The Washington times., 1901-07-22
TRADE IN SOUTH AMERICA
The Need Of Transportation Facil-
tiles for Its Development.
Growth of Our Commerce with
Countries to Which Freight Lines
Have Been Established - Need
of Inter-ContincntaI Road.

Exports from the United States to all
American countries and islands south of
her boundaries show marked increase in
the fiscal year just ended and exceed those
of any other year in the history of our
commerce. This statement, just an
nounced by the Treasury Bureau of Sta
tistics, is especially interesting in view
of the various efforts being made for clos
er business. commercial, and transporta-
ton relations between the United States
and her neighbors at the south. New
lines of steamers have recently been put
on between the Pacific Coast of the Unit
ed States and the western coast of MeXi-
co. Central and South America; recent
ly published statement indicates that
great financial interests of the United
States have obtained control of the near
ly completed transcontinental line con-
Meeting Argentina with Chile: the estab-
lishment of additional direct steamship
lines between the eastern coast of the
United States and South American ports
is under discussion. and the opening of
an isthmian canal would give straight
line of water communication from the
eastern coast of the United States to the
western coast of South America.
All of these movements in the direc-
tion of closer relations between the Unit
ed States and her neighbors at the south
add interest to the announcement that
our exports to those countries In lyOl are
larger than those of any preceding year,
and to some figures just presented by the
Bureau of Statistics showing the imports
of each of the South American countries
at the latest date and the exports from
the United States to each of those coun-
tries in 1901.
The growth of exports from the United
States to Central and South America has
not kept pace in the past with the growth
in other directions. The total exports TO
South America in 1900. for instance, were
no more than those of $780, being IN each OF
those years, in round numbers, SSS,OVO,ooo,
while the same statement holds good with
reference to Central America, the total
exports from the United States to the
Central American States being in 1890 and
1900 In each case. in round numbers,
S., 100000. 1t is to Mexico and the West
Indies that our exports in the decade
1S90-19G0 show the greatest Increase, be-
ing: To the West Indies, in 1880, sS5,co,oOo
and in 1900 100000; and to Mexico, in
1890, 81. 900, ,000 and in 1900, S34,0OO,OO0. The
fiscal years 1900 and 1901 show much
greater increase in our sales to our neigh
bors at the south than in any preceding
years. The total exports to Mexico,
Central and South America. and the
West Indies in 1899 were sl03 100000; in
1900, sl27 co. 600, and in 1901. $1SS, 10000, in
round numbers. Thus the figures of 1901
are $35. 100000 greater than those in 1899,
while the 1899 figures are only 100000
greater than those of 1893.
The importance of satisfactory trans
portation facilities is illustrated by a
study of the growth of our export trade
with the countries at the south Prior to
the construction of railway lines con-
Meeting Mexico with the United States
our exports to Mexico seldom reached
$40, 900, 900; by 1896 they were s20.000,000; by
1893. $500 900; in 1900. E0O0. and in
1901, s37. 900, COO in round numbers. To the
West Indies. the transportation system Is
much more satisfactory than to the South
American countries, and to those islands
our exports have grown from s34, ,O0O,UOU in
1881 to $40. 600 600 in 1901 To Central and
South America, with which steamship
communication has not been satisfactory
the growth has been less-the figures, as
already indicated, being in 1880 practically
the same as in 1S90-whie the figures for
1900 and 1901 show in each case consid-
cradle increase.
This increase is especially notable in
the exports to the countries on the west
ern coast of South America. reached by
the recently established lines connecting
the western coast of the United States
with that of South and Central America
and which were put into operation about
the beginning of the present calendar
year. The figures of our exports TO South
America show an increase of nearly 100
per cent to Peru in eleven months ending
with MAY, 1901, as compared with the
same period of the fiscal year 1890 and
nearly 100 per cent to Chile in the same
time. of the increase of 100000 in ex-
ports to South America in 1901. as COM
pared with 1900 more than two-thirds is
to the countries on the western coast.
The following table shows the imports
of the South American countries at the
latest date obtainable lin most cases 1899,
and the exports from the United States to
each of those countries in 1899 and 1901:
Total Imports Exports from L. s.