Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-07-16
FACTS ABOUT AMERICAN PLAN.
TATIoN INVESTMENTS.
UNCERTAIN RETURNS MADE
n. c. Johnson Says Coffee Is an
Improbable Crop but Sugar Yields
Enormous Returns-Rubber In
dustry Handicapped by Lack of Re-
liable Mexican Knowledge.

are dllSuUtu ny muCu TlSh. AuSIl-
cans should fight shy Of get-rich-
quick promises there as elsewhere,
for they are mostly get-poor-quick
realities. Coffee plantations are apt
to be failures. Sugar and rubber
plantations may not yield certain re-
suits, due to tickle foreign markets
in the first case and also to lack of
reliable knowledge about rubber cul-
ture, all Of which indicates that
American investors in Mexican
plantations should first thoroughly in
form themselves at first hand.
Such were the conclusions arrived
at by Harry C. Johnson of Madison in
a baccalaureate thesis developed dur
ing the past year,-his senior year at
the university. Mr.. Johnson's college
career was one of exceptional bril-
lance in dramatics, debating, oratory,
literary work and regimental com
mand, as well as in the field OF
scholarship. His thesis dealt very
largely with American railroad and
mining. investments in Mexico but
the present story concerns only the
part relating to plantation invest
ments.
The republic of Mexico, said Mr..
Johnson, has an area of 1926 square
miles, somewhat more than the area
of the United States east OF the Mis-
sissippi if the states of Alabama and
Mississippi are not considered. All
the states of Central America COM
bined equal only about One-fourth OF
it's area and to equal one-half there
would have to be added Cuba, Porto
Rico, Hayti, and Santo Domingo. II
is three and one-half the size OF
France.
There is probably a greater variety
of climate in Mexico than in any
other country, ranging as it does
from the heat of the tropics TO the
perpetual ice and snow Of the poles.
Within the section lying in the torrid
zone there are three distinct climatic
regions distinguished according to
their vertical rather than their
horizontal positions. Along the
coasts of the gulf of Mexico and the
Pacific ocean where the elevation is
less than 5000 feet there is torrld
heat. The temperature seldom falls De-
low GO degrees and often goes as high
as 10 degrees. Between 5000 ana
1000 feet above the sea level it is
eternal spring and there is one OF the
most delightful climates On earth.
The mean temperature is from GO de-
grees to 70 degrees and seldom varies
during the season more than degrees
or 5 degrees. Fifteen of the state
capitals are in this region or at
slightly higher elevation. Here
tropical and semi-tropical products
and those of the cold regions mingle.
Wheat and sugar cane are found grow
ing side by side.
The industrial development OF
Mexico in the last fifteen years has
been very great and in this develop
ment American capital has played the
most conspicuous part. 1t is obviously
impossible to ascertain the exact
amount of the American investment
in Mexico. Mr. Chas. A. Conant has
estimated it at s700,000,O0O. United
States Consul General. A. d. Barlow
has made the only systematic in
vestisation and he places the amount
at SSH, 465, 1868, made by LILY firms
and individuals. One-half of this has
been invested in the last five years
and practically all in the last quarter
century. OF this amount approx
mately three hundred and thirty i've
millions are invested in railroads;
ninety-fve millions in mining, and
twenty-eight millions in haciendas'
ranches and farms.
While as yet comparatively In
significant the plantation investment
is perhaps the most interesting and,
if successful along the lines planned,
will soon be of the greatest i'm
portance. Upon this subject there is
the greatest possible variance OF
opinion. and it is impossible to get at
the truth of the matter, for. although
there are plantations that have been
cultivated for centuries by the
SDaniards, the modern idea and
modern methods, are still in the ex-
detrimental stage. 1t is necessary here
10 attempt to reconcile the report OF
the promoter, who has land to sell and
who will guarantee an income OF from
200 to 500 per cent. in six years, with
the OPINION of the man on the ground,
who has seen thousands Of dollars
foolishIy spent and many plantations
proven failures.
Consul General Barlow finds that 1t
is very difficult to determine the
amount Of capital invested as some
COMPANIES have given their authorized
Capitalization running into the
millions while the amount actually
expended is very small. He says
'Tne whole isthmus of Tehuantepec,
AMI probably the entire tropical Sec
tion OF Mexico, could be bought by
CAPITALISTS residing in this city, and
if there were any sure 200 per cent.
investments to be made in that region,
they would surely be taken up by
persors on the ground who are
thoroughly familiar with the condi-
tons there" Mr.. BaTlow's list cen