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The Commoner
FEBRUARY, 1914
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South America and Its Great Future
By MANTON M. WYVELL
Fifty millions of people live south of the
Panama canal. The Spanish language is spoken
in all of South America except Brazil, where
Portuguese is the common tongue and Spanish
is seldom heard. Brazil4 has a population of
nearly twenty million, and occupies about half
of the continent. South America is a continent
of- gret possibilities. That vast undeveloped
country is a veritable storehouse of wealth, and
untold riches are contained in its forests, plains
and mountains. There are wonderful possibili
ties for development, and this development has
hardly yet begun.
The average American has neglected the his
tory, growth and characteristics of the South
American republics, yet those countries have all
had a 'most interesting history. And while the
development of the people has not kept pace
with the development in North America, much
progress has been made, both in the line of
stable government and in real civilization.
Much more progress will be made in the next
decade.
The opening of the Panama canal will tre
mendously increase the interest of the people of
the United States in South America. It will fur
nish an impetus to the trade between South and
North America which is already on a substantial
basis. It will stimulate the interest of manufac
turers throughout the United States who have
things to sell of practical use to South Ameri
cans. In fact, it would be hard to estimate the
possibilities which will result from the connect
ing of the two oceans.
Few people realize the extent of the South
American republics.
Brazil exceeds the area of the United States
by about two hundred thousan! square miles.
Argentina has a climate similar to the United
States, and is as large as all of the country east
of the Mississippi river plus 'he first tier of
states west of it. Bolivia is six times larger than
New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Dela
ware. Four Nebraskas could be put into Chile.
Peru is larger than California, Oregon, Washing
tori, Nebraska, Arizona, Utah and Idaho. Para
guay is four times larger than the state of Indi
ana. Uruguay is larger than North Dakota.
Venezuela is as large as Texas, Kentucky and
Tennessee. Ecuador is as large as New England,
New York and New Jersey. Columbia has an
ar.ea as large as Germany, France, Holland and
Belgium.
The purchasing power of the people of South
America is increasing vastly. Today over eight
hundred million dollars worth of goods are being
sold there, and fully five-sixths of this trade
could be handled by the United States with the
efficient cooperation of business men. American
merchants have increased American trade with
Argentina, yet today less than one-fifth of Argen
tina's imports come from the United States. An
analysis of Argentine imports for the year 1911
shows many lines in which our business with
that country might be greatly extended if we
sent highly trained Spanish-speaking salesmen
there., and if we open purely American agencies
in the cities of Argentina.
It has been estimated that nearly twenty-five
million dollars in animal and vegetable products
could be sold to Argentina in addition to the
comparatively small share now obtained by this
country. In Argentina there is a great demand
for canned fish, sausages and ham, and for candy
and confectionery of various kinds. Tomato and
other sauces are rapidly growing in favor. Near
ly one million five hundred thousand dollars
worth of sheep dip is needed in this country,
which has more sheep than any other country
in the world with the exception of Australia.
Argentina imports about thirty million dollars
worth of cotton goods; Uruguay about five -million,
and Paraguay about one million. Argen
tina is importing over one-fourth of "all the cot
on goods brought into South America. Argen
tina is England's seventh greatest customer in
cotton goods.
American manufacturers could find a rich field
in Argentina.
Criticisms have been made of the American
business methods in dealing with South America,
because the American business man has been
unwilling to take a small trial order. He wants
to do things on a large scale, and forgets that it
takes time to build up a business in Buenos
Aires, or, for that matter, in any other country
of Latin America.
It has also been said that the American busi
ness man tries to make tho South Americans
purchase materials as they are made in North
America. He does not try to find out what the
customs of tho South Americans are and the
things in common use there, and then try to
make goods of a similar nature. The European
merchant, especially if he is from France or
Germany or England, is more resourceful. He
finds out the things the South Americans like,
and then turns his energy toward making
articles in a similar way. In this way foroign
merchants have made greater headway than
have those from the United States.
Two-thirds of South America's total trade be
longs to the temperate quarter of that continent
namely, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and tem
perate southern Brazil. In the matter of foroign
trade, Argentina furnishes the most striking ex
ample. She has the greatest foreign trade peu
capita of any country in the world except Holland
and Belgium. She is spending more money on
education than on her war and navy depart
ments combined. Ninety-six per cent of her soil
is capable of yielding some economic return.
Two-thirds of all the meat consumed in England
comes from Argentina. Yet with an area one
third the size of the United States, Argentinahas
only eight million people.
There is a very large demand in Buenos Aires
for ready-made clothing. This is shown by the
fact that for that city of one million five hundred
thousand people, $1,500,000 worth of all-wool
ready-made clothing and $930,000 worth of cot
ton ready-made clothing were Imported in 1911.
