The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-04-03

there was no appropriation of public
funds for the expense.
About so business men who as whole
represented banking, industrial and COM
mercial life Of the United States, com
posed this organization, which was
called the Latin-American return visit
committee. The reports sent to Secre-
tary McAdoo. which he was this morn
ing able to make public in convenient
form, are voluminous and remarkable
for conciseness, as well as thoroushness
of detailed information These various
reports will be of great advantage to the
delegates who will attend the annual
meeting of the American Export asso-
citation, which is to be held in a few days
at Cincinnati.
One of the most prominent facts or
suggestions set forth in the report made
to Secretary McAdoo by President Farrell
is the statement that the various reports
as contain evidence of the pressing need
of the kind of legislation which would
permit the producers, manufacturers,
and merchants in the United States to
combine exclusively for the purpose of
export trade. President Farrell said in
his communication to Secretary Nc
Adoo: ut has been all too true, as the
text OF the Argentina reports puts it.
that there are very many persons who
take it for granted that unless a partic-
enough, powerful enough to engage in
direct exporting It has no alternative
but to confine its efforts to the domes-
tic market" But. Mr. Farrell says
"once more the members Of your commit
tee feel that the business community OF
this country must be awakened to the
necessity of, and the full advantage 10
be derived from, such legislation as the
Webb-Pomerene bill, which permits CO.
operation and combination in the expert
trade
WHAT ROOSEVELT SAYS
1t is an interesting fact or coincidence
that upon the day when this report by
President Farrell was made public by
Secretary McAdoo, Colonel Roosevelt IN
his speech at Portland, Me- defended
big business. saying that if great indus
trial enterprises and corporations are
impaired by the Sherman law the pros
perity of the country will be in like meas
ure impaired
President Farrell calls the attention
of Secretary McAdoo to the fact that the
mutual interests of the United States md
our South American republics were APP
parent to all the members of this COM
mission, put with the entrance of the
United States into the war, Pan-Ame,i-
canism has become an essential element
of the great task of winning the war"
There are now nine governments of
Latin-America which have either de-
clared war upon Germany or have broken
of diplomatic relations. Furthermore
every country in Latin-America is now
supplying some material which is needed
IN the production of supplies and mini
lions of war and also considerable food
stun necessary to sustain the army.
The commission found that there pre-
vailed generally throughout South Amet :
lea most favorable disposition toward
increasing trade with the United States
This is partly due to the fact that Eu-
rope has greatly decreased its imports of
South American products since the war
began. On the other hand, exports from
the United States to Iatin-American
countries have greatly expanded both in
volume and in value. The great advan-
tage which the United States now pos