Omaha daily bee., 1917-04-22
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 Press)

done to the trade of Spain with Eng
land, France and other belligerent
countries, it has not hurt the trade
between Spain and the United States,
but has even improved it. There is
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 is in a panic
over having its fruit trade with Eng
land cut off, more Valencian grapes
are going to America than before the
war. The cork groves of Andalusia
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
terest 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 posses
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 left a 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. e.
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,
-. - ~ e..
ean Il aug rof the ilfst tiine AMER,
edn passenger franc IS coming ana
gong 9y tnese INES, instead OF gong
which are in the danger zone. A new
Spanish line has been started to the
Philippines, and the lines to Cuba, the
Antilles and Spanish-American ports
nave been largely augmented.
1t is one OF the notable characters
tics OF the war that trade and ship
ping are leaving the countries at war
and are coming to the countries at
peace.
There are some curious features Of
the increase in trade between Spain
and America which has resulted from
the submarine war and the cutting of
Germany's trade with Spain. While
American automobiles are having a
great boom in Spain, they have one
curious drawback in not being able to
bring along the American tires, as
these are rubber and contraband of
war, subject to all kinds of restric-
tons and regulations,
Auto Trucks Are There.
The American auto trucks are caus-
ing revolution in Madrid along three
distinct lines: First, doing away with
the huge antique carts which labor
along the streets; second, supplanting
the long tandem teams of oxen and
donkeys, covered with jingling bells;
and, finally, changing Madrid from
one of the worst paved capitals of
Europe to one of the best The Span
iards look with awe at the disappear
ance of their ancient methods before
the march of improvement.
A complication has arisen over the
shipment OF American meat to Spain.
The Spanish ships were glad to get
this class of freight, but the ships
were not provided with the necessary
refrigerating plant. As this is essen
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