Evening star., 1933-02-05
RACE IS ON TO INCREASE
SOUTH AMERICAN TRADE
Uncle Sam Doing Lot of Talking While
European Powers Actually Are
Going After Their Share.

trade arrangements among the various
Latin American countries, Is being re-
vived by Chilean, Argentine and Bra
lillian statesmen.
Economic Bloc Proposed.
A dispatch from Santiago announces
that President AleSsandri, who was re-
Gently inaugurated Chief Executive Of
Chile, will soon issue manifesto urging
the formation of Latin American eco
nomic bloc. This goal has been cherished
for almost 80 years by some Chilean
economists, and not long ago, in 1881,
it came close to being taken up formally
by various Latin American governments,
which were invited to special confer
ence by the Chilean minister of foreign
affairs. Political disorders in Chile up
set the projected congress, but even
then the Chilean suggestion received
wide approval in the neighboring ma
tions.
That Chile Is not alone in its sup
port OF regional trade pacts is shown by
the meeting last week of the foreign
ministers Of Argentina and Chile in the
border town OF Mendoza, where they
discussed as press correspondents re-
port. the modification of strictly ma
tlonal tariffs and the enactment of mu-
tu41ly protective measures to Offset any
retaliatory acts of foreign competing
nations"
A much more important meeting Is
scheduled to take place soon, when
PRESIDENT Justo OF Argentina will visit
PRESIDENT Vargas OF Brazil. A rapproche-
ment OF the two Latin American states
is expected to follow, which is bound
to have far-reaching results, both In the
political and economic lineup of the
entire South American continent. An
Argentine Brazilian reciprocal trade
agreement seems practically assured,
Wnle other neighboring countries NAV
pc invited to join in and help con-
stltute the first regional economic bloc
in that part of the globe.
Thus, with the world powers increas-
ing tneir efforts to capture a larger
snare OF the Latin American market,
ana With regional accords among the
southern countries themselves looming
On the horizon, trends of Latin Ameri-
can trade seem to be on the eve Of
undergoing fundamental changes.
Time Ripe for Action.
Latin American trade is at a cross
ioeo II any one is interested in divert
ing 1t his way, let him speak now. Tx
buyers to act. And as far as the Eu-
Topeans are concerned, there is no
oouot about their being active TODAY.
meanwhile. what is Uncle Sam doing
about 1t? He has the largest share at
STAKE IN this race for the Latin Ameri-
can markets. He is the closest highly
lndustriaized neighbor of the southern
repuolicS. He has the greatest invest
ments ana controls some of the largest
commercial enterprises in that part of
| the world,
Ii any country should be interested
az all in this race, that country is the
| united states. Now more so than ever
Wnen reasons too well known to need
explanation here have caused the
oWlnollng OF its foreign trade and the
cooling OF its financial relations wiz
about it? N'=
He is talking about It. For the las,
1eW months talk of reciprocal tariff
arrangements, tariff revisions and debt
adjustments with the Latin American
| countries has been popular with edi.
torlal writer's and political speakers in
the United States. Ever since the Demo-
cratic Landslide many beautiful things
Eave been said about the new era which
Is 70 begln In lnter-Arericap CONNER
cia! relations. The new deal' is going
10 be extended to the other half Of the
western Hemisphere.
Buy. Pan-Anerican" idea.
The talk has been so insistent that
the sponsor Of the "Buy-American'
movement now il vogue has defined
the term American" in its greater
sense, making it include the 20 Ameri-
can republics of Latin America. The
STRENGTHENING of commercial ties with
Latn America Is one of the features of
TINS movement. It might even be said
| CndC the movement ir
American" one. and in this respect it
embodies the long -dreamed-of ideals of
distinguished statesmen OF the two
| Americas.
No doubt Uncle Sam is talking about
1t. But is talking sufficient when other
world powers are actually gcing-and
going in high competitive race-after
their shares?
In previous article enumerated
the several problems Of a political ma
ture with which the new adninistra-
ton will be confronted in the realm of
inter- American affairs. Perhaps Of
more importance than any one Of those
political problenls-of more immediate
importance, st leaSt-wiu be the i'm
provemenG of commercial and financial
relations with Latin America.
The incoming Chief Executive will
have to do something about entering the
United States in the present race for
Latin American markets. Not only po-
litical and economic reasons demand it
so. Even psychologically the movement
is most propitious. for the Latin Aneri-
cans have expressed their confidence in
the progressive and liberal principles of
the Democratic leaders and ore await.
ing eagerly the dawn Of the new deal"
to break across the Rio Grande.
Copyright. 1933)