Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-11-24

| M. =. hENNED1, CnaInperSDuTs,
President of the Cumberland Valley
Railroad who was prominent at to-
days trade conference sessions.
short speech points which the dele
gates had come from their home towns
to learn. He said
Mr.. Barrett's address
| Pennsylvania has possibly more at
stage in the Pan-American commercial
opportunity than any other State in
| the union. The largest export business
which this country does with Latin
America is in exports of iron and steel
| and other hardware products said
Mr.. Barrett, while the demand for
these has been vast during the last
| few years, it bids fair to be much
greater in the near future.
| Il want, therefore, to make an ur-
gent appeal to the manufacturers, eX-
porters, importers and businessmen
generally of Pennsylvania to take a
greater interest in the exchange of
| trade with our twenty sister republics
than they have ever done before. Great
lcredit is due those companies, firms
and persons who have already estab-
lished a large commerce with Central
and South America, but what they
have done should be an inspiration
anu GAdluJle 10 OlntTS VINO nave not
iyet entered the field.
ITO understand the present situation
however, and to go about developing
additional trade with Latin America
| II is necessary to consider certain vital
facts of the present hour. In the very
first place, it must be emphasized that
Latin America does not present an FL
Dorado to the American manufactur-
er. The importers, buyers and busi-
ness men generally of the Central and
South American countries are not
standing with their hands filled with
gid to buy everything that is offer
ed. Although that field is potentially
mighty, it is at the present time un-
dergoing a serious financial setback
caused by the European war Normal
conditions of commerce have been
completely upset. The war has acted
in sense as gigantic monkey
wrench cast into the Latin America
commercial machinery and putting
much of it out of commission until a
new commercial machinery can be
reconstructed having to do largely
with the United States. The American
manufacturers, exporters and import
ers can not expect that development
of business and that increase of trade
which they would expect if they did
not have to meet this situation.
Now Is the Time
1t must be emphasized, however
that now is an excellent time for the
average American manufacturer, eX-
porter and importer to study the field
carefully and to master the conditions
of demand and supply with reference
to getting a start in Latin American
trade and building it up when condi-
tions are more favorable. 1t is good
time to send representatives to Latin
A t,,n vii 1nl
with the expectation of securing large
orders but OF making such sales as
they possibly can, establishing agen-
cies and acquiring practical informa-
tion about the market.
Needs of the Hour
IF you would ask me what are the
great needs Of the hour and what
Should be done in the premises, |
would name the following:
Firms or groups of firms should
if possible send personal representa-
tives to Latin America-men who un-
derstand the productive capacity of
these firms and also the market where
they are to act as representatives. If
it is impossible to send such men, de-
pendence should be made upon re-
liable commission houses and manu-
facturers' agents in the principal ports
of export, like Philadelphia, Baltimore,
New York. etc.
Latin America to-day really needs
the money of the United States more
than 1t docs the merchandise. Inas-
mucl as the European war has practi-
cally cut off the European supply of
money for Latin America governments,
municipalities, firms and Undertakings.
the United States could gain q tremen-
dous advantage if 1t could help out
this situation. To express in this con-
nection concrete fact, | would state
that If the United States could loan
during the next five years $500, 900, 900
to Latin America, it would easily in
crease during that time it's commerce
more than 100000, 900.
THE establishment of banks under
American control and of credit fao1li-
ties are of vital necessity in establish
ing a new Pan-American commercial
machinery and in enabling the United
States to build up it's trade with Latin
America, especially in the face of such
conditions as the war has brought
about.
Improvement of direct steamship
facilities under the United States flag
between snch ports as Philadelphia
and Baltimore to both the east and
west coasts of Latin America is abso-
lutely essential for the full develop
ment OF the new trade conditions
which must follow in the next few
of the Panama Canal"
DIR. Pratt Speaks
Presenting DIR. Il. II. Pratt. the sec
opd speaker. Mr.. Watt said How
the Department of Commerce aids ex-
porters and the extension of it's work
can testify to the value of the work
of this department of our government.
The consular reports regularly issued
contain vast fund of information as
to markets, openings for farious lines
and pointers on methods of procedure.
We have the good fortune to listen 10
the chief of the Bureau of Foreign
and Domestic Commerce, DIR. Edward
Ewing Pratt"
Upon the outbreak of hostilities in
Europe on August i, American manu-
facturers, aroused by our newspapers.
magazines, chambers of commerce and
other public factors. saw a great op-
portunity for the development of our
foreign trade" said Mr.. Pratt. There
was a great wave of enthusiasm which
swept over the country, but which n
little later began to relax. Under the
warnings of people who had been in
terested in. that line of work and who
saw many difficulties ahead. The war
which had broken out In Europe aid
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