New-York tribune., 1909-12-12
BUSINESS is AMERICAS
This Country Has Millions InCext,5
m Nicaragua.

Americans have always been dominant in a.
commerce with Nicaragua. and have gene-sr-
exported from IL and imported 10 II NOT 49,
more in value than the business done WITH =.
other Central American republic but far nae,
than all European countries combined Me-.
aqua has been almost solely dependent On a.
United States as a purchaser OF its products a.
quite as dependent on il for It's supplies Ars.
leans have at times obtained large concesso,
from Nicaragua TO harvest its lumber, grow =
coffee, mine its silver and gold and cultivafs 1.
fruits
In operating the tracts OF land under concs,
sion large investments have been made in -,
ways. steamships and river craft mining a,,
agricultural machinery, telephone and telegrsr.
lines and wireless equipment CnfOrtuna,s-
no record has been made Of the extent OF tbA,
investments in dollars and cents. and no sta,,,
tics of them are available. II is known HOW
ever. that many millions have been put into n.
equipment of American enterprises in Nicarsgn.
and that with trustworthy government es-as
lished many more millions would go there. n.
times are ripe for connecting the scattered Al
way lines which Americans have built with tht.
constructed by the government and creatinv.
continuous line from the Atlantic 10 the Paes
long standing need of all Central Ameria
This can readily be done.
American trade statistics prepared bv =.
International Bureau of American Republe,
and published last June, show hat this coun,v
imported from Nicaragua for the current YEA,
dutiable products valued at S2,492 4SJ and sos
there $1914,961 worth Of supplies. Banana
formed an export value Of S531 100 gold $3.50.
S57. rubber Ss927j. gold amalgam SG53g
coeoanuts $4.5S9 etc. The total annual trade q
the United States with Nicaragua. dutiahIe and
free. may be said to vary from S5O00OO0 T.
$7,00OO00. according TO the amount Of that coun.
try's total production. or about nine-tenths q
all it's exports and imports.
Nicaragua's mahogany industry is at a lcu
ebb at present. owing to Zelaya's arbitrary can.
collation. of American concessions 10 cut and er.
port the trees one of these concessions covers5
the entire Atlantic coastal half Of the county
and President Zelaya was forced to settle Wit.
the New York holders Of il for 100000 On
September IS he paid 10000 as the first insta.
ment on the settlement Whatever governmer,
succeeds him will be obliged 10 pay the balance
as the agreement was filed az Washington and
accepted by the State Department. Nicarag1a
however. by cancelling the mahogany conces.
sion came into possession of an extensive rail-
way system built by New Workers to hanGs
logs and supplies and run both by log engine
and mule power. All that is necessary 10 mazs
it valuable 10 the country is 70 equip il Wit
rolling stock. AT present natives are running
out mahogany logs for shipment here.
The banana trade is handled by STEAMSHIPS
owned by New Workers, which land the fruit a.
New York or New Orleans. according as its des.
tination is east or west. The largest American
concession covers 15,O10 acres. productive d.
100000 plants. From Bluefeds alone 129s0a
lunches Of bananas were shipped 10 this cOun-
try in the year ended in June last Enormous
coffee plantations owned by Americans shippei
to the United States 16.SOOO00 pounds of bean;
in the same period. Refined sugar sent hsls
amounted TO 1000 tons.
Americans operate over 100000 acres of min
ing concessions, mostly along the east coast
well equipped with railways telegraph lines ami
river boats. The United States governmer'
practically controls the wireless telegraphy q
the country, having a large plant on Swa,
Island. supplemented by stations run by fri.
cOmDanV