Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-23

ISL commerce Is uIlQGIJdkulk u ICdl
Offensive" to capture the South Afnert-
cc.n markets. the first step of which Is
the sending of this commission to Ar
gentina and Brazil.
At almost the same time. dispatch
from Spain states that the German
government has opened a remarkable
exhibition of its products in the BARGE
pose of attracting Latin American
merchants and tourists, thus promoting
commercial interchange between Ger
many and Latin America.
Meantime, here in Washington, where
the enthusiasm aroused by President
Hoover's goodwill trip has hardly
ceased to echo. the Congress is raising
of many of the nations south OF the
Rio Grande, the mere discussion OF
which has raised storms OF protest IN
Latin America.
Tariff TO Decrease Exports.
High tariffs on the principal export
products of the Latin American cour-
tries will cause an enormous decrease
in their trade with the United States.
They will have to seek new markets Tor
their products where duties are lover,
and. what is more serious. they will SO
seek new sources of supply for the man
ufactured articles which they buy. I'm
ports are closely related to exports.
Where the exports of Latin America go,
there she will buy her imports. the
country that purchases the largest
amounts of Latin American products
will have the best opportunity for SELL
ing the largest amount of its manufac-
lures in Latin America. This is logical
and natural. Moreover the raising OF
tariffs by the United States will dimtn-
ish the purchasing power OF the ex-
porting nations and cause them TO dis
continue buying in the United States on
their former large scale.
The case of Cuba is a good example.
Since the United States raised the tar1h
on Cuban sugar, seven years ago, the
export trade of that nation has de-
creased 35 per cent.
Politically the danger is greater. BE-
cause it is well understood in these days
that political misunderstanding bring
about great economic disasters. Dfrnin-
ishing the good will of the Latin Ameri-
can nations will greatly diminish the
opportunities for United States trade in
those countries. Lacking opportunities,
there can naturally be little success
We do not mean to say that at the
present time this good will is lacking.
On the contrary, now, more than ever
before, the Latin American republics
are DESTROYS of closer relations with the
United States and seem to understand
better than ever before the ideals OF its
people.
Threatens to Arouse Distrust.
Nevertheless, the high tariff policy
threatens to arouse suspicion and dis
trust and may cause changes of optr-
ion of political importance In some
states south of the Rio Grande. In
time high tariffs will do more to harm
the United States than the much-dis-
cussed so-called Yankee Imperialism,
which has hampered for so many years
the cause of pan-Americanism, ana
which is just beginning to disappear.
'.The North Americans. when they
take up this question of the tariffs, do
not take the factor of friendly feeling
good will--into consideration" q Latin
| American statesman declared. And to
| us" he added that Is the most i'm
| portant factor, for We are accustomed
| to direct our policies in accordance with
our sentiments of friendship. Where
we receive the best treatment we give
| best consideration, and with our con-
sideration go our commerce, our prod
ucts, our markets, which today are I'M
questionably the object of the keenest
competition in the world"
How is it possible" ask the Latin
| Americans, that a nation which Is
working to win the good will Of the
| Spanish-speaking republics and is in
! terested in their commerce Is at the
same time trying to shut its ports to
their principal products, thus injuring
the most important part Of their eco
nomic systems?"
The alarm felt In Latin America over
| the probability of increased tariffs is
so great that even in this country the
| press and the export trade agencies are
working energetically against the pro-
| posed high duties on certain Latin
American products. They understand
the immense damage such increases
| would cause and they realize the i'm
portance today of the Latin American
markets.
Three Countries Hit Hardest.
A mere glance at some of the pro-
posed increases affecting Latin Anneri-
| can commerce shows this alarm is not
wholly without foundation.
Cuba, Argentina and Mexico would
suffer the heaviest burdens.
Cuban sugar, which now pays q duty
Of 1,76 cents per pound. would have to
pay 2.40 cents: that on leaf tobacco has
been raised from 2.10 to $50 cents per
pound and that on stemmed tobacco
from 2.75 to 3.15 per pound. The first
of these new duties alone would cause
a general financial crisis on the island,
for the whole country lives on the sugar
industry and would cause the loss TO
the United States of her best friend
and best customer in Latin America.
Cuba'S export trade in fruits, oranges,
pineapples and grapefruit and in pota-
toes, onions, fresh beans, tomatoes,
peppers, etc. also would suffer from
increases averaging 100 per cent.
Argentine fiaxseed, a $25, 200, 900 item
in her exports to the United States, has
heretofore paid duty of 40 cents per
bushel. This has just been raised by
the President, under the fexseed tariff
law, to Sc cents, and the new bill pro-
vides for an increase to So cents per
bushel. The duty on corn would be
raised from IS to IS cents per bushel
Heavy increases, in some cases as much
as 100 per cent. in the duties on vari-
Gus classes OF hides, on wool, and on
butter, cheese and caSein, as well as
those on certain kinds of fresh fruits,
would seriously affect Argentine ex-
ports;
Turkey Tariff Hits Uruguay.
Mexico's exports to the United States
OF cattle, fresh beef and veal, hides
end wool, and all kinds OF fresh veee-
tables and fruits would be subject to,
extremely high duties under the new
law.
The increased duties on hides, wool,
etc. would affect the exports of Uru-
quay. Paraguay. Brazil. Peru, Vene-
ztlela and Colombia. Uruguay has been
working up a good trade with the
United States in dressed turkeys; on
these the duty would be heavily In
creased Chile has q good trade In
fruits. onions and potatoes, which would
suffer under the new law Increased
duties on cacao would injure the ex-
ports of Ecuador, Brazil, the Dominican
Da al