Evening star., 1918-11-10

.A1I.AIueTlCa ITdQe lOOIuS large. 4Ac
promptness with which the South
American coun-
War Has Proved tries responded to
~.,,. the. war needs OF
1VssAuAAt1es. the United States
and the allies. by furnishing tre-
mendous quantities Of raw materials
for explosives and food for the
armies, has impressed upon the busi-
ness leaders of this country the fact
that the sister republics to the south
can supply certain commodities for
which the United States has hereto
fore been dependent upon Germany,
Russia, India and other nations far
afield.
The war business that went to the
South American countries has so al
tered trade conditions. stimulating
manufacture and making agriculture
imperative. that these republics are
today requiring from the United
States machinery and other products
for which there was comparatively
little demand, a few years ago.
4
4 i
Exports from South America have
grown extraordinarily in response to
war-stimulated demand.
Expansion Imports have been re-
stricted, mainly by rea-
OF Creolt. son of the scarcity of
shipping and the need of distributing
tonnage with a careful scruple for
essential war requirements. A large
balance of trade has thus resulted in
favor of the Latin American coun-
tries. With gold imports from abroad
shut off by embargo. exchange has
risen to spectacular heights. Thus,
with undreamed-of credit, having
been for some time restrained from
buying what they want, our neigh
bors to the south are doubly blessed
with an unexpected abundance OF
money and consuming desire to
spend it. This looks to a brisk gem
eral trade with the United States.
Whoever gets to these people with
what they want first gets the busl-
ness and has captured a new GUS
toner who is likely to continue
trading. The business men of the
United States, favored by geograph-
fcal location and trade enterprise, are
determined to get there first
Aside from this zeal to spend their
war profits, the southern republics
offer a most encouraging market on
account of stimulated agricultural
and manufacturing enterprise. the de-
veloping of mining and forest prop
critics, the encouragement Of immi-
grafton and governmental patronage
to many previously neglected indus
tries.
X
The great merchant marine that the
United States is building is designed
with especial
Americas New co 81 deration
Merchant Marine. american q, rice ''o.n op-
portunities for trade. The Panama
canal, never yet used for commerce, is
looked to as a gateway to these re-
publics of surprising natural re-
sources. AS Germany and Great Brit
ain have heretofore commanded the
trade of South America on account of
the capital invested and the operation
of subsidiary banking institutions to
handle exchange and afford accessible
commercial information, so the f1nan-
cial interests of the United States are
now establishing branches in South
America, which will be wonderfully
helpful in building up trade between
North and South America. The Ma
tional City Bank of New York, the
First National Bank of Boston and
the Mercantile Bank of the Americas
are cited merely to show that the best
financial talent of the United States
has turned its attention to the South
American opportunity.
The developing trade between the
United States and South American
countries is not spontaneous, by any
means. It has been Systematically
fostered by the government and busi-
ness interests of the United States,
cooperating for business prosperity
and efficient development of industry
and commerce.
i
The bureau of foreign and domestic
partment of Commerce
Systematic has taken active lead
promo+;on ership in promoting
fTomotlon. trade friendship in the
sister republics and has established a
Latin American division to devote it's
entire attention to this field, which
has multiplied it's activities five times
over within the last two years. This
government agency has for years been
cooperating with the Chamber of
Commerce of the United States and
with the Pan-American Union in en-
couraging trade intercourse along de-
pendable lines that will cement the
friendships between the American re-
publics.
For years commercial attaches have
been attached to the embassies at
Buenos Aires, Lima and Rio de janet
ro to keep the Department of Com
merce advised of business conditions
and opportunities of interest to the
producers, manufacturers and export
ers in the United States. More recent
ly special agents have been sent into
the various South American countries
to make a personal survey and report
on the markets for various commodi-
ties. During the last year the
tic commerce has been organizing
trade diplomats who will be stationed
at the various ports from which the
United States has the least CONNER
cial information at present. Under a
new appropriation there will be or
ganized travelling trade commission
ers who will tour the countries and
"size up the situation in a report,
with recommendations of what this
X X
Both the bureau of foreign and do
nestle commerce and the Chamber
of Commerce of the