272  SELLING  LATIN  AMERICA

officials.  European  nations  suffer  equally
with  us  and  it  would  seem  that  the  time  is  ripe
for  some  united  action  on  the  part  of  the  great
exporting  countries  to  remedy  this  growing
evil,  for  that  it  hurts  trade  cannot  be  denied. ­

Not  only  are  there  unwarranted  and  excessive ­
  duties  charged  on  imports  but  on  exports
as  well,  and  on  these  exports  we  as  the  largest
user  of  the  things  produced  in  Latin  America
pay  the  bill.  These  conditions  should  be  attended ­
  to  at  once,  and  it  should  be  the  business
of  our  State  Department  to  adjust  them  properly. ­

On  hides,  coffee,  rubber  and  sugar,  which
are  the  leading  exports  from  these  countries,
the  United  States  charges  no  duty,  or  a  merely
nominal  one.  The  remarkable  feature  of  this
trade  is  that  every  Latin  American  country  imposes ­
  on  all  of  these  articles  heavy  export
charges,  which  according  to  their  own  laws  are
unconstitutional,  and  we  pay  the  bills,  at  the
same  time  allowing  them  to  impose  exorbitant ­
  duties,  outrageous  port  charges,  and  il ­