Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-12-10

ways instead of less. The question he
said was Il rational issue and he
pledged the support of his association
in the work of the congress.
Rivers and Ports of Brazil.
The following speech was delivered
by Joaquin Nabuco, Brazilian ambas-
sador, at the rivers and harbors con-
gress this afternoon. on the subject.
"Rivers and Ports Of Brazil" He said
in part:
II am supposed to speak about the
navigable rivers and harbors of Bra
zil. When answering your so very
kind invitation. l confessed my inabil-
ity to do justice to the great works.
undertaken in other parts of the South
American continent. But even with re-
gard to what has been done In Bra
zil, I prefer to submit by writing to
your examination a few data taken
from competent authorities and to
make only a few remarks on the
whole.
CAS- to our navigable rivers, we may
be excused for not having done much
for their navigation. Nature has taken
the mutter upon itself. We have here
and there built, or are planning to
build, railway, or a traffic road, to
avoid the falls and the rapids of some
great river, as the Madeira, the Rio
Rranco, or the s. Francisco. but we
hardly could improve our great 1luvial
arteries. The Amazon, for instance. is
navigable by steamers, in Brazilian
territory alone, for two thousand and
five hundred miles: il you take to-
gether some of its tributaries, you Will
have. in that territory, course open
to steamers of more than ten thousand
miles. I speak only of steamers. You
would have to treble the number or
miles, If you were thinking of any kind
of boats. The present century, I hope,
will see that immense canalization all
ploughed by steam and electricity.
When the connection of the Amazon
with the sources of the River Plate, to
which we supply nearly the whole OF
it's waters, will be established, the
earth will see an inland water system
of a magnitude never dreamt before. In
fact, the deep fresh water line cross
ing Brazil east to west and north to
south will be longer than her Atlantic
coast
II think we ought to be proud Of
those immense prospects of river and
forest combined, by the side of power
full falls, destined to supply all the
electricity we may need. With that Wis
ion of the future / do not like to speak
of our rivers as they appear today.
Take the Sao-Irancisco. The men OF
science who have been on its banks
agree that the S. Francisco is great
river of the future and that the CEN
trail region it drains will show one day
immense wealth. I think it is a good
thing for q nation to have a part of
it's asset under lock, kept for time OF
greater progress all round, both in ag-
ricultural sciences, in metallurgy, In
electricity, and in medicine, as then the
conquest of the tropics will be achieved
without the destruction Of natures
treasures and without irreparable dam
age to the country's future.
"Great expectations are raised, as
you see, north and south. 1. for myself.
have no doubt that the millions we may
apply to building of ports are the most
remunerative expenditure our country
could commit herself to. We have man
aged to build in the past more than
fifty ports; we hope to improve them
all When q country within twelve
years increases her, exports more than
80 per cent, and doubles her imports,
while her development has been con-
tinuous from decade to decade for
more than century, that country may
well trust the future. fsuch is the case
of Brazil. A yearly commerce of $780,
600, 900 may not seem much by the side
of your statistics, all written in astro-
nomical figures, but, at the progressive
rate stated before, s50O,00O.O00 is al
ready good promise"
Chicago Delegation at Work.
Washington, Dec. 10.-A delegation
of 100 business men, appointed at the
lakes to the-gulf deep waterways con-
vention held in Chicago. todaY called