The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-03-31
CENTRAL AMERICA is
RICH EYOND MEASURE
In Resources That Have Only
Been Scratched According
to a New Handbook.
tsraeI.L 70 &C rrLEaaAs,

1
WASHINGTON, March 3l.-Cen-
trail America as 1t really ls, as thriy-
Ing and progressive section OF our
hemisphere, rich. beyond measure in
resources that have only been
scratched, Is the subject OF q new.
handbook issued today by the bureau
OF foreign and domestic commerce OF
the department of commerce. RO-
mantle soldiers OF fortune ana excit-
ing revolutions have been entirely
overlooked by the author. Garrard
Harris, who, however. has furnished
interesting reading In his stories OF
the agricultural industrial and COM
mercLal revolutions that have brought
about so many important changes in
Central America in recent years. The
author Is concerned largely with the
| prospects for American trade and
American trade and American capt.
tai in this promising region. which
actually covers more square miles
Than the combined area Of the whole
OF New England, New York. Pennsyl
vaniu, New Jersey, Maryland and
Ohio He finds that we already sell
about fifty per cent OF the goods inn
ported, but Is strongly OF the opinion
that much bigger percentage OF the
! business should be done by Ameri-
cans as a result of present opportun-
tiles. To make the most OF these OPP
portunitIes, however. Mr. Harris de-
clares Ii Will be necessary to invest
more American capital in the repub-
lies. to extend more liberal credits.
TO improve banking facilities for ex-
port trade, and TO make more direct
md personal efforts in the markets.
American trade with Guatemala Is
nm example OF what investments in n
foreign country can do toward pro-
noting trade with that country.
American capital has been invested
| freely In the banana Industry in
Guatemala and practically all the
supplies needed by the fruit COmpan-
les and their employees have been Inn
ported from the United States. A
very cordial feeling has been devel-
oped in Guatemala toward the United
States. The desire for n closer So
cial and commercial relationship be-
tween the two countries is evident.
Many of the younger generation are
being educated in the United States
instead OF in Europe, as formerly,
and the number of young people who
speak English and have acquired an
understanding of the American point
of view Is steadily increasing. The
value of trade as means OF bring
ing nations closer socially and p0liti-
cally is too seldom taken into con-
slderation, in the opinion of Mr.. Har-
ris.
Among the many subjects discussed
in connection with the methods to be
employed in seeking Central Ameri-
can trade is that OF language. Letters
addressed to Central American deal
liz should be put into good Spanish
by some person thoroughly educated
in the language and familiar with the
best forms of business correspond
ence. Technical terms and American
ism should be avoided. The harm
that some OF our innocent Americans
Cannlo abroad is we'll illustrated by
thu fate of the brand of condensed
| milk, which bore the notice Made
Mt our plant" To the Engllsh-speak-
ing population of British Honduras
this meant that the milk was artitl-
cial and made from plant. They
would have nothing to do with 1t. The
label was changed and the brand is
now popular. Such Americanisms
are probably even more mystifying
to the Spanish-speakipg population.
The report takes up each Central
American country in turn and de-
scrlbes its physical features and eli
mate. the character OF the population
and the means OF communication. 1t
then takes up the agricultural, tim
Der and mining resources and the
manufacturing Industries. and fol-
follows this by n general description
Of the government, sketch OF the
banking system. and statistical
study OF the foreign trade. The Sec