Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-22
ROB'T B. REEVES
GIVES ADDRESS
Speaks Before Spanish Stu
dents on the Value of
That Language

Robert B. Reeves, secretary of the
Y. NJ. c. A., gave an interesting and
educational address before the mem
bers of the Spanish Club at their
rooms. Second and State streets, last
evening. Mr.. Reeves spoke on "rhe
Commercial Value of the Spanish
Language"
The purport of his address follows:
Spanish will within a few years
become the foremost of commercial
languages. The attitude of the South
Americans up to this time toward
their brothers of the north has been
that of suspicion and mistrust. They
have thought that the North Ameri-
can designs are aggressive, both on
their territory and commerce, but
in the last few years this feeling has
disappeared and a more friendly
feeling exists between the United
States and South America. This is
largely due to the policy followed
by the Government at Washington,
ID. c., to create a more harmonious
relation between our country and
that of South America. The tour of
the South American countries by
Elihu Root several years ago did
much to bring about this closer un-
derstanding and the consistent aim
VI lilc W CulllNdLS llllS
policy toward these countries has
done much to strengthen that closer
relation.
THE world war has also brought
the South American countries and the
United States closer together. Sew
! eral of the South American countries
have severed diplomatic relations
with Germany and some have de-
| clared war. This will naturally
bring about an alignment of the
countries that will prove another STEP
in cementing the unity between South
America and the United States.
What will be the result of all
| this? Simply this, our businessmen
will have easier access to South
American commercial fields and il
they are aggressive and fair in their
| methods, our trade with South Amer
lea will be greatly expanded. An
| other advantage that our business
men now enjoy is the superior bank
| ing facilities made possible in for
eign countries by the foreign branch
bank system effected by the new
Federal Reserve Act. The National
City Bank of New York City has
opened several branch banks in South
| American countries, particularly Bra
zil and Argentine. This system makes
| commercial transactions easier and
more efficient than formerly when
we had no branch banks there.
Another advantage is that after
the war we will have an enlarged
merchant marine that will be availa-
| BILE for importing and exporting bus
| mess with foreign countries. This
country will doubtless emerge from
the war as the strongest maritime
power on the face of the earth. This
is a natural result of the hundreds
of ships this country is building and
will build in the ne pr future to trans
port soldiers and supplies to the war
zone. When the war Is over these
ships will be available in South
American trade as we'll as in other
foreign trade routes, and will give
our businessmen ample shipping ia
cilities to successfully supply the
needs of South American countries.
America will also have a freer hand
in South America after the war for
the competition with Germany Will
not be SO keen as formerly; a pref
erence, doubtless, for England and
the United Staes will be exercised
by the Southern Continent peoples.
Prior to the war, Germany was rap
idly monopolizing the South Ameri-
can trade, with England a close sec
OHu. he european COUNTRIES maui
every scientific study of the needs
of that country and were far more
efficient than we are in our business
methods. They gave a longer term
of credit than our American mer-
chants do and they sent the finest
type of representatives to that coun-
try-men who could speak Spanish
and Portuguese huently and studied
the people carefully, as well as the
commercial methods, banking facili-
ties and economic needs. The result
was that competitors for this trade
were rapidly gaining foothold, while
our big businessmen failed to grasp
the big opportunities for trade eX-
pansion.
Big Opportunities
"The world war gives great advan-
tages. If our businessmen will re-
spond by making a more efficient and
scientific attack on the problem.
There is no trade limit to the trade
that may be secured, for competition
in the future will be intense because
the European countries, especially
Germany, will make a fierce effort to
regain the lost trade there.
What I have said in this con-
nection Is designed to show you the
absolute commercial value of Span
young men in the importing and ex-
porting business as well as in the
manufacturing of such products as
are sent to foreign countries. Obvi-
ously these great business concerns,
many of which will have CONNER
cial relations with the South Amerl
can countries, will need young men
and women in their employ who can
use the Spanish language fluentlY.
Spanish correspondents will be es
sential. Each office will need such
persons who can speak and type
write Spanish letters. There will
also be an unusual opportunity for
commercial travellers to go to these
South American countries to repre-
sent these big concerns there, and
they, of course. must necessarily
speak Spanish.
"It is a wonderful field-rlch In
opportunities, and 1 trust that many
young men of this city will avail
themselves of tho opportunity af-
forded to take this study by attend
ing our Spanish classes. The classes
for the second semester will be
opened Thursday, January g., 1918.
These study classes are held every
Tuesday and Thursday evenings until
the summer. Mrs lMenges, the teach
er in charge, j. fully competent to