The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1915-06-03
j. s. COMMERCIAL RELA-
TIONS With SOUTH AMERICA
Concise And Able Exposition Of How Our I'm
mature Commercial Relationship With South
America Would Blossom To Full Fruitage In A
Pan American Commercial Alliance.
Paper Reod Before Pierian Chautaqua Circle By Dr.. p NJ

and desire and special habits, by
overlooking those minor things and
substituting our own, by marking
style and size in United States sys-
tenn in inches and the weight in
ounces or pounds instead of using
the metric system which is in gen.
eral use in that country, and by
using prices in our currency instead
of theirs, and finally instead of
sending agents, solicitors and trav-
hing men who are not trained for
that perculiar kind of business, hab-
its and customs and that some of
them are not even able to speak the
native tongue and in not selecting
men who are familiar with the
trade conditions and not even equip
ped with special training for a
business career of this character.
All these mentioned points might
seem to be only trivial matters, but
practical experience has taught us a
different lesson, and by considering
those facts we will plainly see plen-
ty of reasons why our commercial
connections with South America
have been so limited and the bust
ness trade is carried on such small
scale, and all this in spite of that
country being such natural market
on account of the geographical re-
lationship and of the protection of
the Monroe Doctrine.
The following words taken from
letter written by an American bus
mess man located in Argentine en-
lightens us on this commercial re-
lationship. He says: Il want to
wake up the capitalists, manufact-
urers and business men of the Uni
ted States to the enormous oppor-
tunities of the South American mar
ket. The war in Europe has thrown
it wide open and has offered us ad-
vantages that may not come again
in century. Until now the big
things of this part OF the world have
all gone to Europe. This is SO, not
only as to the selling of merchan-
disc, but also as to financial invest
ments, and good government con-
tracts; twenty-five per cent of the
public and private loans having been
placed there. Great Britain alone
has more than one billion in good
dividend paying Argentine railways,
and Germany, France and Italy
have large interests in banks and
industries of one kind or another.
The foreign trade of Argentine now
amounts to one billion per annum
and she ranks second on our hemis-,
phere as the best market for foreign
goods. The people down here are
friendly to us. They have recently
erected statue of George Wash
ing in the principle park of the cap
itol. They like our manufactures
and there is no reason why we
should not compete with other ma
tions in almost any branch of for
eign trade"
These words, even if they have
reference to Argentine alone. give
us a good illustration of prospects
for trade and commerce and at the
same time express the sentiments Of
people who know by actual exper-
ience. Now / do not want to cre-
ate the opinion that we have no
commercial relations at all, most
emphatically not. OF late years more
and more American capital is seek
ing investment in South America,
in mining industry, in
development of rubber plantations,