Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-12-05

y Washington. d. c.. Dec. liver
since the European war, our trade
with Latin America has been the OBJ
ject of great solicitude. Our manufac-
turers have taken shiploads of sam
Piles to South America; our bankers
have opened branches in the prin-
cipal cities. and our capitalists have
hurried south to investigate the virgin
mines and timber resources that have
been so widely heralded. The exploit
tation of Latin America by American
business men. in fact. has been so
thoroughly taken for granted that 1t is
with some surprise We discover the
tables turned and the Latin American
doing some exploiting on his own &C.
count-and in this country.
One of the most conspicuous ex-
amples of such a tendency is the OPP
ening Of big chemical factory in ST.
Louis, with block of floor space and
thousand employees. for lie purpose
of manufacturing white lead from Mis-
souri, pyrites ores. she process used
Is secret one; the enterprise is CAPT
talized at Ave million dollars, and the
stockholders are all Cubans. Here the
Latin American has discovered an OPP
portunity for making money in the
heart of the middle west where the
field is supposed to have been we'll
picked over by eagle-eyed Americans.
This Is unusual. but not an isolated
instance Latin Americans have been
haunting the New York stock eX-
changes ever since the war-bride
stocks began their spectacular rise.
and have been keeping their eyes open
for good opportunities. A Panaman-
ian who came to New York some time
ago. observed that Riverside Drive
was badly in need OF large garage,
and so undertook to establish one.
Today this garage is one of the mos,
profitable business ventures in Ne"
York, and the Panamanian is making
fortune from an opportunity that
was neglected by several million yam
KEGS. 1t has also recently been
brought to the attention of American
business men that Latin American
capital is developing several Ameri-
can mines; that it is largely in con-
troll of the Florida cigar industry, and
is acquiring stock in the large tropi-
cal fruit companies.
As an exploiter therefore. the Latin
American Is a credit to the hem1-
sphere, and as business man and
trade artist he is showing rapid pro-
gress. While American manufacture
ers have been busy selling dress goods
and farm machinery in South America.
the Latin American exporters have
been journeying to the United States
and obtaining contracts for asphalt.
minerals. coffee. chocolate. Panama
hats rubber, tagua nuts and handmade
lace. The United States is coffee-
drinking nation. in spite OF many re-
solutions to stop. and the Latin Ameri-
can Is taking care that 1t remains one.
1t may also be added to his growing
reputation as business genius that
he has started the Chinest and Japan
csc drinking coffee in their own coun-
tries. Brazilian merchants have es-
tablished coffee-drinking booths along
the principal streets of Toxic and Pc
king and returned to South America
with large orders for coffee.
Furthermore. the Latin American is
by no means sitting still and allowing
foreign capital to do all the develop
ing OF the industries and resources In
his own countries. When the war be-
gan the situation in South America
was much the same as in the United
States. The southern republics were
suddenly deprived OF long list OF
products that had always come from
Germany and were made to realize the
full extent to their dependence. Some
relief before long came from the
United States, but not before the Lat
In Americans conceived the idea Of
establishing a few industries Of their
own as a precaution against another
such emergency. Hence. many fac
tories have been opened up during the
past two years for the manufacture of
cotton textile. candles, SOAP ice and
furniture. and SO forth.
In countries like Uruguay. where az
riculture is the principal industry. ag.
ricultural schools have been estab-
lished by the government. which has
also imported millions Of trees from
all parts\ of the world and planted
them or unused land as means OF in
creasing the timber resources. Where
wool is produced in large quantities.
as In Chile, Uruguay and Argentina,
the sheep are selected and developed