Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-20

America. That continent occupies a
peculiar position with respect to the
worlds trade
Although discovered over four CEN
turtles ago and containing cities OF
$4,000 or more inhabitants before the
continent to the north had seen any
permanent settlement of Europeans
South America is today the land of
rfndeveloped resources. the worlds wild
west, the place of frontiers, colonies
and vast stretches of forest and plain
still untouched by ak or pillow.
Its production, consequently. like
that of every new country, is almost
wholly composed of raw materials,
things of the field, the forest and the
mine. These make up it's exports. and
in return for these the manufacturing
countries of the world furnish 1t with
the thousand and one things turned
out by the steel fingers of factory ma
chinery. The exchange is simple
one. raw materials in one direction
and manufactured goods in the other,
and applies to almost every one of the
Ten countries.
The situation is further simpIi1ied by
the fact that extensive manufacturing
is confined to two great sections of the
world, Europe and the United States,
which send practically all the manu-
featured goods needed in South
America. The United States, England.
Germany, France Belgium, Italy and
Spain, and to a certain extent Austria
Hungary, Russia and the smaller Eu-
ropean nations, are the countries to
which South America must look for
its machinery, clothing, construction
material and finer eatables.
of these, however, the trade of all
but three is incidental. The United
States. England and Germany take
among them some two-thirds of the
total import trade of South America,
and it is these countries that have
been fighting the battle for commercial
supremacy in the last few years. Two
of these are principals in the great
war of the nations now going on, and
The prospects are that the overseas
trade of one of them will entirely
cease, while that of the other will be-
come very largely an import trade.
Even if, as many people think, the
war should burn itself out fercely
within a year, the tremendous de-
structien and paralysis OF all indus
try must affect commerce for at least
:. decade
This leaves a very clear field for the
United States, In the last few years
american manufacturers had begun to
americans, and they, in turn. had begun
10 reach theirs up to US. Neither seemed
particularly anxious about the matter.
the Americans because they were greatly
wrapped up in their domestic trade and
The South Americans because they
we're already getting good service
from Europe But now a double neces-
sity has arisen which will practically
force them together.
South America must have goods which
II can get nowhere except in this country,
and the United States finds its principal
outlets blocked for goods with which the
market at home is already plentifully
supplied. 1t is but natural, therefore,
that the trade between the two sections
should jump TO enormous figures in the
next year, and the flood has, in fact,
already begun.
Demands are coming from various
Latin American countries for supplies
and American manufacturers are seek
ing eagerly fof informa ton concerning
the best markets for their particular
lines. The only difficulty that stands in
the way of this trade is the lack of
shipping facilities. as heretofore prac-