Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1901-03-14

government, well administered, mas
been reached in very many of the re-
publics south OF us. In notably
I'm those toward the extreme south or
the CONFERENCE.-THE most striking and
rapid advances imaginable have been
made during the past ten years In their
material development and in the pros
perity of their people.
This has been especially true of the
Argentine Republic and of Chile. Fifty
years ago the latter supplied -four to
the entire west coast of South, Central
and even to that of North America.
The development of California and Or
egon, however, changed this, and today
the latter not only supplies their own
wants, but as well a large section or
Central and part of Western South
America with breadstuffs. Chile on
her part has become the worlds nitrate
producer and notably so in copper
while her vineyards have increased
with each year.
In the Argentine Republic the
changes that have occurred are even
more striking, because they relate to
things with which we of the United
States and Canada are more familiar.
1t is, for example, relatively speaking.
but few years since the United States
was shipping flour to the Argentine
Republic and to Uruguay. Today, as
result of the immigration that has
poured into those republics, but prin-
cipally into the first country, and as
result of the application Of North Amer
lean farm machinery to the great allu-
vial basin of the River Plate, the Ar
gentine Republic alone exports to Eu-
rope 35,000.000 bushels of wheat and
half that amount or maize each year.
Not content with having thus become
the competitor OF the United States and
Canada In the Old World in the eXpor-
tation Of breadstuffs. the same republic
has also become their competltOr-and
a strong and growing one, too-in the
expectation of meat products. Few
have any idea of the growth Of this in
dustry in the River Plate republics.
Thirty years ago Great Britain import
ed less than 100000 pieces of frozen
ming OF that industry. Today there are
killed, frozen and exported to Europe
each day from the province Of Buenos
Ayres alone. in the Argentine Republic,
1900 carcasses of as good mutton as
the world can produce. while innumera-
BILE square miles Of alfalfa fields dot
the republic and furnish rice. cheap
fattening material for 3OO00,0O0 or
more of cattle possessed by the coun-
try.
The advantages the people of the
United States and Canada might obtain
by grasping the true meaning Of the
above facts would appear to me many
and their value very great.
If they would, for instance. but real
lie the significance of the one fact
that well bred, fat steer can be and is
being produced in the Argentine Re-
public and exported TO England at to-
tai expense nj least S15 less than it Is
possible to do the same thing in either
the United States or Canada-while a
great advantage lies with the producer
Of River Plate mutton-they would
realize the strong appearance of proba-
bility TO the often quoted statement
made by some that the not distant fu-
ture would bring River Plate mutton to
our tables in the United States
Great Cattle Zones In the south.
Many public men in South America
believe this will occur, reasoning as
they do that the conditions In the Unit
ed States are such and their develop
ment in manufactures is so pronounced
that II can be looked upon as altogether
probable that within the next ten years
meat will be protitably exported to the
United States from the great cattle
zones OF South America. They also
believe that the turn Of the tide that
has carried the United States into the
position Of a lender of money rather
than n borrower will then carry the
well known aggressiveness and zeal of
American financiers aud industrial OPP
orators into South America. where a
highly profitable field would be found
for the employment of capital In the
development of many Of the smaller
Industries now In existence there and
in the consolidation and operation on
a large scale of the meat producing
plants there and in the handling Of
breadstuffs and all their related indus
tries.
Millions Of acres of tillable land, in
an excellent climate. with every facili-
ty except immediate transportation,
await those who will seriously look for
1t in South and Central America. and
1t was the earnest wish and purpose
of those who formulated and planned
the Pan-American Exposition that In
NIL the above fields they might. through
the Exposition. do something tangible
toward bringing TO all better knowl-
edge than now exists concerning the
countries of the Western Hemisphere
and that there might result from the
Exposition something Of value In the
direction Of n wider dissemination OF
that practical knowledge of our sur
roundings and OF our future industrial
outlook so much desired by all of us
and so essential to n proper realization
on our own part OF the problems Of
trade and OF commerce that are in
store for us and for our children TO
solve, that through 1t the people Of the
Western Hemisphere might more clear
H.. a