vi  FOREWORD

for  the  same  reason—will  the  United  States
have  another  opportunity  such  as  the  present
one,  to  enter  those  fruitful  fields  to  the  south,
where  Europe  in  general,  and  Germany  in  particular, ­
  has  reaped  a  golden  harvest  for  so
many  years.
A  careful  reading  of  this  book—not  a  difficult ­
  matter,  for  unlike  most  works  on  commerce ­
  it  is  full  of  lively  interest—will  be  profitable ­
  to  every  business  man  interested  in  the
subject  of  Latin  America.  It  will  be  valuable
to  those  who  are  equipped  or  willing  to  prepare ­
  themselves  to  cope  with  conditions  as
they  really  are,  and  just  as  valuable  to  those
who  are  not,  for  it  may  save  them  from  the
costly  mistakes  of  experimentation  in  foreign
fields.

Maurice  Switzer.
New  York,  March  20,  1915.