The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-17
AMERICANS RIVALS
GIVEN LONG START
Europeans Had Three Months
to Make Contracts in South
America.

George Edwards. sub-manager OF the
Anglo-South American Bank in Buenos
Ayres. who has just reached this city
on a special mission for his institution,
gave out yesterday some figures on
Argentina's exports for the calendar
year 1918.
These statistics. which he brought in
his portfolio, will be published in COM
plete form some months hence, Consid-
ering the high prices obtained for the
various commodities mentioned. they are
sufficient. he said. to prove the important
position which Argentina now holds in
the worlds commerce!
Cereal shipments in the calendar year
1918 were as follows: Wheat. 1890
900 bushels: corn. $1,000, 900 bushels
linseed. 100000 bushels; oats. u.s.
900. 900 bushels.
Huge Meat Shipments.
Meat shipments In the same period
follow: Frozen beef quarters. 5000, 900 {;
chilled beef quarters. 23.500; frozen
mutton carcasses, 1906, 900 frozen lamb
carcasses. $4,000.
Regarding canned meat shipments
only the figures for the frst six months
OF 1918 are available, but for that
period these amounted to SIS, 1000 tons.
ouebracho extract shipments for the
full year 1918 amounted to 122.200 tons.
Argentina last year shipped 5000
cases OF butter of fifty-six pounds each.
Hide shipments in 1918 were as fol-
lows Dry OK. 1.2s1,0 salt OK $780,
900: horse hides. 10000. Wool ship
ments amounted to about 900. 600 bales
OF approximately 1000 pounds each.
Mr.. Edwards said that these exports
have been productive OF immense gain
TO the Argentine Republic and that the
country has become so wealthy that its
business will be well worth striving for
He predicted yesterday that during the
next few years strenuous efforts will be
made by the United States and her
European and Asiatic allies to secure a
large participation in the import trade
OF Argentina, which. now that the seas
are open, will be resumed upon large
scale.
Three Months Wasted.
In connection with Mr., Edwards's pre-
d;ction OF contest for the import trade
OF the Argentine Republic and other
South American countries. bankers in
terested in the financing OF that trade
so far as the United States is concerned
complained that the far sighted Euro
pean countries had obtained start Of
at least three months over their COM
petitors in this country. They pointed
out that not until last Friday did the
War Trade Board take steps to make
South American markets more accessible
to the exporter and importer OF this
country.
For many months travellers to the
Argentine Republic on business have
had to go either via Europe or by steam
ship to the west coast Of South Amer
lea and eastward across that continent
by train to Buenos Ayres. The first
liner to sail direct from New York to
Brazil and the Argentine Republic sailed
last Friday, and premiums Of all sorts
were offered by those on the waiting list
for chance to embark.
The War Trade Boards announce
ment was to the effect that there are
now so many ships available for trade
with the east coast OF South America
that 1t will no longer be necessary to
continue the shipping preference pro-
cedure for these ports. A similar pref
erence in British ships was abandoned
in the latter part of November.
This relaxation is made possible by
the allotment OF shipping for the east
coast of South America by the Shipping
Board. In addition the companies have
been instructed to disregard any out
standing preferences heretofore granted
Doing away with these shipping pref
erences. 1t Is held. will save the Ameri-
can exporter interested In the South
American trade considerable inconve-
nience, to say the least
Cream of Contracts Lost.
While bankers interested in South
America say that 1t is better late than
never" they point out that Americans
who desire to import from Argentina are
three months late owing to lack OF
to the War Trn de
Boards prolonged restrictions and that
the cream OF contracts for the products
exported by South American countries
has been grabbed by British. Spanish,
French and Scandinavian interests One
banker said yesterday:
South America Is filled with all sorts
OF products which we need. but the Eu-
ropeans have got In ahead OF us Ameri-
can business men will find prices higher
than those already arranged for by Eu-
ropean nations There has been en-
tirely too much governmental restriction
on business and trade generally. The