Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-08-24
The REPUBLIC OF BRAZIL.
ITS PRESENT CONDITION AND THE
OUTLOOK FOR ITS FUTURE.
Its Small Trade with This Country--Aftor
tho Fall of the Empire In 1SS0-The
Administration of Barros Induce
ments For Immig ration.

Tho gigantic development in recent years
of manufacturing industry in the United
Stat naturally brings to the front tho
question of foreign markets in which to
find sale for American goods, says a RIO
Janeiro correspondent. Spasmodic efforts
have been made from time to time during
the last decade to open freely to American
commerce the very valuable trade cen
tres of the South American republics, but
hitherto without any important measure
of success. Widely disseminated Informal
ton Of an accurate and detailed character
concerning the existing conditions
| throughout South America would I'M
doubleday 20 far to dlspel the apparent
apathy now generally exhibited in the
| United States regarding these countries.
| It may 1c important also to call attention
| to the fact that in the case Of certain
commodities the expectation from South
America to Europe is in direct compete
ton with products shipped from the
! United States, and that this competition
| threatens to become much more severe in
! the course of the next few years. Notably
/ is this 50 In connection with the Argentina
| Republic, whence the shipments OF beef,
cattle and breadstuffs during the last five
years have rapidly increased and Did fair
to continue doing so as the natural re-
sources of the vast fertile plains in the
vicinity of the River Plate become de-
vciopcd by the application of improved
systems of farming. In the present letter
| | propose to deal only with the conditions
to-day prevailing in Brazil and the room
existing in that country for the expansion
of American trade in the Immediate
future.
A glance at the import and export re-
turns of the United States shows that in
tho 12 months ending June 80, 1SaS, the
imports from Brazil were valued at SOL
$50 369, consisting chiefly Of coffee and rub
Der; on the other hand the exports to
| Brazil were only Of the value of Sl3. 262,9ll,
thus leaving the United States "A debtor
to the extent of siS, S7.4lS. This result is
obtained Notwithstanding the fact that
Brazil imports all her hreadstuffs. the
great majority of all articles of ordinary
consumption, a large amount of cotton
and woollen goods, lumber, coal oil and
machinery of all kinds for use upon tho
coffee estates, railways, sugar plantations.
cotton fields and mills, and for other pur-
poses, such as mining and agriculture. At
present Brazil supplies the greater part of
her necessities by purchasing in Europe,
| although more than half of her products
are disposed of to the United States. This
state of affairs affords food for reflection
in the minds of American business men
and calls for radical change.
one of the great impediments at present
existing to a satisfactory development of
American trade with Brazil is the absence
municatiou between the two countries
The only steamers carrying passengers
from New York to Rio de Janeiro are
those owned by Lambert & Holt The
accommodation afforded by these vessels
is of the most primitive kind and of such
antiQuated character as to Offer no at
fractions to the would-be traveller. OF
course there is the alternative of proceed
ing to Europe and embarkng in a British
French or German ship for Rio de
Jareiro; but journey SO undertaken
means a largely increased expenditure
before the traveller reaches his destina.
t!cs, and also, probably, n considcra BILE
waste of time in transit. 1t is quite evi.
dent that one of the first and most i'm
portant steps toward bringing South Am
erica generally, and Brazil and the Rivel
Plate particularly, into closer CONNER
Social relations with the United state.
is the establishment Of Better and NOR,
modern transport facilities and it rest.
with American energy and enterprise t
take the matter in hand and solve tn,
present ditiicltes.
The political situation in Brazil to-da,
promises a better prospect for peace an,
quiet in the immediate future than ha!
hcon the case since the almost bloodlos,
revolution of 1859 overturned the monarch
al system OF government then in vogu,
and sent Dom Pedro H. an exile to Flu
rope. The period of ten years since tn,
event alluded to has been a stormy de
cade for this EounEster born of the re
Ipuhlican fraternity of nations. on thu
.heoIs OF the empire came the praetorial
method OF administration in Brazil, pleas
= ing to none except those at the head o
. affairs ana the vicious circle of friend
ana ponucians Immediately surrounding
- them. Under the rule OF Decboro da Fon
ccd ana tlorlano felNoto Erazu wa
g the scene OF the widest eHcesscs, a de
( hauchery of the public credit, Commercial
cNtfaNdSahceS that pa falr TO plunge tn
"holc country INTO bankruptcy, an0
fhallN, a bloody revolt III no dc Janelr
7 ana the provinces of Parana, Santa Catar
!, ma ana RIO Grande do sui only sup
= pressed at the cost of immense sums o
u money ana or many valuable lives.
: IN lA'4 Or Prudcnts de Moraes Barre
was elected president, and assumed ofhc
IN the autumn OF the same year. The neN
president set his face steadily against
continuance OF the militarism weighin
y so heavily on his country, and succeede
u IN MS endeaNor so far as to break III
pack OF TINS buGbear; put his hands wer
0 tleh III many ways, and constant polti
cal intrigue was afoot to thWart many o
ms plans. In 1897 IA conspiracy organ
lzed ny a hand of INSCRIPTIONS politica
the administration to an abrupt end by II
. ASSASSINATION OF the president. TN
mufderous attempt failed to accomplls
Il the end IN view, but only because tn
bullet aimed at the president missed IN