Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-11-22
SroLrcrNc OPPORTUNITY.


While Il was not expected that
the United States would do the i'm
possible In the matter OF reaching ou'
tor the trade naturally hers because
Of the war. there Is reason for sur
prise that 70 little energy has been
displayed In efforts 10 grasp the OPP
portinItles thrown at our doors.
III we only had the ships to trans
port our goods" slghs Levy Mayer,
ono Of the leading lawyers OF Chi
cng0. IN recent article on our trade
opportunities. lie further says; III
the United states gets merchant
marine and a navy, the commercial
and financial center OF the world will
be transferred TO the western hemls-
pherc."
Notice the conditional IFS" History
Is swinging on a gigantic hinge. one
era closed July 3, 1914. and another
opened August !. 1914. The old era,
the one that passed July 81, when
the era OF peace ended, began June
l1S, 1915, on tho field OF Waterloo.
and. was Enaland's era. The now era
can be Americas II we win let II.
Here il another pregnant para
graph from Mr.. Mayer;
nut we must have ships TO trans.
port our wares Even before the war
IN Europe u was costing US ~ per
cent ~ the value Of our cnrgoeH TOT
chipping. insurance and other charges
n would seem that We nro not fuch
very eond business men. after all. 10
kcrp on paying such charges. iilii
aiil M move has been madr, ana
nothing has been done beyond me
conversational exercises Of q lew
months ago"
Here we are, n shrewd, wldeawake'
LustIIng commercial people, presented
with Tho grcatcst chance ccrtainly In
ccnlurlce, to become the dominant
financial. Industrial. commercial ma
tlnn Of the world And we are not
doing thinr 10 avail ourselves of The
opportunity. So far az caiaclysmlc
events nro forcing npon- as tho lead
crship, we are accepting II eompla-
Gently enough. The flood rises to our
benefit. but in aid OF our benefit we
are digging no channels, building no
reservoirs. constructing no dams
whereby to lead or retain the flood.
We are good business men. but we
arc showing ourselves to be proyin-
clal. True. our province Is conti-
ncnt, as large as all Europe. But In
this age. and even more so In the
rye nj hand, Il will not suffice TO
tlll our own acre The world is heeom-
ing one. and, either as leader or fol-
lower. our land will be linked with
all other lands
This Is the ono great producing
country that is producing now. Cap
ltal. II properly invited, will flow
from distracted Europe to our fortti-
nate shores. New York and CHICAGO
can become the worlds financial cap
ltais instead Of London and Paris
our foods. our manufactures, our
machines can command the markets
Of the earth, II we will them TO do so,
II we take the pains to install the
means to bring about tho desired end
Those means arc perfectly evident
We have only TO adopt tho proved
methods by which tho British, the
Germans. tho French and tho Japa-
nose merchant marines have been
established. Such proved means are
not the fantastic project Of govern
ment.owned merchant ships which
would discourage private enterprise
and might lead us into war There
must be complete modernizatlon OF
our shipping laws and proper IN
ducetacnts to capital TO embark ~
maritime enterprises