Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-13


trade with tie United States and its
possible increase through our tariff re
auction This man says that the new
tariff will send many Mexican articles
which are now going 10 Europe 10 the
United States. Said he:
Our foreign commerce has been
steadily increasing, and within ten years
we VIII double our exports. This Is
especially so as TO our trade with your
country We sold you s224.0oO.0oo
worth Of goods in 1912. and our total
So you see you now take the most OF
what We sell. You will take even more
in the future
What are the chances for American
capital?" j asked.
AS soon as matters become settled
and they are bound TO become settled
within short time-the opportunities
for successful investment will be very
great IL Is now twenty-five years
since your people began to send large
sums TO Mexico. and you now have in
vestments amounting to many, many
millions of dollars. You have large
interests in all OF our Industrial under
taklngs- You own the most OF our
mines and enormous quantities OF land.
The right TO acquire land is unlimited
ana there are extensive tracts await
ing the capitalist. / believe that the
large estates will soon have TO be
divided. They will be laid out in small
holdings and will be sold on advanta-
geous terms.
There are many opportunities here
along manufacturing lines" this man
continued. Mexico needs many arreeles
which she does not produce and which
could be protected by the tariff. Our
cotton mills are making great strides
and at no distant date we shall be ex-
porting cotton cloth. We are now pro
ducing all the sugar we need and We
have a surplus for expectation. There
Is no reason why we should not make
that the steel industry will be one of
our big businesses OF the future"
How about your Mines"
Mining is one of our largest busi-
nesses, and IL Ia only at its beginning.
We have vast tracts Of undeveloped
territory and our mines are steadily
increasing In number and output. Our
production of silver last year was the
largest to date. 1t was worth $50. 000.-
600.
THE gold production was over S4S-
100000 and during that same year We
produced 10000 tons OF copper ore and
10000 tons OF lead. Every one knows
how the petroleum product IL growing.
The yield last year was more than two
and one-half million tons. and IL will be
a million tons more this year. All or our
a
by the use OF electricity We have a
large number of water powers and these
are being harnessed. and turned TO indus
trial account In various ways"
In connection with electricity I want
to give you a conversation l had with
Col Eduardo Hay some time ago. Col
Hay Is a civil engineer by profession.
and he is interested in large works In
many parts OF the republic. He was
educated In the United States and he
speaks English as Well as / do. In talk
ing Of the possibilities OF Mexico ne tells
me that there are millions OF American
capital awaiting quieter conditions to
come here. He has now on his books
eighty different projects which he mas
been asked to investigate during the
past three months These embrace n.y.
and irrigation and colonization com.
panies Many Of them will be pushed
as soon as the present troubles are over.
Among other things Col Hay san:
Electricity promises to be one or the
greatest fields Of investment OF the Mexico
Of the future. This country il admiraoly
adapted to such q development. We nave
here a high plateau which slopes sleepy
down on both sides to the sea, giving w
many rivers with abundant water power
This is SO both on the Atlantic ana ra-
cific sides Of Mexico. know OF one
river which has 1.0oo-foot fall. forrrnns
q series OF descents each Of which can be
utilized There are other rivers ana
streams Of large size which VIII develop
power and for which concessions couid
be easily gotten.
..As IL is now. we have one power plant
within ninety miles Of Mexico City which
furnishes 600 horsepower. That plant
is now supplying the capital The Fans
Of Juanacatlan have been harnessed ano
there are other powers on government
rivers which could be easily developed
"All that is necessary is to make our
YOUR plans and lay them before the au-
thorities. depositing s.. 800 In gold as a
bond for carrying them out. That 10 the
basis upon which all concessions are
granted in Mexico. and such concessions
can be acquired by the foreigner just as
well az by the native. The deposits OF
earnest money bear interest at per cent
and they are returned when the works
are completed. The government must OF
course. approve OF the working plans De
fore the concessions are granted
FRANK G. CARPENTER