & Holt Line told Of
the company's plans TO run an efficient
service TO the ports within their COM
pass as soon as the matter OF insurance
rates could be settled. Bankers have
been discussing new systems Of credit to
finance the new volume of business On
all sides appreciation OF the crisis prom
Uses an effective meeting OF the South
American appeal, assuredly with high
mutual advantage.
One project that gains an unexpected
timeliness is that of the Navy Depart
ment for running fast mail. passenger and
express lines and establishing a freight
service from United States to South
American ports. especially via the Pan
anna Canal. AS worked out in detail
and embodied in the bill now before the
House of Representatives, the plan will
permit OF a beginning along this line
with small or no impairment Of naval
efficiency. An experiment can be made
with five fast cruisers for mail and ex-
press transportation and ten auxiliary
vessels Of the navy capable Of carrying
considerable ladings OF freights
II is proposed to carry on the service
largely with officers on the retired list,
while extra men are to be enlisted. As
the service develops vessels fully adapted
for II may be built or bought and thus
time OF need Whatever the ultimate
economic or military defects of the
scheme may be. il at least meets a tenn
ing the new field that Providence has
opened TO US is the scantiness Of avail
able shipping. and the naval proposition
helps solve this difficulty until private
enterprise and capital have time 10 act.