The Washington times., 1921-03-30
PORTUGAL OFFERS
FINE TRADE FIELD
Minister Burch Says Its Markets
Are Open to All Ameri-
can Products.
ny FRANK. A. sTET'sON.
Interns tionaI News Service.


Portugal is today alive as 1t has
not been for centuries" declared Col.
Thomas II. Birch. United States min
lister, TO Portugal. today on the eve
OF his return to his post in that coun-
try after a two months leave or ABB
sence here. the frst vacation he has
enjoyed in five years.
THE last twenty years have served
to demonstrate the fallacy OF that
terrific fatalistic dogma too long
widely held as a matter Of national
belief. that nations, like men. are
doomed irrevocably to grow old. to
die and to pass away.
Italy in Europe and japan in Asia
are proof to the contrary. The re-
vival OF Italy and of Japan are things
OF yesterday; that OF Spain nd Portu-
gal are true no less today. The re-
creation Of Portugal promises to
rank her high among those new ma /.
tions to which the war has flung wide
the portals of the future.
1T is unfortunate that we in the
United States do not know more than
we do about this worth while nation
of FIVE million people. As conditions
return to normal we will have the
opportunity to develop an immense
trade wit hthis republic because their
people like and trust us. They are
proud OF tfeir association with us in
thes world war and proud that they
were able to offer us the use of the
Azores as a naval base during the
war
GREA TTRADE Possibilities.
War teaches geography and en-
forces loyalty. The United States has
definitely entered upon that most fas-
cinating and profita o,e adventure, the
ie-discovery OF Europe. Portugal
forms one of the bridgeheads of the
Atlantic: one Of the western portals
Of Europe and its position is unri-
vailed in southwestern Europe. The
Possibilities for our trade are almost
unlimited. Portugal in the past was
outside the tide OF real world busi-
ness. All that is changed. Today the
country from end to end is alive.
eager to see, to know and is ready
and willing to buy.
1t is well for the American business
man who thinks of supplying the Por-
tuguese market to remember that,
though the country is not the largest
liz Europe. its markets are open 70.
sll that America has to offer and all
that Americans themselves require.
There Is need for the meeting of the
tools and implements for work. ma
chinery for development and the
wants Of the masses.
The people as a whole have pros
pered, their manner Of life has i'm
proved and their needs are conse-
quently greater. There is a middle
class with a growing demand for all
the comforts and conveniences OF full
middle-class life. and there is a
wealthy, refined and highly educated
upper class having the taste and 'he
means for the purchase of all the
luxuries in the great cities like New
York. London and Paris.
Thus the market Is wide and q
widening one. Nothing that America
may have to send but may here find
place SO long as prices are right and
the cost and means of transport do
not render them prohibitive, for the
Portuguese people like good things,
Will have them il they but see them,
and are prepared both to appreciate
and to pay for them.
LISBON TAKES NEW LIFE.
''The fine old city of Lisbon, asleep
for years, has awakened to new
lie In feverish haste, notwith-
standing the present. cost Of ma.
terials and labor, new Lisbon is
being run up with fine public build
ings, hospitals. banks, and ex-
changes. Five new bank buildings
are under construction and more
than a hundred modern apartment
houses are being built to help house
the rapidly increasing population.
New factories have ben reared and
others enlarged to afford facilities for
Lisbon's growing industries.
The San Carlos Theater, which
has been closed since the fall OF the
recently was opened to
receive the Pavlova Russian Ballet
company and even compared with
the days Of the monarchy; there was
a record attendance. The opera sea-
son is proving a great success.