Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-07
BY CASTOR NERvAL.,

~ INCE the beginning of organized
human society there has been
at one stage or another pre-
~ dominant nation, one who has
stood out paramount and unex-
/ celled In power. And in the course of
centuries the scenes and character Of
that supremacy have varied. At first
it was purely a military one. when ma
tons were solely engaged in warfare
and conquests. In those times the
| strongest and most warlike people all
| ways ruled Later that military pre-
\ dominance was transformed into an in
tellectual one and the most cultured
and civilized nation held supreme To
! day, when finance and the laws of COM
] merce govern the affairs Of men. this
| supremacy must be, without doubt, of
! an economic nature, and belonging to
the most resourceful, industrial and
\ commercial people in the world.
| AS result of this sociological phe-
nomenon, today we find the United
/ States and Great Britain, the two
wealthiest nations, disputing the SUI
premacy OF the world. They are the
most resourceful and industrial coun-
| tries. And it is because of this that they
| look to other fields for the investment
of their capital and expansion of their
| commerce. And as the earth cannot
| have two masters. two financial dicta-
tors. the competition for world SUI
premacy becomes stronger day by day.
| Not only in the naval program, in
| the construction of additional cruisers
or in the control of oil and rubber re-
| serves lies that Anglo American ri
| valry which, during the last several
| years, has been so eloquently demon
| strated. With the same zealouSness
| with which they dispute the naval
, supremacy or the possession of greater
| oil concessions in the world, Americans
| and English are today disputing over
| something more vital, and that Is the
! control of the Latin American market.
In Future Commerce.
| The Latin American market unques-
| tionably viii play an important part in
| the future commercial relations of the
world. It comprehends 20 countries of
vast natural resources and of inexfaus-
tible wealth, and practically all of them
are just beginning to develop their in
/ dustries. They are countries which
have been until now hardly exploited,
| who are beginning to enjoy the i'm
| mense wealth with which they we're
endowed by nature, and whose needs
increase with the passing of time. They
possess everything that could be de-
/ sired TO constitute an ideal market
] They have money, raw materials and
the means with which to guarantee all
! investments, and welcome capital as
well as the products manufactured in
Europe ano North America. Now as
a center for the investment of capital.
| now as a purchasing market. Latin
| America offers an incompatible per-
| spective.
This has been well realized for some
| time by the two greatest commercial
| nations. At one time they had quite
1 powerful rival in Germany, but since
| the World War she appears to have
been eliminated, and today the compe-
tition is limited to John Bull and
\ Uncle Sam.
/ Many are the circumstances that ia
yor the European commerce in Latin
America. The countries south Of the
Rio Grande are of European origin.
Settled and colonized for centuries by
Spain and Portugal, they still preserve
/ by historical tradition and cultural
ties q natural tendency toward Europe.
| The Latin American culture is more
| identified with the Old World than it
| is with Saxon America This is an
| important factor to be considered in
the development of commercial rela-
| tons, for it affords q considerable ad-
| vantage in the control of those markets.
This advantage, this favorable DISPOSE
! ton toward Europe. has constituted
| the main obstacle to the American ex-
| porter who is DESTROYS of gaining the
. patronage of Latin American consumers
Superior Merchant Marine.
1
Furthermore. he has been compelled
| to struggle against an inadequate mari
time service. Europe, and particularly
: Great Britain, possesses merchant
! marine superior to that maintained by
| the United States in its communica-
| ton with Latin America. 1t sufices
/ to state that the English and Italian
steamers offer third-class accommoda-
| tions to immigrants, which is. quite
an advantage to those lacking means;
! and which does not exist on American
| vessels This has materially aided the
/ immigration of considerable number
Of English-speaking people, not to
mention the Italians, French and Span
| iards, who, once permanently settled
| in Latin America, constitute the true
basis of competition against the Unit
| ed States commerce. In this connec-
! ton, 1t must be borne in mind that the
strict immigration laws of this coun-
| try have greatly contributed to encour-
age European immigration In the SOUTH
ern continent. Many of them cross
| the ocean with the intention of settling
in the United States, but once faced
| with the stringent immigration laws,
which forbid or render their entry
quite dif6cult, they continue south and
! finally end by settling In the Latin
Z A VII xr,tse "a
pean contingents are highly appreci-
| sted.
Another obstacle quite detrimental
to the interests Of United States bust
ness men in Latin America is the mis-
| conception which the latter have Of their
J true intentions and designs. The con-
slant and unfounded propaganda OF
Yankee imperialism" so prevalent In
| those countries has awakened a certain
! degree Of suspicion and distrust which
| do not exist with respect to the Brit
| ish or European commerce IN general.
| No fear is had of the economic influence
of Great Britain for it Is looked upon
| strictly on q business basis. While, on
the other hand. the American influence
and the economic hegemony OF the
/ United States are looked upon with
/ apprehension, because they characterize
i them as embodying political interests
| and ambitious aims. This legend Of
Yankee Imperialism Is partly the re-
| suit OF propaganda sown in the
/ Southern countries by the enemies or
rivals Of Uncle Sam, due to certain
/ international political acts Of the United
! states which have not been approved
! BY those republics-such as the inter-
yentions In Central America.
However, this barrier, which without
| q doubt, has been the most serious of
| all, Is now beginning to give way. The
Latin Americans, within recent times,
have shown signs of better understand
beginning to realize the true aims of
| the American business man and to
concede to him the same consideration
accorded the ENGLISH and others of