The United States exports of ready-made cloth
ing" to Argentina have increased 400 per cdnt
within the past year, . but we are selling only
$50,000 worth a year. It is obvious that Ameri
can trade in this particular line could be vastly
increased there. Buenos Aires also bought
$1,720,000 worth of stockings, several hundred
thousand dollars worth of sewing thread, and
$100,000 worth of soap, and almost all came
from Europe. We do get a small share of the
undyed yarn imports, which amount to about
$1,300,000, but none of the $880,000 worth of
dyed yarns come from the United States. We
do lead the world in our sales of medicinal soap
to Argentina, but we stand fourth in scented
soap. There is close competition in this l'ne
among the various French houses and with
Atkinson and Company of London. Very little
of the $1,400,000 worth of perfumery comes
from this country, and there is about $450,000
worth of business that we could obtain in the
prepared paint line, there being a steady and in
creasing demand for paint.
About one million dollars worth of auto
mobiles are bought annually from Europe that
could come from the United States, and there is
a great demand for motor trucks there. One
agent alone has made $500,000 in commissions
to date. He is a Princeton graduate, speaks ex
cellent Spanish, and knows how to handle the
people and secure their confidence. His field in
cluded Argentina, Uruguay and Chile.
South America is now our fourth largest cus
tomer in automobiles. In 1907 we sold one
automobUe in Uruguay; ninety-six in 1911, and
seventy-five were sold there in one day. last July.
Argentina is purchasing $26,000,000 worth of
coal from England. We sell very little coal to
Argentina, but recently broke into the market
" In 'Uruguay when an American, got a $50,000
contract after submitting coal to a government
test which showed it to be of better grade than
Welsh coal.
Conditions would bo better if .more. Americana .
went to South America. It would be just as in-
r teresting, and far more profitable, if many of
'the, Americans who now spend their leisure days
in Europe would instead visit the countries in
the southern hemisphere.
This intercourse would likewise tend to stimu
late the feeling of friendship and good will be
tween Americans and South Americans, and
would tend to bring about a realization of the
wish expressed by Mr. Bryan when hq said,
"God made us neighbors; let justice make us
friends."
REGISTER AS A DEMOCRAT
A progressive democrat of Pendleton, Oregon,
suggests that all progressives who approve of the
Wilson administration should register as demo
crats so as to be In a position to take part in the
democratic primaries and help to decide who
shall "have the gun." Tho reasons ho gives are
clear, logical and unanswerable. His appeal is
as follows.:
"Register as a democrat for the following
reasons.:
"1. That party is now in the hands of pro
gressives. 2. It is in power, making good as no party
has done, except under Jofferson, Jackson and
Lincoln.
"3. The progressive element now controlling
it is none too strong within the party and needs
the help of all progressives in the coming pri
maries. "4. You yourself are in reality a democrat, if
you believe in the. rule of the people as now exer
cised through your president and congress.
"5. When a party comos to express your views
through its policies and enactments bettor than
any other it is your party and it is your duty as
a good citizen to register under its banner, so
that you may help to make it serve yourself and
your country.
"6. Register as a democrat, regardless of
what you. have called yourself heretofore. For
a party is merely an organized instrument like
a gun which will shoot for anybody In possession
of it. The democratic party is now working
fine, and Wilson, your friend, has got the gun.
It is shooting for you and will always shoot for
you while the progressives control it. You, Mr.
and Mrs. Plain People, if you register as a demo
crat, can help to decide in tho democratic pri
maries who shall have the gun.
"7. Owing to tho sharp division of sentiment
within the republican party, the democratic or
ganization is in a better position than it to
execute your will as witnessed by the revision
of the tariff, the reform of the currency, and
the regulation of tho trusts, all In j'our interest
a record of achievement not equaled since the
civil war. i
"8. You will be warmly welcomed by your
fellow progressives in the democratic party."
At a get-together meeting of the republicans
held at Broken Bow, Nob., the other day, one of
the matters seriously considered was a fusion be
tween the republicans of all kinds and the bull
moosers for tho purpose of preventing a demo
cratic victory in tho stato elections this fall.
When fusion was tho rule between democrats
and populists in that state, the republicans as
serted it was merely for the purpose of getting
offices. Fusion between republicans and bull
moosers, it will be noted, has a much higher and
nobler purpose, to prevent the democrats from
getting the offices the republicans have generally
held.
Judge Cullen, who retired from tho office of
chief justice of the New York court of appeals
because of advancing age, said in a speech at
Carnegie hall the other night that the new
direct primary law passed in that state was an
invasion of the individual rights of the voters.
This will be news to the voters who have been
demanding direct primary laws because the
party bosses had invaded their individual right
to choose party candidates.
President Wilson's popularity Is based in part
upon the realization of the people that he pos
sesses the most necessary requisite of a states
man patience. They accord to him the posses
sion of a firm determination to act, when he does
act, in the public interest, and they know that
when he is ready, when the. time and the place,
are in conjunction there will be no hesitation in
placing his hand to the task waiting to be done.
Postmaster General Burleson has thrown the
weight of his influence in favor of the govern
ment taking over the telephones and telegraph
systems of the country. That is a kind of wire-,
pulling that is likely to meet withrgeneral approval.
A New. Jersey manufacturer who 'eloped with
his stenographer is facing a charge of Insanity.
Upon the decision in his case will rest the
question of whether to order an immediate in
crease in the asylum capacity in the metropolitat
districts.
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