Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-09-27

~g--A viii marx the beginning OF an
enormous trade between the
- United States and Chile. Tn
der the old conditions this trade has
z trebled since 1904 and within the last
a four years It has increased 40 per cent.
1t already amounts to SlO,OOOO 900 per an
mum, but this Is only about one-sixth Of
divided among Great Britain Germany
and France, whose factories and ships
are now tied up in this terrible war. The
foreign commerce of this country now
aggregates more than $3.50 900 900 per an
mum. and the bulk Of 1t is with Europe
In 1918 Great Britain exported SS0-
10000 worth of goods to Chile, and II
took back in exchange goods to the
amount Of $25,oOO,O0O. Chiie's COM
merce with Germany has averaged more
than $5o,oO0OoO per annum, and Il has
been trading with France to the extent
Of ST., 900. Belgium also has had
good slice of the business, and Australia
has been sending in coal by the ship
.sas]oad In another letter l will take up
some OF the items and show the mighty
openings created by the war. This letter
] shall devote to the present conditions
and describe some of the big things that
Americans are already doing with view
to the future.
Few Americans in Trade.
within the last few months the Chill
can government has put its exposition
buildings at the disposal Of a commercial
museum for the display of American
products. The government is especially
friendly TO Americans. and within recent
years 1t has bought great deal of its
railway material from the United States.
1t now proposes to subsidize a line of
steamers which will go northward
through our canal to our Atlantic ports
and 1t Is anxious to establish the closest
of trade connections with us in view of
the loss of its European commerce.
We have already number of Ameri-
can ships that are plying between New
York and Chile. Some of them belong
to Grace Co, which controls the largest
part of the American business on the
west coast. This company has eight new
vessels in course of construction They
are large steamers and fitted for the
South American trade. They will come
= down through the canal to Valparaiso The
same firm has other ships plying north
and south along the Pacific coast, carry
ing lumber and flour. and it has many
vessels engaged in the carrying of MI
, trates, which from now on will probably
20 through the canal The Graces are
especially fitted to handle present condi-
tions. The firm has its branches in New
York. San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sc
attic and New Orleans, as we'll as in Lon
don, Manchester and Birmingham 1t has
the countries Of the west coast of South
America divided up into selling districts,
just as our wholesale houses divide up
their domestic
branches. agencies and travelling sales
men cover almost every part of Ecuador,
Peru, Bolivia and Chile. It has long
led In the selling of American farm ma
chinery and in the handling of kerosene
and Illuminating oils, but it also does a
general wholesale business of importing
and exporting, selling everything from
needles to steam dredges. and from push
carts to locomotives. 1t is the South
American representative for the west
coast OF the General Electric and Inter
national Harvester companies It is
noted for taking big contracts and its
capital and business already run high into
the millions.
In addition to the Graces there are a
number OF other firms pushing American
goods who are ready to jump into the
new situation and handle it to the full
est extent. Among these are VESSEL
Duval & Co.. the successors Of the old
Trims OF Flint, Eddy & Co. and Beeche
q Co., who have been long noted in Chile
and also Williamson, Balfour & Co. and
Anthony Gibbs. These companies have
offices in New York and are already en-
gagged in American Importation The
Bame might be said of Duncan Fox &
Co., which is an English house with
hrop Pha tn T~lN
y these firms sell more or less American
flour, cottons and various kinds of Amer
lean machinery. Nearly all handle farm
ing implements and are ready to take or
ders for American goods of any descrip-
ton. Our chief typewriter companies
have their agencies here and our phono-
graphs and graphophones are distributed
throughout every city and town. The
Singer Sewing Machine company is in
evidence everywhere, and the National
Cash Register keeps not only the ac-
counts OF most of the stores, but even
the cash OF the telegraph and postoffices
as we'll
8 Many After the Trade.
Many Of our great combinations OF cap
ital have long been planning to work the
South American trade, and the present
situation finds them ready to take ad-
vantage Of it. The United States Steel
company has had its agents in every
country OF the west coast. and for some
time its own ships have been going from
New York to these ports by the way of
the Strait of Magellan. They will now
90 by the Panama canal, and their re-
turn freights will be such goods as have
hitherto been carried by the steamers Of
Germany, France and Great Britain. The
United States Steel company already
sells more than half OF all the steel used
~ in Chile, and it is rapidly absorbing that
class of business throughout South Amer
lea A large mart Of thu huildinR nnM 90