Evening star., 1927-05-03

The third Pan-American Confer
Building. Certain newspapers out
side of Washington, obviously unin-
formed as to the accomplishments of
the two previous conferences and of
the program of the present one, are
scoffing at the hope that any good
can come out of such conferences,
unless the American protective tariff
policy be completely reversed, SO as
to establish free trade with South and
Central America and the islands of
the Caribbean Sea. Such detractors,
eager of attack upon the administra-
ton, appear quite ignorant of the
fact that already we have almost com.
plete free trade with our Pan-Amerl-
can neighbors, and that what few
articles or products are subject TO a
tariff are such as are in direct COM
petition with the products of our own
farmers and stock-raisers.
Besides, exports and imports or
merchandise constitute only one or
the topics which are found to De OF
mutual interest at these conferences.
There is sanitation, in whose uni
form maintenance the whole western
There is the acceptance of code
of uniform international law, formu-
lated in Washington by these confer.
ences, and almost universally adopted
throughout Pan-America. This In
cludes arbitration peace treaties.
There is the adoption of uniform
patent and trademark laws, which
goes so far toward protecting justice
in trade. For example, in certain
Latin American countries. 1t has been
the practice of importers and agents
of American manufacturers, when act
ing as representatives OF goods made
in the United States, to register the
trade mark In their own country, in
their own name, whenever the pro-
tiucer In America became careless In
attending to that protection, in
advance of introducing the article to
the pan-American trade. Trademark
LAWYERS in those countries even
argued that that was an ethical busi-
ness practice, on the ground that the
agent of the article must protect him.
self, even against his principal. That
practice Is no longer recognized as
legitimate.
There is now established a commits
sion covering all the pan-American
countries for the collection of pecun.
iary claims and maintaining financial
ratings of dealers.
All these developments grew out
of the first two conferences and none
have any connection with the protec-
tive tariffs of the United States.
In an address by DIR. Julius Klein,
director United States Bureau OF For
eign and Domestic Commerce, MADE
last January 10, on the occasion OF
the anniversary of the deceased Pres-
ident Mckinley, DIR. Klein said:
.'As for the allegation that the
United States is interposing some OBJ
stacles to Latin American imports
either by tariffs or otherwise, the most
effective answer is in the statistics OF
the values of those imports which, as
Indicated above, have now reached the
formidable annual average of bill
lion dollars year during the past
few years, with a steady growth in
volume each year, even though Values
occasionally lag with drops In prices
There may be a few minor Latin
American products encountertng oc-
Ca asionaI. more or less debatable linn
itations in our trade, but so far as any
supposed tariff obstacles are con-
cerned, IL we exclude sugar, which is
on q special footing because OF the
preferential arrangements existing be-
tween Cuba and the United States, we
find that more than so per cent of the
total imports of the United States
from the Southern republics enter free
of all duties. !
"In the case of the West Coast OF
America, the free portion fs SO per
cent of their exports to the United
States and on the East Coast the share
is S2.7 per cent. This is an obvious
since so large a portion
Of the total shipments are made up of
essential raw materials for American
manufactures Of exotic tropical and
subtropical products in no way com
peting with native North American
industries"
In DIR. Klein's annual trade review
of last January 3, this was said OF
our commerce with Latin America:
Exports to South America in 1925
reached more than $450O0O, 900, the
largest figure ever reported, except in
1920, and, in view of price 1ni1ations
in that year. the greatest from the !
standpoint of quantity in our history. |
1t was about 10 per cent bigger than |
in 1925 and double the value in 1922.
"While exports to Argentina, the |
largest of all South American mar. |
kets. showed a slight decline as COM /
pared with the preceding year, this
was more than counterbalanced by |
great gains elsewhere, notably In sales !
to Venezuela, Chile and Colombia. |
where the increase is, in large part, !
due to the development of oil and |
mining enterprises by American CAPT. |
tai. Exceptional conditions-notably |
the lowered price OF Cuban sugar and |
the disturbed situation in Mexico