Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-29
TRADE IN MEXICO :
SUFFERS HEAVILY
In a Few States Only Are
Business Conditions Near
the Normal.
RISE IN EXCHANGE MAKES
DEBT PAYING DIFFICULT
Summary of Reports by 257 Agents
to National Association of
Manufacturers

The National Association of Manufac.
turers, which maintains q staff of 1,sO
correspondents for the purpose Of keep
ing In touch with business condition.
throughout the world, requested 257 Of it.
most trusted agents in Mexico not Ions
ago to make reports based only on in
formation which they were sure was &C.
curate Of trade conditions in the dts.
turbed republic.
The importance of this Investigation .
said an official OF the association yester-
day. will be appreciated when It Is un-
derstood that the United States is Next
cos best customer. We take three-quar-
tiers of her exports and send into Mex
leo more than one-haIf of all that she
imports
Scope Of the Inquiry.
The investigation covered all of the
Mexican states except two that are COM
paratively unimportant. The correspond
ents are impartial residents, who are
familiar with the conditions not only
Of their immediate localities, but of the
surrounding territory. The results have
been compiled by william NJ Benney,
manager of the foreign department of
the N. A. NJ, and Vicente Gonzales, ad-
wiser on Latin American affairs OF the
association.
The correspondents were asked to re-
port on the present condition of bust
ness in their districts; what business
failures had taken place in their COM
munittes; to what extent local business
men were restricting credit, and to
what degree foreign creditors were &C
commodating their debtors; whether
the increase in the prices of goods had
change. and what the business pros
poets were for the near future. In
their replies the correspondents did
not conf1ne themselves alone to
answering these inquiries, but volun-
tee-ed much interesting information on
the general business and political sit
uation. The results Of the investiga-
tons show that the gold resources do
not permit the government to maintain
the Mexican peso at it's former ex-
change value. Prices have increased
and the markets are uncertain. Credit
has been disturbed seriously.
Business Map Of Republic.
In making public the report of It's
correspondents the association also
gave out a business map Of Mexico
showing the situation in the republic.
The map demonstrates that the dis
tricts chiefly disturbed 80 far as bust
ness is concerned are the northern
states of Sonora. Chihuahua, Coahuila
and Nuevo Leon, and the central states
Of Durango and Zacatecas. Other
states in which bad business due to
the revolution Is reported are those OF
San Luis Potosi. Guanajuato. Hidalgo.
Michoacan, Queretaro, Morelos and
Tiaxcala. all in the central and south
central part of the republic.
The states in which conditions are
reported as normal are those Of Lower
California, sinaloa. Topic. Jalisco. Ia
maulipas and Vera Cruz, Guerrero.
Oaxaca, the home state OF Porfirio
Diaz; Chiapas. the territory OF Qufn-
tana Roo; Campeche. Yucatan, Tabas
a small strip of territory which takes
in the Isthmus Of Tehuantepeo. The
dark parts of the map indicate the
most disturbed districts. the shaded
part those states in which conditions
are not so bad, while the white Sec
tons are those in which normal con-
ditions prevail The tables by states
and territories which follow indicate
briefly the present condition OF bust
ness in the republic:
Northern States.
Chihuahua-Business in this state is
almost at a standstill. No credit Is
being given unless guaranteed by mort
cages. Few importations. A considera-
able rise in prices has taken place, part
ly on account of the rise in exchange
and partly because Of the scarcity OF
farm crops, as agriculture has been
largely abandoned.
Coahuila-Business bad or stagnant,
but so far no important failures. Mer-
chants generally have curtailed sales,
and both local and foreign credits are
restricted. Prices have been soaring. in
keeping with the rates OF exchange
The majority of the correspondents view
the situation hopefully. feeling that con-
siderable Roadway has been made by the
federal government
Nuevo Leon-As In Coahuila.
Sonora-Buisness bad; credits impair
ed general rise in prices The only
ed. general rise in prices. The only
failures have been those of Chinese
houses and some weak local firms. as
banks and other creditors have desired
to help the mercantile class all they can.
Merchants object to paying foreign ac-
counts because of the rise in exchange
Federal government reported making
Roadway.
lipas-Correspondents in Tampi-
co and Laredo report business as excel
lent-better than II was three years ago.
One correspondent. in Ciudad Victoria
reports business as bad. All agree that
there have been no important failures
and the majority state that there have
been no notable restrictions on credit
either locally or on the part of foreign
merchants. Prices have risen. In gen.
eral the tone Of the reports is hopeful.
much of the business confidence being
based on the great development OF the
petroleum region in this state
Central States.
Mexico City.-AI business in Mexico
City has suffered greatly In the last three
years some lines being almost stagnant.
Importations being restricted local manu-
facturers in some instances have benefit
ed. Dealers in war materials and supplies
have done well. but. on the whole the
bad effects of the revolution far overbal-
ance the benefits to particular interests.
Observation-Disclosures has suffered
but little from the abnormal situa-
ton. No failures of Importance. General
curtailment OF credits on account of the
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