Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-03
TRADE OF LAT|NS
HANGS IN BALANCE
Secretary of International High
Commission Sounds Warn
ing to Business Men.
TELLS OF TRIP SOUTH


the international high commission
which was formed in Washington two
years ago in connection with the first
Pan-American financial conference, de-
hvered an address yesterday afternoon
at the Pan-American Union before the
convention of the Chamber of Com
merce of the United States on the
work of the commission
DR.. Rowe told of some of the present
day situation in Latin America as it
affects the trade of the United States,
and warned American business men
not to be too optimistic as to the future
OF this trade il conducted hereafter as
1T has been in the past. He said, in
part:
Progress Not Permanent.
We are constantly speaking of the
european war as laying the founda-
ton of Americas Industrial and f1nan-
cial leadership. There is something
almost naive in the widespread feeling
that this remarkable expansion of our
foreign trade will continue as a per-
manent asset of the country. If, on
the other hand. We deal with facts
rather than with fancy, it will not take
US long to see that the progress that
trade does not represent by any means
permanent part of our commercial
expansion.
In fact. there is widespread feel
ing throughout Central and South
America that American merchants and
manufacturers are exploiting to the
FULLEST extent the needs of Latin
American merchants. and that they are
paying but little heed to the conditions
that VIII arise Immediately at the close
During the last two years T have
made two prolonged trips through the
country Of South America, and 1 could
not help but be impressed with the
deeply rooted feeling Of irritation on
the part of Latin American merchants
because Of the fact that our own manu-
facturers were taking advantage of
the fact that they could no longer Sc
cure the goods they wanted from some
OF their European sources. to exact
from them not merely unusually high
prices. but to require of them other
onerous conditions with reference to
financial arrangements. Rightly or
wrongly. there was a distinct feeling
that the United States was utilizing a
momentary opportunity without at
tempting to lay the foundations for
permanent commercial relations with
the merchants of Latin America.
Must Not Delude Ourselves.
Let us not delude ourselves with ref
erence to what is going to happen i'm
mediately at the close of the European
war I found the Latin American mer-
chant longing to resume his relations
with the German manu-
facturers. In fact, he was looking for
ward to the close of the European war
as a promise of emancipation from the
exactions Of the American producer
Il make this statement. not so much
with the view of casting any reflections
on Our American merchants, but to
point out that IL we are concerned not
so much with the utilization Of tenn
porary advantage. but rather with the
ing place in South American trade, we
must lay the foundations far deeper
than they are at present and of char
acter upon which the good will Of the
South American merchants can be de-
veloped
I'VE must also have sufficient per-
spective, sufficient vision, sufficient
insight and foresight to see that an
important part of the structure that we
are attempting to rear will be greater
in commercial methods,
greater uniformity in commercial legis-
lation. greater certainty and security
in financial arrangements and the
gradual removal Of those irritating
administrative regulations which are
too often real obstacle to the develop
ment of International trade.
Tt is to these purposes that the in
ternational high commission has ad-
dressed itself. The direct outgrowth
of the pan-American financial con-
ference of 1915, it represents as 1t were
permanent standing committee of the
conference; Entrusted with the accom-
plishment of definite, practical pur-
poses which will bring about greater
unity of thought and action on the
American continent in matters relating
to commercial methods, commercial
law and financial arrangements"