Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-05
ONE STUDYING SPANISH TO GET TRADE

Il TO GET TRADE
tiyes and by opening branch houses
m number of the principal Soutn
American cities.
There is great need in South Amer
lea for American contractors and build
ers, particularly for those who can I'M
dertake the financing, equippins and
construction and operation OF public
Utilities. 1t must be remembered that
South America is really one of the least
developed of the great sections OF the
earth. There is tremendous work
to be. done there In financing public
utilities developments and improve
can yield anything like its maximum
production.
Thus. although Argentina is sew
enth among all nations of the earth
in wheat production. fourth in the
area of wheat sown and either first
or second in the amount of wheat ex-
ported to other countries. not more
than one-fifth of the acreage, avail
able for wheat production is or has
been under cultivation. This should
give some indication of the wholesale
future possibilities Of the country.
The European nations are making
the most strenuous efforts to get all
possible. business, in Argentina after
the war. In this connection let it not
De overlooked that there is something
invested in Argentina as compared
with $1o0,000.00o Of American capt.
tai Germany's investments have been
so carefully placed that she has OBJ
tanned great commercial advantages
through the pressure she can bring
a re-
than $4,000 Germans in Argentina as
compared with 5000 to. 10000 United
states citizens. Many Of these Ger
mans occupy prominent. positions in
the educational and scientific life Of
the country, particularly as regards
technical education.
There has probably been no other
keep American
German Teachers goods out of Ar
Injure America. ,nstruotions
which these German teachers give
their pupils. They make it appear
that the people of the United States
are industrially backward; that they
cannot make many or advanced types
of machinery or tools, and that these
can only be had from the fatherland"
The way in which the mechanical
genius of the American people de-
vised herculean machines to break
up the war machine of Germany has
been a revelation to the people of
South America. They are now looking
to the north for agricultural machin-
cry of all kinds and for construction
engineers to build means of transpor-
tation.
In many glowing pictures that have
been drawn regarding trade oppor-
tunities in South America the COM
merce bodies have failed to sketch in
the German vandal, who will be more
stealthy and daring because more
desperate than five. years ago. There
must be guard maintained also
against the stealthy influence exerted
in almost every South American coun-
try. This is one Of Germ any's great
est assets abroad.
German branch banks in South
America were established twenty
eight years before American branch
banks Yet in November, 1918, the
combined deposits of the two Amer
than those of the two German banks.
South America has been a favorite
field for German piracy, particularly
as regards American trade marks
Secretary Redfield in his annual re-
port warned against this. In many
South American countries the man
who first registers a mark is the
owner, no matter if the same mark
has been used and advertised for
many years by some other party in
another country. 1t is easy to see how
serious a situation. would result If
any considerable number Of American
trade marks should pass into German
hands in the South American markets
The travelling agents of the United
States bureau of foreign and domestic
commerce and the commercial at
taches have been very vigilant during
the last year, and have warned
against innumerable attempts by Ger
man agents.
The situation has prompted Secre-
tary Redfield and Burwell S. Cutler,
chief of the
Plan to Illustrate bureau of for,
Trade Snipers." m ms anu oa W.
merce, 10 urge authorization In the
legislative appropriation bill now
awaiting action in the House for the
of a foreign patent and
trade mark expert to Illustrate the
German wiles and those of other trade
"snipers."
The increasing zeal of the Depart
'uent of Commerce for promoting
American commerce in South and
Central America is seen in the expen-
ditures in 1917 of $500 and in 1918
$29.431 by the bureau of foreign and
domestic commerce. and disburse-
ments by the commercial agents in
1917 of $3.50, and in 1918 of S54,624.
For the development of trade with
South America the pending legislative
bill proposes S125,00O,
which Secretary Redf1eld told the
was a very moderate APP
preparation" He said it was the in
tention to have twelve special agents
travelling In South America and to
supplement- this force with some com
mercial attaches.
Mr.. Cutler explained that the bu-
reau has planned to have two divi-
sions of these trade commissioners
one Is called the resident trade corr
and the other who takes IN
one commodity, is a travelling trade
c n