Omaha daily bee., 1917-04-28
AMERICAN GOODS ON
MARKET IN SPAIN
War Proves to Be Commercial
Benefit and Big Exchange
in Trade Is Noted.
MANY BOATS IN TRAFFIC

|. Correspondence Of The Associated Prcss,) .
Madrid, Spain, March 2O.--Whatr
ever the submarine scare may have
done to the trade OF Spain with Eng
land, France and other bcllgerent
countries, it has not hurt the trade
between Spain and the United States,
but has even improved it. There is
a decided boom in American goods
on the Spanish markets, due to the
entire cutting off OF German goods,
which formerly dominated the mar
kets here. American automobiles and
trucks, American electrical supplies
and American machinery are sud
denly taking the place OF the Ger
man makes. A lively competition is
going on among dealers who used to
handle German autos and trucks to
get the agencies OF similar types OF
American vehicles.
Along with this boom OF American
goods, Spanish goods are being
shipped to America in greater guam
titles than ever before. While the
great port of Valencia 10 in panic
over having ito fruit trade With Eng
land cut off, more Valeneian grapes
are going to America than before the
war, The cork groves OF Andausia
and the south are also sending more
cork to America.
Here Spain Gets In. ..,. .
One of the most remarkable
changes wrought by the war is the
substitution of Spanish antiquities,
tapestries, paintings, ETC., for articles
OF this kind which America used to
buy in France and Italy before the
war. The shipments OF this class
have suddenly increased forty-fold.
King Alfonso has shown marked in
tercst in this awakening of American
taste for Spanish art, and personally
has loaned the famous collection OF
royal tapestries for exhibition at New
York. These precious royal possess
sions have not before been out OF the
country, dating for centuries back,
including the Moorish period, and
from the days OF the Toison de Orc,
or fleece Of gold.
This sudden stimulus OF Spanish
American trade has had the effect Of
greatly increasing the shipping from
Spanish ports to America. The natu-
raj result Of the submarine scare has
been to stop shipping from Spain to
nearby belligerent countries, which
was dangerous, and turn it into new
lines of shipping to. America, which
was safe. The German war zones
have lett narrow lane along the
coast of Spain by which Spanish and
American ships can move freely with
out risk, so long as they do not go
to England or other belligerent
countries.
Line Of Least Resistance.
| Naturally, shipping has taken the
line Of least resistance, along these
safe lanes between Spain and America
instead of the old trade routes to
England. now dangerous. As re-
suit Spanish shipping to America is
having a great boom. The large
steamship lines from Corunna, Vigo,
Santander, Valencia and Cadiz are
taxed far beyond their capacity. All
| their boats, formerly used largely for
trade with England, France and Italy
are now being turned into the Ameri.
can trade. For the first time Ameri.
can passenger traffic is coming and
going by these lines, instead of goins
up to Liverpool and Havre, both Of
which are in the danger zone. Anew
Spanish line has been started to the
Philippines, and the lines to Cuba, the