Evening star., 1928-11-25
Continued From First Page

are contributing considerably TO the re-
construction. of the war-torn countries
OF the Old World. In certain instances
such as England. Belgium and Italy
the stores of investments in Latin Amer
lea in the case of the first two coun-
tries end the thriving emigrant col
cnies in the case of the last mentioned
ere now being drawn upon to unusual
degree il rebuilding the economic fabric
CT these nations.
European Relationships.
But this European relationship with
tin America is not simply problem
- restoring pre-war trade contacts OF
ether assets. It is involving new ties
sing the very latest facilities of the
~,st-war age. For example. in the mat
,-r Of transportation We find the French
~'rec0y operating fast aeroplane-
;s.c.n1er service which links Paris with
cu-ncs Aires on an eight-day schedule
instead of the old interval of three
weeks or more. Similarly. the discussion
recently current in connection with the
Graf Zeppelin seems to indicate the
probability of a service with lighter
taan-air craft from Southern Spain to
the East South American littoral In
ether words, Europe is, shrewdly capi-
talizing her geographic proximity to the
eastward protruding Southern conti-
nent
The situation is further favored, from
her point of view. by the fact that these
markets Of Brazil and the River Plate
are by far the most promising of the
whole of South America. both from the
viewpoint of diversity of resources and
potentiality of buying power as well as
of relative remoteness from intensified
competition with American exporters.
Indeed, the postwar efforts of Europe
in Latin America are characterized by a
resourceful use of many hitherto latent
advantages. This is evidenced. for eX-
ample, in the propaganda campaigns so
vigorously launched in the Southern re-
publics by Mussolini through the medi-
urn of new de luxe steamer traffic, tours
on the part of the italian crown prince.
floating eXpoSitoirs. and so on. He is
favored in this work, of course, by the
very heavy Italian settlement through
. cut Brazil, where more than 30 italian
consulates are needed to look after
these settlers, and in Argentina. where
perhaps quarter of the population is
Of Italian extraction.
Another factor of economic signifi-
cance which favors this particular
racial bond between Southern Europe
and South America is the practice of
seasonal migrations by farm workers
These happy individuals are thus
SCARED the lardships of any Winter, as
they migrate back and forth across the
Equator from one harvest season to an
ether. The important feature of this
vast tide IF human contact, from the
commercial md economic point of view,
Is the ccrSe2nt reflection of business
practices md demands for commodities
with each returning migration. Much
cf the ccti~e postwar advancement in
agricultu~", mining and industry in
ITALY, Sp-" End Portugal is directly
traceable the inspirations arising
from thes2 -tnual return visitationS of
thousands =. workers of the more ag-
Cressive g ambitious types.
ring Advantage.
Incid. 8, this traffic gives Euro
'rean shi ~ decided advantage over
",.r ovn IN its service to the Atlantic
aboard Of South America. It is we'll
1own in shipping circles that all too
"eruortly the cteerage travel supports
he line. There is no prospect of any
'"nsidcrable third-clsss traffic between
18th end South America. On the other
-7nj. the European, lines have this
''~hiy profitable two-way volume of
t-a-'el il th7t third-class category
,i:cll lords the greater relative reve-
'l". And Cur immigration laws are
Ial- TO encourage fur her the expan-
81 &C his movement cf emigrants to
- ~cuthcrn continent.
CT ccurso, cne of the most striking
acees OF the recent relationship of Eu-
'',o to Latin America has been the
-',o-cursicn of the sterilization of Eu-
. 'pean currencies and buying power.
- NJ Salutary developments have set in
motion irnumerable demands through
vt Europe not simply for Latin Ameri-
r"n raw materials for the revival of
t>ld World industries. but also for
cpical and subtropical products of
mi-luXllry type for which there had
IN little market in Europe during the
e,ct-war depression. There is conse-
1ently today a rapidly mounting trade
l cacao, tropical fruits, feathers, semi
Tecious stones and many other COM
oddities for which Europe has until
Gently not been in the market for
ara.
Commercial Rivalry.
Much has been said of the rapidly in
ensifed commercial rivalry between Eu-
ope and the United States in the Latin
american markets. It has been alleged
that our success there has impaired the
secovery of Europe in this sadly needed
trade. and that our vigorous drive in
hose markets is bound to embarraSs
European traders. But. as has been fire.
ruently pointed out in these columns.
his new trade of ours is not war loot"
n any sense: it has not been taken
over from European exporters, but has
been built UP very largely out of COM
inodities which are peculiarly American
apecialties- motion picture
films, Office appliances, agricultural inn
plementS. and SO on.
It Is, therefore, quite possible for Eu-
rope to return to her old pre-war haunts
in the Latin-American market places
and, indeed. she has already appeared in
many of them. The exports of the
United Kingdom to Latin America last
year exceeded $500 ,000,0 as compared
with $348 100000 in 1918. It Is true that
if allowance is made for changes in val
ues during the intervening years these
figures represent slight decline in ac-
tual volume of trade: nevertheless, the
~ecent trend distinctly indicates the pos
sinility of Engiand's achieving its pre-
war volume within the next two or three
Years.
Germany's sales in the 20 Southern
~epublics are still below their pre-war
"alue as well as volume, having totaled
224.000. 900 last year. as compared with
523i 900. 600 in.1913.
Our Share of Trade.
So far as the relative proportion OF
rade Is concerned. our share has uni
'crmly advanced considerably since the
outbreak Of war. In 1918 we supplied
a per cent of the imports of the South
crn republics. whereas our share last
year was 377 per cent. Meanwhile
Englands fell from IS per cent to =
per cent and Germany's from l6.5 to 81
per cent
It is natural that our situation in the
northern tier of the Latin republics
should be especially favorable. In pre-.
war years we controlled about half oi
AnF s4 10 rx,l4n 1ac e