The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-10-13
SOUTH AMERICAN TRADE.
WHAT THE DELEGATES TO TIE
GREAT CONFERENCE THINK.
The Spanish American Countries Are De-
vclopine Fast. but Their Trade Goes tn
Turope-E English. french, German and
Dutch Invest msnts There.

special Correspondence
WASHINGTON. Oct. l0.-is mingled
last week with the delegates from Soutl
and Central America who were in thii
city attending the American congress
heard them talk Of their countries ant
industries. and noted that almost with
out exception they were men # superior
education and attainncnts the lessor
was brought home to me. as dare say Il
was 10 many others. that II Is the height
of conceit for US to call ourselves. as We
do, "the Americans" There are Other
great countries and peoples on this con
tinent. We are not the only Americans
The United States has less than one
half the population Of the western hemis
phcrc, and by no means all Of the cul
turc, progress, literature, art and ma
terial resources. We do well 10 cultivate
the acquaintance OF our neighbors to the
south, who are just now blossoming and
blooming both industriallv and politi
cally. The delegates from these southern
what narrowly term America. They are
visiting our cities and towns, our manu-
featuring establishments and our farms
Doubtless they will see much and bt
greatly interested, but with some curl
osity concerning the commerce and in
dustrics of their own countries made
inquiry of one of the most intelligent OF
the delegates from South America, one
who has Travelled from Patagonia tc
British America.
This is a great country. great coun.
try" said he, "but we have some great
countries. too. You people do not know
us; we do not know YOU. 1t Is not 50
easy 10 get from our country To yours.
We go often to Paris, TO London, even
to Berlin, but rarely to New York OF
New Orleans, which are much nearer.
Just now the English appear to be closer
to rs than any other people. They are
investing i'm our railways. our mines.
our stock farms, our steamships, our
factories. They pour out money like
rs well as governmental. There IS ap-
parently no limit 10 the confidence they
have in our future, as there seems to be
no bottom to their purse. VIII they
lose ON some of their investments? All.
sir and the delegate twisted his black
musiache and shrugged his shoulders)
mo- one can tell that Some have already
lost; others are likely to lose. But, no
matter. Is it not so in all ventures: And
if the English and French lose some
money i'm our enterprises, do they not
get an of our trade:
"Wo thins you people Of the United
States slow and unenterprising, because
You do not come down and invest with
as and trade with us as do the English
and French. For instance, was talk
ing not long ago with your consul al
Maracaibo, Venezuela. For a long time
he ondeavored 10 persuade capitalists Of
the United States to invest in proposed
railway from Maracaibo 10 Merida. tray
or.ing the rich coffee regions of the Cor
diilcra But his suggestions bore no
fruit. except i'm Paris, where "a company
was organized to build the railway. The
Venezuelan government guaranteed
per cent. interest on the capital and
granted other extraordinary privileges.
The company has made a very nice
thing of it, and YOU Americans might
just as well have had the profit, for it is
an actual fact that il was the suggestion
Of your excellent consul, translated into
French and republished in Paris, which
led the Frcnchmen into their highly sue
ccssful venture.
"By tie way" continued thi delegate.
Venezuela is n very interesting and
prosperous country, as 80 doubt Df
Francisco Antonis Silva, the delegate.
would be glad to tell you if he could
speak English. There is ono district Of
Venezuela In which the breeding OF
goats is the chief industry. I'm another
district nearly all of the inhabitants find
employment in gathering the beans Of
the diviiivi tree, which are crushed and
distilled for the large quantities Of tan
uin which they contain In still another
district many of the people earn liveli
hood gathering gums. halsams and or
chils from tho forests Petroleum, as
phalt. gold and silver are some of th,
treasures % be- found in the earth in that
country, and the forests contain vast
quantities Of mahogany
American engineers stand high H.
the estimation of the people of South
America. Since Meigs constructed those
wonderful railways in Peru our people
have thought nothing too difficult foi
the genius of the United States engines
TO overcome. In San Salvador. LITTLE
republic of which dare say YOU have
heard but little in this country. an Amer
lean engineer, Mr.. Brannan. is doins
some remarkable work in railway build
ing American engineers are employed
on many works in Chill, Peru and the
Argentine Republic, and an American
company is building railway in Hon.
duras. Probably it will not be a dozen
years before railway communication
will be established direct from New
Yorl, and Chicago, via the city. Of Mexi
co. with all the central and South Amer.
lean capitals. 4 new era has dawned in
our life and it is the era Of rapid prog
rcss. We also have much confidence in
the completion of the Nicaragua canal.
now that an American company has
earnestly taken hold of that great pro.
jet.
1T is my belief that this congress.
and the visit we are to make 10 youi
manufacturing centers, will greatly
commerce between the United
States and our southern countries, even
if nothing more tangible than a more III
innate acquaintanceship comes from it.
| am sure if Americans knew tho oQpor
tunties for money making that ar' open
to them, in South America especially,
they would be moro swift in taking ad-
vantage ., them. We have rice fields in
which the grain is threshed out in NOR
tars with stone pestlcs. simpl. because
the people have not the money with
which to buy hullng machinery. Much
IF Our wheat and other small grain u
with primitive appliances, be-
,ause we have no machines at hand 10
10 the work with. There are mines