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  exporters ­
  have  preferred  to  be  harassed,  fearing  that
their  failure  to  comply  with  these  unwarranted ­
  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  support ­
  of  the  merchants  and  importers  of  these
lands,  and  the  sooner  some  step  in  this  direction ­
  is  taken  the  better.
Under  the  condition  of  affairs  now  existing, ­
  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  uncomplainingly ­
  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