Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-29
WHAT AND WHERE CHILE
BUYS.

/ Inc longest way IOuuu Is nut AIt
| shortest way home when IT comes TO
| Transporting merchandise. To get there
quickest with the best goods, other
things being equal. means commercial
success, and that's what the Panama
canal Will enable the manufacturing
and other commercial interests OF the
United States to do along the 5000
miles OF Pacific coast line of South
America. OF that coast line nearly
5000 miles are taken up by the re-
public OF Chile. Wherefore Chile is IN
the commercial limelight just now.
and bids fair to remain there for
good many years to come, for her i'm
portance in the business world is
steadily increasing and her future
prospects are remarkably bright.
Complete details OF Chile's foreign
trade for 1913 are not yet available,
but from some advance figures just re-
ceived by the Pan American union,
Washington, d. c., some interesting
facts may be CLEANED which should
claim the attention of those interests
I in the United States seeking TO enter
the Latin American field. In the first
place, Chile's foreign trade in 1913 ex-
4 ceeded all previous records notwith-
standing a general and almost world
wide financial depression. The total
amounted to S265, 900. 600, OF which the
imports were valued at S120,0OO.000
and the exports at nearly S145.0O0.O00.
In this connection II IS interesting
to note that the United States has
made very perceptible gains on her
two chief rivals, the United Kingdom
III
trade since 1909. OF Chilean imports
in 1913 the United States supplied
nearly Il per cent against only 10 per
cent in 1909; the United Kingdom 80
per cent against 80 per cent in 1903:
and Germany just held her own with
- per cent. The United States gained
: per cent in . years without the Pan
anna canal How much should the gain
be during the next years with the
canal open for business?
Now what does Chile buy? Accord
ing 20 values the five leading classif-
cations for 1913 were: Textiles lin
Guiding cotton. wool. other fbres and
silk, over SOS. 900. 900 worth; mineral
products Gncluding iron and steel
manufactures. earths and stones. prec-
ious metals and jewelry). S22.275. 900;
coal. oils, etc, nearly S2O.0OO.OO0: ma
chinery. s15.OOO.OOO; vegetable pro-
ducts Gncluding food products. fruits
and grains. woods and manufactures.
etc-). nearly S14.OO0.0OO; and animal
products. nearly 100000
Under the above classification, in the
line OF textiles the United States made
a very poor showing. The United
Kingdom sold the Chileans over ST.
76S 900 worth; Germany. nearly So
1000: France. $500. 900; Belgium.
over 100000: and the United States
only SSH 900 worth. With the Euro
pean war engfossing the attention of
the four countries enumerated. and
with the Panama canal doing business, |
surely the manufacturers of cotton and /.
wool textiles in the United States will |
get busy and make a better showing
henceforth.
Under mineral products are found I
such manufactures OF steel and iron as .
wire; granite cooking utensils; pipes. I
tubing and connections; nails. railway !
spikes. fshplates. steel rails. car
structural steel. etc, and OF
the total Germany sold SS.120.OO0 /
worth; the United Kingdom, Sc. 49,
900; United States, S4,42s, 900: Bel
GUM. s2.5OO.OOO.
Under coal. oils. etc. the details OF
the 1913 imports are not yet available,
but we find that the United Kingdom
sold Chile over S7,SOO.OOO worth while
he United States came second with
about S6.OOO.OOO worth. In 1912 the
United Kingdom sold the Chileans
;7.146,OOO worth OF coal alone. Aus
ralia sold nearly $4,000 worth. and
he United States but 100000. Under
machinery (Which included railway
.ars. automobiles. hardware. etc. Ger
many sold nearly $500. 900 worth, the
United Kingdom. over $3.50. 900. and I
he United States. 1884, 900. From all {
Z which II may be inferred that II IS !
fine for the manufacturers OF the
-nited States TO get in the game in !
arrest