The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-03
GREAT COUNTRY
IS ARGENTINA
Grain Crops Are Cutting Figure
In Worlds Supply
PROGRESS IS WONDERFUL
Railroads of Argentina Are Among the
Best Anywhere and Building Is
Going On RapidIy-6olivia Is
Also Very Progressive.
PROGRESS IS WONDERFUL

Washington, August -(special.)-Ar-
gentina is a wonderland. In growing
wheat hay, cattle and sheep she is rum
ming the United States and Canada close
second, and today exports more corn
than any country on earth. Yet so far
only one-tenth of the agricultural posi-
bilities are realized. 1t is a big country!
1t has 1,135,000 square miles-more than
one-third of the size of the United States,
and this means all the area east of the
Mississippi and the first row of states
from Minnesota to Louisiana west of that
river in addition. Size, however, is not
all there Is to Argentina, by any means.
She has the industry and the equipment
to take advantage of her opportunities.
This country is gridironed with railroads,
L. 900 miles of them, so that the trav-
eler can go from one end to the other
as comfortably as from New York or
Chicago to Texas. But Argentina is not
satisfied. There are concessions and con-
tracts for many more, so that in two
decades more she purposes to have 10000
miles. This is and will be all modern
equipment, too, constructed as thorough
ly as engineers know how to construct.
In fact, everything in Argentina is on
an up-to-date and ambitious scale. One
of the largest irrigation dams in exist
ence has been built there, and the first
train ferry in South America, across
the Rio de la Plata for 81 miles, has
been in operation for years The trav-
eler cannot go any place in the interior
70 mr.
ranches on a splendid scale. The sheep
and horses are of the best blooded stock,
| the great ranch houses will satisfy the
| finest taste for style and comfort. The
fields of grain are cultivated by the new
| est methods, and the best of American
agricultural machinery is in daily USE
Into this splendid region is poured an
nually an immense stream of immigra-
ton, but even then not enough to till
| the fields, harvest the crops or transport
| them to market. But this Is only the
| country; how about the town?
| Do many Americans realize that Buenos
| Ayres is the largest city in the world
south of the equator? That the city has
nearly 100000 inhabitants that it has
more and better paved streets, in pro-
4
western hemisphere that its trolley serv-
ice carried last year nearly 100000 peo-
| pie and is now so crowded that plans
for an underground railway are prepared;
| that its opera house can put to shame
anything in America, and has entertained
| all celebrated artists from Patti to Bern
| hardt; that its home for the Jockey club
| is famous for art treasures and decora-
| tions in marble; that one of its many
| newspapers maintains a huge building
| of it's own, in which are a library, lee
ture room. museum and even a dispen-
sary for the public, as well as rest and
refreshment rooms for its employees? From
Buenos Ayres 10 regular passenger lines
| run to Europe, with as fine steamers as
money can buy, and England, France.
Germany and Italy are competing keenly
for trade which we in the United States
imagine is hardly worth serious strug-
gle. This is the capital of the republic,
but Rosario, La Plata, Cordoba and Bahia
Blanca are also progressive, and the in
terror cities vie with those on the coast
as centers of intellectual and industrial
activity.
Bolivia.
What about Bolivia? Many people think
that this republic is in the same condi-
ton as the Spaniards found it 300 years
:
llvia is pushing into the front rank of
Industrial nations, and has long ago aban-
, doned the isolation to which tradition
unfortunately confined 1t. Bolivia il the
third largest republic in South America
, the area is 100000 square miles and equals
the size of the two tiers Of states next
the Pacific ocean. 1t is a mountainous
country, in striking contrast to Argen-
tina, which is essentially land Of plain
D and prairie. Bolivia practically leads the
world in the production of tin, but III
| silver and copper play large part In
foreign markets. But Bolivia has more
, ! than mineral wealth. There are hun
= | dreds of square miles of some of tn,
richest agricultural lands on earth. Or
the plateaus wheat, corn and fruits will
grow. Further down there are illimit
|. able possibilities for coffee and cotton
y while closer to the great rivers runnin,
. into the Amazon and Paraguay are i'm
!, mense tracts of rubber trees and soil suit
y able for cacao.
q Bolivia has decided to throw open thes
opportunities to the world. How vii
she do It? BY building railroads int
and across these virgin spots. Alread
there are two lines running from ports o.
r the Pacific to La Paz, the capital, an
q a third Is under construction. This
not enough, however. A northern a
s eastern and a southern outlet are de
l. mandea, and Bolivia has determined I
supply them. Consequently the natio
e has agreed with Brazil to help construc
from the north wonderful road aroun
Ie the falls of the Madeira river, to ia
lie the heart of the tropics. 1t has agree
with Argentina to run line to the sout
H. to connect with the railway coming u
IS from Buenos Ayres, so that within a fe,
years the traveller can journey in mod
se ern style over the old Inca and Spar
al ish trail all the way to La Paz. Tn
al nation has also a plan Of fits own I
build almost due east toward the wor
ell deful forest land OF the Chaco, and reac
m within its own territory the head Of nav
l. cation on one OF the great trfbutarie
Of the Bio de La Plata.