The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-12-05

trade an importer remarked to the
Associated Press correspondent: For
heavens sake let us stop talking OF
what We are going to do, and get
busy This accurately sums up the
attitude Of most Americans here. They
believe that if the United States is 70
get her share Of the trade Of the Am
aEon valley, there Is no Tins to be lost.
Prior to the war the Booth Steam
ship company, OF Liverpool, had viTtu-.
ally a monopoly Of the trade of the val
ley. During the few years immediately
preceding the raj the Germans a
been edging in and were steadily grow
ing stronger, but at the outbreak Of
hostilities these activities, Of curse.
ceased. The Germans who took refuge
In the south OF Brazil when this
try declared war are now beginning to
come back to the Amazon, and are re-
newing their efforts to gain a substan-
tial foothold. With the renewal OF
business activity since the armistice,
the Booth line has not had enough
steamers to handle the business.
There is now an opportunity fer some
American steamship company TO come
in here with a first-class service and
capture the business the Germans were
going after when the war broke out,
as wei as a fair portion OF future bust
ness which will develop as the posi-
bilities of this great valley, immensely
rich In natural resources, become
known.
Since last July the Lamport & Holt
have been sending steamers to Para,
but local merchants say they need per-
manent and adequate service. The New
! York s. Cuba Mail Steamship company
has announced its intention OF making
Para a port call for its South Ameri-
can steamers, but so far only two have
arrived, n there Is uncertainty as 20
the future service. The Prince line IS
| temporarily making this a port OF call
| for their ~northbound steamers to New
Orleans. and, since this service was an
nounced, the Brazilian Lloyd Is said to
be considering the opening of a line
from Rio de Janeiro to New Orleans,
via Havana. ,
The steamer Cotopaxi, a United
| States shipping board vessel. is nov
repaired and will leave shortly. she
is loading a cargo Of cedar logs. The
Cotopaxi is a fabricated ship, She
was on her way TO Pernambuco with
coal when she developed engine trouble
and Just managed to reach the mouth
of the Amazon where she ran aground,
Local Americans are enthusiastic as
to the future possibilities of the deVel-
! opment of the Amazon valley, and are
OF the opinion that the United States
should devote attention to the unde-
veloped market here for American
| goods. as also an inexhaustihle source
for mary valuable raw materials need
ed by manufacturers Of the United
States. The region watered by the
| Amazon and its thousands OF a~ffluents
is larger IN area than the United
States, and all the produce of this i'm
mense area must pass through Para
as this is the only channel Of the river
which is navigabie to the ocean, For
this reason Para Is known locally as
"The Gateway OF the Amazon"
II is earnestly urged here that there
should be a regular, first-class, Ameri-
| can steamship line from New YORK 70
| emit schedule, If the United states is to
play an important part in the develop
ment of the valley Of the AMAZON.