Gilpin observer., 1914-05-07


son to believe they will achieve re-
suits. However that may be, a new
and potent power has been injected
, into the big game of world politics.
and hereafter our statesmen will dir
ect their efforts toward cementing
our friendship with our neighbors of
the western hemisphere rather than
toward the formation of European al
liances.
"All the Americas for America.
will be a shibboleth which will be
needed by both Europe and Asia.
Growth Of South America.
Now let's take peep between the
covers of that old geography and as
certain some of the changes which
have taken place south of the Rio
Grande since Bolivar and O'Higgins
chased the Spaniards into the sea.
Latin-America has three times the
area of the United States and a pop
ulation of 7O,OO0.O0O people Its for.
eign trade last year amounted to 81
500 900 900 or one-half of the foreign
trade of the United States with 1O0,-
900 900 people.
But the most amazing fact in con-
nection with Latin-America's develop
ment is that its foreign trade has
increased $1,000, ,OOO.O in the last
ten years. Talk about a boom. No
other portion of the habitable globe
can make a better showing, yet we
sometimes speak of these republics
as "dagolands'' and generally think
Of them as the home of yellow few
er. alligators and revolutionists.
The United States has secured a
generous slice Of this trade. John
Barrett, the director general of the
Pan-Americani Union is authority for
the statement that our commerce
with Latin America ras more than
doubled in ten years and that we
are outstripping England, France or
Germany. And Il at without a ship
subsidy, too,
We think we have>>some country,
and it is tolerably large when you
compare it with European nations,
but you could put the continental Unit
ed States in Brazil and still have
enough left over to make the state
OF Pennsylvania.
We speak of the Mississippi as the
Father of Waters, but out of the
Amazon flows five times the volume
of water that the Mississippi emp
ties into the gulf. The Amazon and
its tributaries are navigable for 90
900 miles.
Then, there is Argentine. the coun-
try that Jarrett describes as the
Wonderland of South America. With
population of 100000 the Argen-
tinians have a greater foreign COM
merce than the Japanese with 5O.OOO.-
900. or the Chinese with 300 900 900.
Buenos Ayres. the capital. has a pop
ulation of more than 1900, 900 and is
considered one of the most beauti-
full cities In the world.
The ireland Of the South.
Chill. the third member of the A..
b. C. confederation, is called the
Ireland of South America, because its
freedom was won by an Irishman, the
famous O'Higgins. and many men of
Irish blood settled there. Chill is
twice as big as Texas with Pepnsyl-
vania thrown in. II the south end
of Chill were placed at San Diego,
California, the north end would reach
up into Alaska. 1t possesses tremen-
Gus natural resources which are be-
ing vigorously developed. The capt
tai, Santiago, has population OF
500 900 and glories In the sobriquet
of "the Paris of the Andes.
All three of these nations have
strong navies and large well trained
armies. They are friends worth hav.
ing, but they want to be treated as
friends, not as half savage vassals.
They appreciate what the Monroe
Doctrine did for them but now they
crave n voice in the application and
enforcement Of that doctrine. This
is a worthy ambition and the Unit
ed States can very well afford to
crafty 1t.
The other republics of Latin-Amer.
lea have not attained the command.
ing position Of the three mentioned
but they are all progressing in most