Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-09-08
A sToREHoUsE OF RAW MATERIAL

While Americans are aWaklng to the 1act tlat the
South American countries have trade that well worth
looking after few if any realize the Importance OF our
neighbo1s not only market for our surplus producs
but as great sorehOuse OF raw material from Wlcn 10
draw most of the things do not produce and Wch we
need in factories AS matter OF tact that sectoh
produces little that in contact with our products IN
the world markets the only OF any considerable I'M
pOrtance being wheat which comes mostly from the
Argentine We buy great deal of material from Europe
but this is principally manufactured products and most
of these we should make ourselves but with South Amer
lea it is different.
binder twne is made from Mexico importing 1t IN the
raw state in the shape of ssa grass Without the hides
and skins we purchase in South America the leather IN
dustry of this country would be of secondary Importance
instead of it leading the world Large the home prod
uction of CATTLE and the consequent hides, we do not
raise enough supply the local demand for leather goods
The boot and shoe harness and saddley binding ana art
leather trunk and bag, glove betting and auto trimming
and the tanning industries of the United States are Du
upon imports Of CATTLE sheep horses goat deer porpolse
and other hides from Latin America Without these the
great leather industry of the United States Wmch Tor
volume and excellence of product is far ahead OF any
country in Europe would sink into comparative lnslg
ncance Likewise much of the material used IN dressing
and tanning these hides comes also from our southern
neiehbors Weimport annually from $4,000 to 6O,00O
tons of tanning extract obtained from the quebracho
tree which is common enough in Latin America but u
known to us.
Our wool industry is great but do not grow enough
for domestic and import largely from South
clothing and carpet industries could not exist except on
very much reduced scale. Prior to the European war
Latin America supplied about one-eighth OF our wool
imports but since, that is in 1915 1t has Supped nearly
onefourth In 1915 there imported from Argentina
alone 657 ,3730 900 pounds of clothing WOOL ,
One of the most important imports OF the United
States is sugar. and 30 per cent OF TINS came
from the Latin American countries Sugar is food, but
i'm many respects and ndustriay it is in the same class
as leather for it must be refined and the refining INDUS
try an important On sugar, too depends the can
ming fruit preserving confectionery, baking and meat
curing industries and many others. Akin to sugar is
cacao the basis of chocolate foods and sweetmeas and
certain toilet articles and medicinal preparations. Then
too there is chicle from which the American stock OF
chewing gum is made and which is Indispensable in some
places, especially to the school girls.
In the metals Latin America is the worlds storehouse
Copper can be produced there more cheapy than any
where in the world although Just America prodc
ing the greater part of it. Lead is abundant and TN
which is not produced in the United States is PLENTIFUL
though we Americans have sought supply there
This will be changed in the future our trade with
our neghbors develops 1t is for the reason that Latin
America such store house of raw material that lts
trade is of such vast Importance for while supplying us
with an abundance of material it also furnishes us
market for vast quantity of manufactured products
since the newnesS of the country and the abundance OF
raw material has so far prevented manufacturing being
done on large scale. Scarcity of population and lack OF
skilled workmen has also held back this branch OF bs
ness While looking for trade it must not be overlooked
that buying is sometimes the most profitable part OF
business and what we buy from Latin America is OF
really more Importance than what we sell her.