The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-08-24
SOUTH AMERICA
Facts and Figures Not Generally
Known,

Facts and Figures Not Genersly
Known.
In thinking of our foreign relations
the habit IF the American public is
to associate the term with the Old
world. This is a traditional attitude
of thought which is lacking greatly
in appreciation Of the development
that are taking place in countries to
the south of us. They figure in pop
ular imagination as sort of Ameri.
can hinderland, rather insignificant
in comparison with our own country
and not inviting to consideration. Ar
gentina, for instance, is usually
thought of as little state in the low
er part of South America. AS a mat
ter of fact. it is about tewenty-eight
times the size of Ohio, with a coast
line as long as from Halifax, Nova
Scotia, to Key West. Fla. It's CAPT.
tai city, Buenos Ayres. has popula-
ton of about a million and is the
largest Spanish speaking city in the
world. According to the census of
1895, the one province Of which 1t is
the centre contained $4,000 manufac-
turing establishments, employing a
capital of $4,000, 900.
At the first Pan-American Con,
ference. which was held in Washing.
, ton in 1890, one of the delegates de-
clared that the twentieth century
would belong to South America, just
as the nineteenth century had belong,
ed to the United States. Premier
Laurier has made the same claim for
Canada, and that country is doing
much to justify it; but so, too, is
South America. The foreign COM
merce of the Atlantic coast countries
alone already approximates $500, O0O.-
600 annually, and is rapidly increas-
ing. The outward and inward tom
mage Of Buenos Ayres is more than
half that of New York and four times
as great as the tonnage of San Fran
cisco. The area of land suitable for
wheat culture in Argentina is several
times greater than the area in which
the United States now raises one-flfth
of the worlds supply. immigration
is pouring into the country to utilize
the great natural opportunities. The
main stream is from Germany and
Italy, but Scotch sheep herders are
finding a congenial field in Patagonia
and Welsh and Russian colonies are
also established in that region, which
not many years ago figured in story
books as wild country where giant
sayages were found.
Another popular error is that since
South America is in our own hemis-
phere it is closer to us than to Europe
and remote from the present CONNER
cial centre of the United States. Even
from European port so far north as
Liverpool the distance to Buenes
Ayres is only 2S6 miles more than
from New York. The ocean routes
from Central Europe are all much
shorter than these from this country.
Secretary Root put the case exactly
when he stated to a congressional
committee that our relation with
South America was chiefly a political
relation, and that the whole trend of
South American trade and social re-
lations was with Europe rather than
with the United States AS things
are going, the development of
South America viii aggrandize Euro
pean trade and commerce in far great
er degree than that of the United
States.
These considerations show the de-
STABILITY of strengthening such ties
of intercourse as are provided by the
Pan-American congress now in SEES
sion at Rio de Janero. The Pan
American railway scheme to which
that congress is giving attention is
of immense Importance to the inter-
ests of the United States. The build
ing of this railway. together with the
construction of the isthmian canal,
will have revolutionary effect upon
the commercial situation, altering it
vastly to our advantage.-From The
New York Commercial.