4 SELLING LATIN AMERICA
States ever presented to any nation. The vir
tual 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 ce
ment by other than ties of business the bonds
of friendship due us not only on account of
our ideal geographical position, but also be
cause of our similar republican form of gov
ernment.
By embracing this extraordinary oppor
tunity—apparently almost created for our ex
press 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 sin
cere 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