The Washington herald., 1918-10-13
EXPORT TRADE
is BIG ISSUE
Hurley Aims to Win South
American Trade, Says
Holland.

Several years before the late WILL
lam WINS became the Republican
candidate for mayor Of New York
City he undertook to establish a
steamship line between the United
States and South America, for he was
persuaded that IL a well-organized
corporation with adequate capital
and excellent steamers could be es-
tablished, the United States would
gain some part of the South Amert-
can trade which was then and until
the war began chiefly possessed by
Great Britain and Germany.
Mr.. WINS enthusiasm was better
than his judgment He could not get
cargoes for his vessels and he was
compelled TO see Great Britain and
Germany still dominating interna-
tional trade. especially with Brazil
and Argentina. Now, Edward n.
Hurley, who Is chairman OF the
United States Shipping Board. and
who is a man of extreme caution so
far as making predictions is con-
cerned, announces that with the con-
struction of a great merchant marine,
and with the loss OF South American
trade which Germany has completely
met with, and Great Britain partially.
there is no reason why the United
States should not command much the
greater part OF that trade and hold
il after the war Is over.
Mr.. Hurley comments upon the fact
that the United States buys and con-
sunes more coffee than any other
nation in the world. Much the great
er part of our coffee comes from
Brazil, and we have been for years
paying Brazil about a hundred mil
lion dollars a year for the coffee we
have bought Of her. Nevertheless,
for lack of. shipping and other facili-
ties. especially banking, we have not
been able to pay Brazil in goods
manufactured in the United States
for the coffee we bought OF them.
Return CargOes a Factor.
Mr.. Hurley says that European
ships have controlled substantially
the entire shipment OF coffee from
Rio de Janiero and Santos to New
York and New Orleans. As many as
| three ships a month brought to New
! Orleans the coffee which was market
ed in the South and the Middle Vest
These ships. however. did not take
return cargoes to Brazil. as they
should have done under normal inter.
7
| cinnati, st. Louis and al the MIDDLE
West would have been in position 10
send return csrgoes to Brazil But
they had no ships. The GsIlnG1 Hni
English vessels which brought The
cragoes Of coffee TO the United States
received cargoes Of manufactured
goods which were made largely Of
raw materials and took these csrgoes
| to Europe.
Hereafter such an abnormal and OK
pensive method will in all probability
| be abandoned because the United
States is building a real merchant
marine. In addition TO thai. Amen
can hanks are establishing foreign
branches so that the American ship
and the American dollar. Mr.. Hurley
says. are going to work together,
How this can be done is illustrated
by Mr.. Hurley. who takes Brazil as
the object lesson.
Hurley submits Plan.
He says when American ships go
to Rio and Santos for coffee they
will carry American officers and
! seamen. In his opinion there are
no better statesmen or creators Of
goodwill in the world than the men
VINO man merchant ShapS WnlGn run
on regular lines from tn" United
States TO other countries. with our
coffee brought to us in American
ships and paid for in American
manufactured commodities. these
officers and sailors will exert them
selves to get freight.
We should be able to ship TO Bra
I'll. in payment for the coffee. tex
tiles. shoes. agricultural equipments
household furniture and other COM
modities. In addition to that. Bra
zil needs American capital for in
vestment in agricultural enterprises,
and the building Of new railroads
and the development of her magnifi-
cent water powers. Furthermore
Brazil will need a market for her
bonds and stocks and she should he
able to find that market in the
United States. This will mean the
sales in Brazil Of American cleo
trical machinery. railroad equipment
and other apparatus. and this will
create freight for the return voy-
ges Of American ships which oper-
ate regularly in the Brazilian coffee
and passenger trade.
ships. The keystone.
Mr.. Hurley regards the ships as the
keystone of this possible, great. inter
national commerce with Brazil. He