The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-12-02

| very DdCh warn SIdJe VI uSNSlOphhOhI' -
and consequently small consumers
of foreign manufactured products.
With the exception of Chile, the
people of the West Coast countries
are far less progressive than the
leading people of the East Coast.
1t is in the countries of the eastern
part of South America where the
greatest development of natural re-
sources is taking place and where
the most rapidly-growing markets
will be found.
But whatever may be the immdei-
ate results of the opening of the Pa
mama Canal they can be no doubt of
the great possibilities of develop
ment of an already valuable and
growing trade with South America.
With an area not far short of that
of the North American continent,
the area capable of profitable de-
velopment under present conditions
is even greater than that of North
America. Its mineral wealth is vast
and as yet scarcely touched
The forest wealth of South Amer
lea is beyond our present powers of
computation, and yet that continent
is the leading market for some of our
wood.
We all know how largely the
world has been dependent on South
America up to the present time for
its supplies of rubber, fertilizers,
chocolate and coffee. Argentina, like
Canada, is becoming a constantly
growing factor in providing the man
ufacturing countries with grain and
meat. Shipments of the latter from
Argentina have already appeared at
our own ports.
The requirements of South Ameri-
ca at the present time are similar
to those of our Western States two
generations ago-namely, judicious-
ly-invested capital and the continu-
Gus influx of Woodworking immi-
grants. Both of these factors are be-
ing supplied in large measure by
European countries to Argentina,
Uruguay, and Southern Brazil, and
in lesser degree to Chile Much of
this capital is invested in railways,
and we all know that the develop
ment of railroad transportation IA
cilities ultimately means the de-
velopment of agricultural, forest and
industrial resources in proportion to
the energy and intelligence of the
population for whose welfare these
facilities are provided.
Now, while I have spoken of the
population of the West Coast of
South America as largely composed
of Indians in a still undeveloped
state of civilization, and while it is
! also true that very large proportion
of the inhabitants of all of the
northern and tropical countries of
hn oil nf nd q n
blood nevertheless the consuming
capacity of fifty millions of people
of all classes is enormous, and the
energy and capacity of the descend
ants of the Spanish and Portuguese
peoples, who dominate nearly every
part of the continent, is splendidly
displayed in the southern half and
those sections where the climate is
conducive to sustained mental and
muscular effort.
We have made great strides in our
export trade with South America in
the past ten years. With all of Latin
America recent figures show that
I growth in the value of exports from
this country has increased 1873 per
cent. in this period.
To Argentina alone at the present
time we are sending four times as
much goods as we did in 1908; to
Brazil nearly four times as much,
and to Chile about four times as
much.
This seems a notable increase, but
when we bear in mind that our per-
centage proportion of the total i'm
ports of the countries of South
America is only about the same that
it was ten years ago, it will be seen
that our European competitors still
have the great bulk of the import
trade of the southern continent.
OF the one billion dollars worth
of goods imprted into South Ameri-
ca at the present time our proper
ton is about fifteen per cent. l do
not, as some seem to do, look upon
this small percentage as a reflection
on the energy and enterprise of the
American manufacturer. AS manu-
facturers we have found in our own
country market growing so fast
that at times it has sorely taxed all
our energies and resources to keep
up with. Nevertheless, we have de-
veloped an export trade, which, in
total volume to all countries, is now
nearly equal to that of the greatest
exporting country of the world,
namely, the united Kingdom, our to-
tai exports in 1912 being $780,
100000, those of the United King
dom $2,372, 100000, and those of
Germany $2,115, 100000.
While it is true that larger pro-
portion of our exports consist of raw
material than those of the other ma
tions mentioned, nevertheless our eX-
ports of manufactured products are
rapidly increasing, until at the pres
ent time, if we include manufactured
and partly manufactured foodstuffs,
they comprise about two-thirds of
our total exports.
But now the genius of our manu-
facturers has so developed our own
industries that we are prepared in
larger measure than ever before to
seek and secure customers in other
lands; but coupled with that condi-
tion the American manufacturer has
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