Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-08-22
LATIN AMERICA PROSPERS
Shows a Remarkable Economic
Progress.
Conditions worthy Of the Closest In
vestiRation OF Every American MINI
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of Interna-
tlOnRI Commerce.

vestigation on the part OF every Amcri-
can manufacturer and exporter This Is
the statement Of Mr.. John Barrett. d.
rector of the internatl onal bureau of tho |
American republics. says the washington |
correspondent OF the Boston Transcript. |
It is based on the statistics OF latin |
American trade for the last year, as con-
tiined in the carefully prepared CONNER
cial review Of the ~ Latin American re-
publics. In former years this review has
attracted no little attention. 1t has been
SO widely quoted that special efort mas
boon made this year to make it complete
and comprehensive. II will appear In the
forthcoming Issue Of the bulletin Of the
bureau. "All persons interested In the
general progress Of Latin America said
Mr.. Barrett land the development
OF closer relations Of trade and commerce
between the United States and her sister
republics, should study this review caro-
fully The facts and statements which Il
contains will crafty those who believe
that tho Latin American republics are ad-
vancng rapidly toward a wonderful ma
torial prosperity and will impress thos,
who have not heretofore apprec ted Their
resources and possibilities. There could
he no better evidence Of the importance
| OF the work Of our bureau than this de-
scriptlon Of material conditions"
Among the events Of the last year which
| indicate the position Latin America Is TAX
ing in the world at large may be named
! the following; The prominence given 20
tho thirl International conference OF
American states at Rio de Janeiro IN the
summer 81 that year, both through the
| participation Of Secretary Root a an hon
orary delegate and through the unanmity
which prevailed in the deliberations Of
| the congress; the postponement Of The
! Hague peace conference, in Difference 10
| the expressed desire Of America to par
| tripate as whole In that conference.
! the subsequent appointment OF represen-
| tatvcs from every country Of the new
| world to appear IN council with statesmen
Of the older civilization Cor the consdera-
! ton Of International questions; the arbi-
/ trail settlement Of interstate difficulties:
! the opening OF the Tchuantepec railroad;
! and finally the immense impetus given TO
! commercial Intercourse with the nations
Of the world. For example, a glance al
| the material aspects Of the condition ot
| Latin America shows that Brazil leads
the world in the production Of rubber and
coffee: that Mexico stands IN first rank
as 4 silver producer. and second only to
the United States N tho output OF copper;
| that Chiles nitrate beds are the only
source of supply for this valuable ferti-
| lizer: that Argentine cattle and wheat
hold high prices In rhe worlds markets;
and that the tropical fruits and products
of Latin America have standard quota
| lions on all trade lists.
| According to the latest data covering
! the last two years, the volume Of inter
national commerce with Latin America
aggregated s.. oCo. oh) 600 in round num-
bers. the exports amounting 70 sl.o5s,41t
! SOC, and imports at sSie.H4l .oi1 In this
| total South America figures for S,37?, ISL
| 1c3, export valuations being $3.50 i54 ,64S and
| imports seoo. s2s.t75 Central Americas
| share Is cited Mt s56 l53. 4si divided into
| exports $4,000 and imports 500 as3, i6t
/ Mexico's trade volume Is 4i9llo60 di-
vido-d into s1oo es4n rn FOR imports and sl35.-
| 021. 90 FOR exports. while among the re-
matnrg sections 81 Latin America, Cuba
| leads. with an annual trade Of s20i 7S9. 2i0
! in which exports 4 cure for sl04 ,5S 6lS and
| imports for SOS, $50 6oe. II is estimated that
| the share taken by the United States in
| this trade aggregated s52l 2,2l2 In 1905
| compared with s4a3 $50, 7s5 In 1906 and for
1907 II IS estr1a ted that more than $500
! "N,o00 will represent ntertrade relations
| between the Americas. The United States
furnished s-S.Sec $50 OF the sea-, 100000 Of
/ goods that South America bought in 1906
as against SOS ,3GS in 1905 and of her
/ total exports worth over s7rA, on, 90, the
! United States purchased sl4s, go fS5 as
! compared with sl44 900 coo In the preceding
! year OF Central America exports OF
moro than $50 oon, COO tire Cni,od States re-
cc!ved in 1896, stS73S.342. compared with
s12, os4 6a5 IN 1905 and Of her total purchase
| aggregatng considerably moro than s94-
! a5o,024 In 1876 and sl757l,440 in 1905 I'm
| ports by Mexico valued at nearly SlIO-
| 0oo,oo orgina ted IN the United States to
the value Of So 27s, S45 IN 1905. and s5l1Sl-
| ga in 1906, while Mexico exports were
! taken by the United States 10 the extent
Of s5l 99s .o67 In 1906, and $50 o1s.o1S in 1896.
| The bulk OF Cuba's exports are shipped
to the United States. this country furnish
! ing about 20 per cent. Of the recorded I'M
| ports. OF the 100000 recorded for the
! trade of the Dominican Republic, the
| United States in 1901 took S. 64.425, and
furn shed s2.37l ,2a2 while IN Haitian trade
relations the position OF the United States
! is represented by about 90 per cent,
The above are CONGRATULATIONS based on
the detailed review OF Latin American
trade which will be the feature Of the
forthcoming bulletin, but they sum
cient to show that the remark Of Mr.. Bar
rett quoted at the beg ming Of this letter
Is worthy OF consideration by American
exporters and Importers
Il can confidently predict" says Mr.,
Barrett. that in another decade the Pan
American exchange Of commerce will have
passed a total OF 81. 900 o0o. oOo and l hope
the bureau of American republics will be
one OF the principal agencies In accom-
plshing this desired end" For tho hscal
year Just ended the statistics show that
the total exports and imports exchanged
between the United States and Latin
America aggregated $50. 900 900. Ten years
so they amounted TO $3.50. Gu, 900. The
value of imports from Latin America by
the United States was 1860, 900 00O, and the
exports from the United States 10 Latin
America of $4,000, coo. a balance of trade
in favor Of the latter amounting to Sll0-
| 100000, The percentage of Increase in both
exports and imports Is greater with the
try in the commercial world. In almost
| n decade the Argentine Republic has In
creased her exports to the United States
co per cent, Brazil 30 per cent, Mexico
200 per cent and Central American 80 per
cent.
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