4  SELLING  LATIN  AMERICA
States  ever  presented  to  any  nation.  The  virtual ­
  closing  of  all  the  doors  of  the  export  and
import  trade  of  the  Old  World  and  the  almost
total  dependence  heretofore  of  the  Far  East
and  Latin  America,  especially,  on  Europe  for
finance  and  trade  connections  made  the  war
truly  the  psychological  moment  for  us,  as  a
nation,  not  only  to  overcome  the  lead  of  the
European  commercial  world,  but  also  to  cement ­
  by  other  than  ties  of  business  the  bonds
of  friendship  due  us  not  only  on  account  of
our  ideal  geographical  position,  but  also  because ­
  of  our  similar  republican  form  of  government. ­

By  embracing  this  extraordinary  opportunity—apparently ­
  almost  created  for  our  express ­
  benefit,  we  being  the  only  people  able
to  profit  by  it—we  can  make  the  nations  which
formerly  depended  on  Europe  for  support  in
their  trade  ventures  our  business  allies,  our  sincere ­
  friends  and  well-wishers,  and  at  the  same
time  bring  about  a  new  trade  alignment  so  that
all  America  will  reap  the  benefit.
Let  us  briefly  consider  some  of  the  enormous