Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-16
TRADE AGENTS FROM
SOUTH AMERICA TO
INVESTIGATE HERE
Will Study Details of Phila-
delphia Commercial Mu-
scum for Plan to Aid In
dustrial Expansion.

great new era OF trade expansion
and industrial development for Philadel-
phia is presaged by two movements now
under way to restore and win for tho
United States the trade of South America,
which was virtually brought to standstill
by the European war. One of these move
ments is in the nature of high tribute
to Philadelphia institution. 1t will
bring to this city native representatives
of South American countries to study
what Philadelphians have learned of their
lands.
The visitors will be representatives Of
the Latin-America Consular Union of
New York, and their idea is to organize
without delay an international trade in
stitution In New York to promote trade
reciprocity with United States manufac-
turers able to supply commodities that
have been cut off by the European war
The other plan now under way Is one
of cooperation between the National
Foreign Trade Council and a national
committee, members of which were
named yesterday by Secretary Redfield
of the Department of Commerce and
Labor. Ten of the foremost trade and
commercial leaders in the country were
named as members of the committee.
of the Baldwin Locomotive Works,
TO VISIT COMMERCIAL MUSEUM.
The South Americans who will come to
this city will visit the Philadelphia Com
mercial Museum. according to advices re-
ceived by Dudley Bartlett. chief of the
Foreign Affairs Bureau of the Museum.
They will study every detail of the insti-
tution's organization and will pick out
desirable features to INCORPORATE in the
international trade body to be formed
in New York.
The Consular Union's membership in
cludes majority OF the consular repre-
sentatives of South American countries
stationed in New York. They have been
laying plans for reciprocity in a series
OF conferences at Washington with Gov
ernment officials. 1t is expected that the
plan will be made public next week after
It has been approved by Secretaries Red
field and Bryan. before whom, 1t is said.
II has been laid.
A permanent exhibit of the products OF
about twenty LatinAmerican countries
will form one of the features OF the plan.
The institution will show South Americans
how to sell their crops for cash. and how
tn exchange them for manufactured ar
ticles. Information as to demand in
South America will be supplied to United
States manufacturers Prior to the war
the South American trade was valued at
s, 900. 100000.
NATIONAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
The other members of the National
Committee. appointed by Secretary Red
field yesterday. in addition TO Mr. John
son, are William A. CASTOR, banker, Bos-
ton; Harry A. Wheeler banker. Chicago;
Robert Dollar, president of Robert Dollar
Steamship Company, San Francisco; John
Barrett, director general of Pan-American
Union: W. D. Simmons. president Sim
mons Hardware Company, St Louis. Mo
Lewis w. Parker, Greenville. s. C.: w.
4. Campbell, Cincinnati, and DIR. Clarence
W. Owens, Southern Commercial Con-
gress.
or these men. Messrs Dollar, Johnson
Harrison and Simmons are members of
the National Foreign Trade Council That
body will meet In New York today To
make plans for extending the commerce
of this country into South America The
chairman of the Foreign Trade Council
is James A. Farrell, president OF the
United states Steel Corporation
Mr Johnson declared yesterday that
the new committee will represent the
Government in cooperating with the
National Trade Council. The chairman of
the committee had not been picked, he
SAID, nor did he know when II would
meet to organize.
Colncident with the news OF the fore
going plans quite a stir was created
Nmong Eastern steel men by inquiries for
steel for export and the realization that
the Pacific coast is buying the domestic
production. Heretofore structural ma
terlal for San Francisco was brought
across the Pacific. but the war has halted
this and the supply is now being taken
from United States mills.
So far the foreign inquiries have not
developed into anything sufficiently tan
gible to be called a demand, but never
theless they are looked upon by steel men
as highly encouraging. A decrease Is
shown I'm sales for September so far as
compared to the last half of August, but
Il is believed there will be a gain in the
remainder of the month that will put the
output ahead of August
Interest also has been awakened in
pig iron by the foreign inquiries but II
Is believed there viii be no activity in
this line until steel shows improvement
A furnace man gave II as his opinion that
either prospects of peace or of long
war would stimulate the steel trade.