392 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[Septemrer I, igcS. 



in the western U"i.ted States, prosperous millions now 

 live in areas which were practically deserts before rail- 

 ways were projected through them, the hope is enter- 

 tained that planting, farming, and grazing, as well as 

 mining will be very largely developed in Africa, by or 

 imder the direction of white men, after the railways 

 now planned shall have made more of the interior 

 accessible. 



Not the least promising hope in respect of the new 

 Africa is that cotton will be produced there in large 

 quantities. Already the adaptability for cotton grow- 

 ing of Lagos, Togo, and other colonies has been dem- 

 onstrated — soil, climate, and native labor all included — 

 but the lack of transportation facilities has been an 

 insuperable obstacle. By the way, the fact that cot- 

 ton growing has been attempted in so many parts of 

 the world where it has not yet proved successful does 

 not mean that cotton cannot yet be produced in them 

 when they have been further developed through bet- 

 ter transportation facilities. The world is using more 

 cotton every year, and every increase in the aniDunt 

 produced is of interest, particularly if the rate of in- 

 crease promises a lower level of cotton prices. It is 

 possible that Africa as a cotton producing country 

 will yet become as interesting to the rubber trade as it 

 is now in the production of rubber. 



Finally, the modernization of Africa in anv respect 

 whatever tends to increase the demand for rubber 

 goods on that continent, and railways will tend, as 

 nothing else can, to the new development. 



A HELP TO BUSINESS. 



WE have ever deprecated the idea of depending 

 upon the government to create business. Xo 

 matter how much international treaties may 

 facilitate business by removing obstacles to inter- 

 course, no treaty ever made sold a bushel of wheat or 

 secured an order for a sewing machine. Mr. Blaine's 

 pet scheme of reciprocity with the South American 

 rei)ublics read well when written into the statutes but, 

 as The Indi.x Rubber World pointed out at the time, 

 it only afforded an opportunity for trade which our 

 merchants might take advantage of or ignore as they 

 saw fit, and before most of them seemed to recognize 

 its existence the law became ineffective through a 

 revision of the United States tariff which was the re- 

 sult of a political game played by people not interested 

 in commerce and knowing nothing of South America. 

 The tariff has been much overrated as affecting in- 

 ternational trade. Its actual service, in large part, has 

 been as a safe basis for domestic political discussion 

 just before elections — something over which people 

 could be aroused sufficiently to keep them from for- 

 getting to go to the polls. Regardless of high tariffs 

 nr Inw, <omc American firms have grown wealtliv in 



the export trade and more firms abroad have become 

 wealthy by selling in the L^nited States — even selling 

 highly protected goods in towns where large factories 

 were making competing goods. 



Trade depends upon the merchant more than upon 

 treaties and tariffs. Certainly the merchant who 

 makes no attempt to secure orders abroad will not 

 shine as an export merchant. But if he does engage 

 in export trade he is supposed to wish to be quali- 

 fied for it, and to be ready to make use of every 

 agency that can be brought into his service. There is 

 no inconsistency in our assertion that it is futile to 

 depend upon the government to make business, and 

 the suggestion that the government can be made use 

 of in many ways to further business. The consular 

 service, for example, can be made verj- helpful to com- 

 merce — not by the action of tlie government, neces- 

 sarih', but by the use which the business world may 

 make of the service. 



From the earliest da}-s that nations sent agents 

 abroad to look after their seamen, vessels, and mer- 

 chandise, the consular service, in one way or another, 

 has been of definite advantage to commerce. To-day 

 the scope of the service has broadened until consuls 

 are engaged in advising their governments of every 

 form of development and progress in the countries to 

 which the\- are sent, and in pointing out oportuni- 

 ties for trade. It is true that the average consul not 

 so long ago was just as apt as not to owe his appoint- 

 ment to his being a nuisance at home, and the idea 

 prevailed that if he proved a nuisance in some out of 

 the way foreign port the foreigners could do the wor- 

 rying. But now the government, without regard to 

 party politics, is seriously working to build up a con- 

 sular ser\-ice which shall be composed of men qual- 

 i.'icd for their work, who shall have an incenti\e to 

 devote their best energies to it, with the idea that the 

 interests of trade shall be promoted as far as pos- 

 sible. 



The benefits derived, however, are measured by the 

 degree of interest shown by our merchants and the 

 effort made to take advantage of information gained 

 by the consuls. We doubt whether it is generally 

 known how valuable are the daily consular reports 

 now printed at \\'ashington, despite the fact that their 

 contents are in such large part the result of accidental 

 observations made by consuls, and often without an 

 idea of what is actually wished for in business circles 

 at home. Of course, the official representatives of the 

 government cannot be sent to Brazil or Burma with 

 samples and order book in hand to sell goods, but they 

 can be informed as to what American goods are suited 

 for those countries, or what classes of manufacturers 

 arc in a position to do business there, and utilize this 

 knowledge in making their reports. 



The ideal conditions would in\-ol\e such relations 

 between commercial associations and the government 

 as would enable the consuls to make such reports that 



