The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-06-23
OUR RELATIONS TO
 LATIN AMERICA
MURIEL HoTCHKIss

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 The term Latin America includes the expanse of territory lying south Of the United States, namely Mexico, l Central and South America and the l islands of the Caribbean. This region l is so called because in the years sue ceeding the discovery of America by Columbus, these countries were con quered and settled by people of Latin blood Even today in our relations to Latin America, we find, to a renarka- l ble extent, the Spanish language, the Spanish courtesy and the pride and sensitive feelings peculiar to those or Latin descent.
 l Until now, our commerce has been chfedy carried on with Europe, since there our goods found easier sales and ! business became more easily executed, flor trade follows along the lines of the least resistance until some outside force prevents.
 l That force has now arrived, restrict ing our foreign trade, as well as the commerce of Latin America. The fact that the European nations are flying at one another's threats, injuring and destroying their trade and that of oth- 1 CT nations has awakened our business men to the opportunities extended by lour southern neighbors.
 The advantages for commerce and means of promoting further relations with Latin America have never before been as serviceable. The Panama Canal which enables the Americas to be linked more closely, will make trade Eroutes much shorter. The Pan-Amer- l ican conferences, moreover, are bring | ing the United States into closer rela- tions to Latin America, both socially and commercially.
 1 Our principal relation / to Latin America is commerce, and with the arrival of our trade in Latin America, we may encounter some surprises, for we are not dealing with countries young and inexperienced in business methods. The centers of the enormous export and import trade with Europe are cities as noted and as beautiful as Paris, London, Berlin or New York. L.. s. Rowe, professor of Political Sci ence of University of Pennsylvania, states: Our judgment of South America is today as far from the truth as was Esurope's opinion of fifty years ago and our awakening will bring as many surprises as did hers. l Germany, England and France have been carrying on business in Latin America for years, and reaping enor- nous profits. Some Latin American firms have long established trade with European business firms and no in dueenaents could compel them to change. When suddenly cut off from their European supply by the war, l they have turned to the United States T l ropean nations will again step in and l regain their advantageous position 1 Thus it is impractical for the United States to think of gaining the perma- nent commerce of countries with which | Europe has been trading.
 | This however, does not mean that our advantages are small and un- profitable in Latin America It simply means that our trade waits in a. differ ent section. This section is on the - kI,s Icluding the countries of Peru. CoIom- bia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Equador, and IChile as well the smaller countries iof Central America Here we are i'm tmeasuraoly aided by the Panama ICanal which will reduce the price of 1shipping enormously.
 1 In trading with these western coun- tries of South America we will find methods very different from the ones we have been employing both in home trade and in commerce. with Europe. We, like the Europeans in South
 America, must build up our commerce
 gradually. Americans have the rather objectionable reputation of being 'tal-
 ways in a. hurry" A quick amassing
 of a fortune or what is termed the
 'get-rich-q quick policy cannot be car
 ried out in Latin America. The people
 of Spanish America are deliberate and
 patnstaking commercially and cannot
 be forced into 9 quickly conceived
 business policy.
 There are several essentials included
 in Latin American commerce which Americans should know if a, successful
 trade is to be built up. Perhaps the
 most important essential to the indi-
 vidua1 American exporter is the kind
 of salesman needed for introducine
 goods. salesman should, above all
 eb thoroughly verSed in the Spanish
 language, conditions of the country
 and temperament of the people as wei
 as other things important to an expor1
 business. Many important sales have
 been lost through the neglect or ignor-
 ance of the saIesrnen. Among the
 sa1esmen, perhaps, is most marked th< ! attitude of superiority of the Anglo Americans over the Latin Americans and we must learn our lesson of equal ity from the European statesmen.
 The exporter himself should know precisely the situation of the countrie. into which his goods are to be sent
 If accurate knowledge cannot bt
 gained, the exporter should himself in.
 vestigate the conditions. A man whC
 starts a branch of his business in an. other section of the United States ex- poets to know the means of transport atfon, railroad lines and finances, and
 yet he fails to know the same inapor-
 tant items in starting a business ir
 Latin America which is thousands o1
 miles away.
 Another essential is a better ship : ping policy. In the matter of ship meth the Germans take the utmost
 care. The exporters from America
 must know the conditions of shipment and what their goods must undergo in their passage from the shipping de
 partnent to their final destination.
 In the countries of Latin America there are a great many foreign banks, banks from Germany, France, Portu-