The Daily Missoulian., 1910-11-06
FINE new ERA FOR
SOUTH AMERICA
BEING RAPIDLY AMERicANlzEp
NEW TRADE ROUTE BY IN
TERNATiONAL AGREEMENT.

South America is being rapidly
, Americanized. Dating from the Pan
American conference just concluded at
Buenos Aires, the new era Is opening
of the western hemisphere. Definite
plans have been agreed upon to bring
both shores of South America in di-
rect, continuous communication with
the United States. Through an inter
national agreement, it is purposed to
link together the great ports in reg
ular system Of communication, form
ing an unbroken chain for commercial
interchange from Portland, Maine
southward around Cape Horn and
northward to Seattle. To create this
new trade route. all governments con-
cerned are to work In harmony, direct
banking and cable service will be es-
tablished, and common system of
weights and measures adopted to avoid
all loss Of time In handling freight,
mail and passengers.
In this conference the United States
has naturally been predominant fac
served as chairman of the committee
on ocean communication. which framed
the most important recommendation
Mr.. Henry White. former American
ambassador to Italy, also attended
while Europe was represented by such
distinguished International figures as
NJ. Clemenceau, the former French
premier and $. Signor Enric6 Ferri of
the Italian chamber of deputies.
1t is not generally realized that one
fifteenth of the railroad mileage of the
world. or 10000 miles. stretches across
, South America, which places 1t fourth
among the worlds continents in rail-
, road development. The dream, once
SO fantastic. ,of continuous railroad
from New York. for instance, to
Buenos Ayres. is In a fair way to be
realized. The longitudinal route from
, Panama to the Straits Of Magellan has
been half built in Chile and Peru and
| three-tenths of the distance to be
! traversed In Argentine. The first
/ transcontinental railroad of South
America, already revolutionizing her
. trade routes, Is SS8 miles in length and
by piercing the Andes. connects Buenos
Ayres on the east with Valparaiso on
the west. The trip around the Horn,'
between. these two pogts. takes 10 or
IL days through the Straits of Magel-
Ian.
One of our most distinct recollec-
tions of the Biographies of school days
Is a picture of the early Andean rail-
way, labeled "the highest in the world"
which crawled across mountain peaks
on attenuated trestles. The engineer
Ing difficulties Of South American rail
way building in this region have been
almost nnsurmountable. The trans
| continental road climbs to an altitude
Of 10000 feet. and at this altitude
pierces the great backbone of the con-
tinent. The tunnel, 1O,3SO feet, or about
two miles in length, has been viewed
from the mountains. Until April last,
!, when the new transcontinental was
opened, the journey was made over the
Andes in caravan, which wound it's
| way laboriously over mountain trails,
which were closed throughout the win
ter months. The trip overland was
made by large number of American
tourists only last year who visited
south American ports on the cruise
of the NBlucher" of the Hamburg
| American line. When this cruise is re-
peated this year, the tourists may
make the Journey across the conti-
nent in luxuriously-a appointed rail-
road train in so hours. From the
trains crossing the Andes at these as
tonishing attitudes may be enjoyed
| some of the finest mountain scenery in
the world. The railroad, like many
IoAl>
| veyed and built by American and
English firms.
Buenos Ayres, with population of
1.250,000, one of the most beautiful
cities in the world, should be close
commercial neighbor The wealth of
Argentine in wheat and hides alone.
rivaling and even surprising that of
the United States. finds it's outlet in
! Europe. The southern continent is a
/ wonderland for the tourist, and set
until last years trip of the "Bluecher
no considerable group of American
travellers had ever crossed the equator
| to the sister continent.
And now that the door is open for
| the great stream of globe -trotting
Americans. South America is being re-
discovered. With the energetic assist
ance of the Pan American conference,
| the great tide of travel, both for tour
lists and commerce, will flow in in
!, creasing volume. Our sister republic
!, of Brazil, larger even than our own,
offers unprecedented opportunities, Rio
: de Janeiro is a revelation with its
population of nearly 100000 and its
| great wealth and luxury The most
beautiful harbor in the world is not
!, the least of it's attractions. Rio is a
surprisingly perfect replica of Paris
with its great boulevard and theaters
supassing any in the United States.
Some $40.oO0.0O0 have been spent in
| identifying it's harbor. in which today
American mercahnt vessels are very
| rarely seen.
Statistics are likely to be stupid
+, things. but a few figures will. perhaps,
best serve to awaken the American
reader to the possibilities of these
| South American cities for the COM
merce and the delights of travel.
Twenty republics south of the United
| States sold the rest of the world last
year products worth 81. 127 sol 900. This
means $40 per capita and shows an in