Evening star., 1921-04-03
BY BEN McKELwAY.

MCNEIL
- ERMANY. this country's second
strongest competitor for Latin
~ i American trade before the
war. is coming bac., INTO the
southern trade field with astonishing
,igor. and already has succeeded in re-
establishing herself as a real factor to
be contended with in our efforts to re-
tain commercial supremacy in South
America.
Reports to the Department Of Com
merce from commercial attaches in the
countries of Latin America are begin
ming to TEEN with stories of how Ger
many's trade representatives are land
ing a little order here. large order
there. gradually getting back their old
relations with the South American im-
porter. Anti-German propaganda. free
ly spread by British and American
tradesmen in South America: is being
than once lately, that the German man
ufacturer not only will offer his wares
more cheaply. extend credit on longer
terms. but will deliver the goods bar
gained for on the date promised
American manufacturers and export
ers are just beginning to realize this re-
newed competition. it is said. After the
war they felt secure in the belief that
Germany would be unable to ship mer-
chandise to South America. even though
her merchants were successful in plac-
| ing orders. 1t is now apparant that
Germany is able to. and at present is
delivering her goods
German activity is reflected in the
recent purchase by Argentina of
10. 900 car wheels: Chile's buying
quantities of dock and shipping ma
terial and by the sale to Mexico of
electrical equipment. all of the trans
actions being with German firms.
Purchases here and there of cheap
wireless equipment from German
| manufacturers are too numerous to
specify.
Germany's commercial agents are
studying the situation in various
South American countries closely to
discover the commodity in greatest
demand. They concentrate on plac-
| ing orders for these articles and de-
liver them before representatives of
competing countries, SO it is said.
have even found shortage to exist.
An example Of this practice was found
| in Mexico recently. where German
agents placed large orders for small
power electric motors and delivered
them before American tradesmen
realized there was market.
Germany's offer of longtime credit.
extending to six months and more. is
a bait which the South American mer-
chant can hardly refuse because of
the economic dificulties existing
throughout South America TODAY. And
as Consul Lee r. Blohm, at Frotera.
Mexico. points out in a dispatch to the
Department Of Commerce, Germany
can offer these terms only through the
assistance and sympathy of financial
! interests in the United States. Though
it is a well known fact that Germany
must obtain financial assistance from
abroad. it is unfortunate for Ameri-
. can trade in Latin America that that
pense of American exporters to these
countries"
GERMANY has been particularly ac-
tive in Brazil. Argentina. Chile and
! Mexico. although her efforts are by
no means confined to the larger and
agents are showing themselves all
along the eastern coast.
officials of the Department Of Com
! merce do not believe Germany has yet
reached the point where she can be
classed as dangerous competitor.
| a decade. but hardly before. Yet the
competition Germany offers is begin
ming to be felt by individual American
exporters. who are slowly realizing
the necessity for meeting it and treat
ing 1t as reviving menace to their
South American trade.
4 X x
When the Navy visited the west
coast of South America their accom-
panying air squadronS created A great
deal of interest among the officials of
the countries visited. One of the
direct results of the visit is reported
to the Navy Department from Panama.
Commander Guia of the Peruvian
navy brought to the United States
naval air station at Coco Solo, Canal