274 SELLING LATIN AMERICA 
to placate. This obviously hurts the sale of 
any article and makes the merchant hesitate 
to renew orders. Both importers and export 
ers have preferred to be harassed, fearing that 
their failure to comply with these unwar 
ranted and illegal demands would result in 
the exclusion of their goods from the country, 
a condition which has often been imposed. 
Concerted action on the part of all nations to 
stop this blackmail would meet with the sup 
port of the merchants and importers of these 
lands, and the sooner some step in this direc 
tion is taken the better. 
Under the condition of affairs now exist 
ing, and the long-continued attitude of our 
government toward all of Latin America, it 
seems as if there is no hope for our people or 
merchants and that we must submit uncom 
plainingly to these iniquities. There can be 
no doubt but that the existence of such a state 
of affairs has done much to retard the healthy 
growth of trade relations between all of these 
countries and the rest of the world. Latin- 
American merchants are absolutely powerless