The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-07-12
ny FRANK q. CARPENTER.

20 down through the strait Of Ma
gellan to Europe. Now there are
three railroads. and by the Panama
Canal Bolivia is brought within about
1000 miles OF New Orleans, and within
almost 1900 miles of New York.
The country is the great tin rcser-
~oir OF the world. 1t has been send
ing it's tin ore through tn" strait OF
Magellan to England. where the metal
has been smelted and refined and sent
across the Atlantic Ocean for the maxi
Ing of American tin plate. The TIN
ore will now probably come to us di-
rect, and a smelling industry may
grow up to handle it, AS TO the pres
ent trade with Bolivia. Great Britain
comes frst. then Germany and then
the United States. Even under the
hard conditions Of present transport.
we are sending Bolivia more than one
seventh OF all she consumes. and we
buy one-third of all that she sells.
With the canal. our sales should IN
crease enormously. and our purchases
will probably make us her best Gus
toner AS IL is now, the total foreign
trade OF the country is about S'o,-
600. 600 and IF this the exports eN-
coed the imports Ivy more than no.
600. 900.
Within the past six or seven years
American interests in Bolivia have been
rapidly growing. In 1902, when Erazii
paid to Bolivia something over Slo.-
100000 for the territory OF Acre, the
government decided TO put the money
into the building OF railroads for the
development OF the country. and tho
contracts were given 10 Speycr n Co
and the National City Bank of New
York The amount all told was some
thing like $4,000. 900, and this resulted
in the building of a number Of new
lines and the extension of the old sNs-
tenn giving the country the improved
transportation service which II has to-
day. Later on the Farquhar Syndicate
incorporated In the United States with
n capital OF So5.0o0.oo0 received con-
ressions for the building Of roads in
Eastern Bolivia. and, although as yet
nothing has been done on account of
the hard financial conditions through
out the world, this concession may he
revived as times improve.
Associated with the Speycrs and tho
National City Bank in the first railroad
building was the firm OF w. Il. Grace Il
TO, of New York. II WAS through this
company, which has long been power
in South America, that the great rail
road loan was contracted. and through
IL came large importatirns of American
machinery. rails and ollinG stock, and
also the American civil engineers who
laid out the lines and superintcndcd the
construction.
Al about the same time the firm OF
W. r. Grace & Co established an Amer
;can house in La I'az. 1T had long been
known for its work In all the countries
along the west coast but until then
had nor paid much attention TO Eo-
livia and the interior. Since then ii
has established selling agencies III cN
cry part OF the republic, and IL Is now
pushing American goods everywhere
throughout the high Andes. 1t has di
,ided up Bolivia Just as bur raeat
wholesale firms map out ,thcn- respcc-
tive territories, and 1t has its CONNER
cial statesmen drumming and pushing
American goods In every part OF the
country The La raz establishment OF
Grace a. 60. is the biggest Wholesale
house in Bolivia. 1t has business cor
per that covers about one tenth OF AN
acre, and its counting room looks Hike
81 government department. IL has
azores OF clerks seated at American
desks, and the clicking OF score of
American typcwriters fills the air.
Business is done just as in the States
and the success shows tina. American
methods viii work we'll south Of the
equator they do north OF it,
During my stay here have had a
chat with MIR. Jorge Zalies, the local
director Of this American firm. he
was Dorm In Bolivia. and thoroughly
understands the people and their trade
He Is also we'll posted as TO our Amer
lean interests. having had some expert
.nca in rho Irni,ed STATES In !, dinln
,,,.,,ic canncttv ann also ne IA mo i'm,
portaiion and expectation Of goods
from this country To the United States
and Europe. Said he.
There should hc a great increase
In the business done between the
United states and bolivia AS il is
now. the most of the trade goes on
through Grace & co. bui ,hero is
plenty Of room for others W. have
sfsy.. - a