The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-01-02
UNITED STATES NOT BEHIND.

AsO SOS3SA AOA CA0n N10OO "a SAAS
twenty Latin American republics for
the year 1913 was $2,864,S76.224. Of
this amount $1,325.752.627 represented
imports and e1,53s.123.5S7 exports
The figures above are compiled by
the Pan-Amerfcan Union from origi-
nal reports from the several countries.
For Panama the figures are partly
estimated. being founded upon incom-
plete returns, and for Nicaragua and
Ecuador they are for the year 1912.
In all other cases the period covered
is the calendar year 1913.
How is this trade distributed among
the principal commercial nations OF
the world. and in particular, what
share has the United States therein?
1t comes sometimes as a surprise to
Americans when they are told that the
United States enjoys q larger proper
ton of the foreign trade of the Latin
American republics than any other
country in the world. In 1913 the
share OF the United States was more
than three times that of France. near
ly double that of Germany. and 25
per cent greater than that of the Unit
ed Kingdom: United States, $S03.465.-
S45; United Kingdom, $643.5S6.SS6;
Germany. $407. 132,374; France, $685.
S13,453.
Until 1913 the lead of the United
States in the foreign trade of Latin
America was due to its share of Latin
American exports, but the United
Kingdom has heretofore led in the
volume of Latin American imports.
In 1913. for the first time, the United
States took the lead in imports, the
value of it's shipments to the twenty
countries being $325.ss7.s45. as
against the United Kingdom. $685.
22s.07s. Germany, $217.s7e.2o2. and
France, $11O,4S4,3S5. Notwithstand-
ing the efforts put forward by the
British manufacturers In 1914, and
particularly since the beginning OF the
war, to maintain their position in the
Latin American import trade and to
capture a large share of the German
trade, it can be predicted with reason
able confidence that the lead in this
trade acquired first by the United
States in 1918 will not be lost in 1914.
In the field of Latin American ex-
ports the United States in 1913 took
goods to the value of SAT-, 62S.500. the
OAltcu NlA6uOHus ~OS A,~Oot~AOs
many, $1S9,156,172. France. $685.
329,O6s. In Guatemala. Honduras,
Nicaragua, Panama, the Dominican
Republic. Haiti. Argentina, Bolivia
Paraguay and Uruguay, ten countries
in all, the imports from the United
States exceeded the exports thereto. In
the remaining ten countries, Mexico,
Salvador, Costa RIGA, Cuba, Brazil.
Chile, Colombia. Ecuador. Peru and
Venezuela, the exports to the United
States exceeded the imports therefrom.
In Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua,
Costa RIGA, Panama, Cuba. the DOM
inican Republic, and Haiti. the i'm
ports from the United States repre-
scented more than one-half of all the
imports into the countries. In Mexico
the imports from the United States
amounted to nearly one-half-49.7 per
cent of the whole. The ten countries
last named, taken together, took from
the United States 52.6 per cent of their
total imports. from the United King
dom 1913 per cent, from Germany, 100
per cent, and from France, 10 per
cent. The same countries exported to
the United States 71.S per cent of their
lOldA IOA CA6u CAROA sCs " SAlo AAA-~~A
Kingdom, Ill per cent. to Germany,
7.9 per cent, and to France. 3.6 per
cent. In only two Of the ten coun-
tries named did the United States fail
to rank first in both imports and ex-
ports; in Guatemala, the exports to
Germany represented 52.9 per cent Of
the total. to the United States, 27.2 per
cent. and in Haiti the exports to both
France and Germany exceeded those
to the United States. In Honduras the
proportion Of exports to the United
States was 1913 per cent of the whole.
in Panama, 86.3 per cent. and in Cuba.
1919 per cent.
In the ten republics of South Amer
lea the position of the United States
was by no means SO advantageous. OF
the totals for these countries the Unit
ed States supplied 1925 per cent of
the imports, the United Kingdom,
27.73 per cent, Germany, 1896 per
cent, and France 8.6S per cent. The
United States took of their exports
1855 per cent, the United Kingdom.
24.09 per cent. Germany 1913 per
cent, and France 9.87 per cent.
1t can easily be seen, therefore. that
the position of the United States as
the leading country in Latin American
trade is due to it's commanding posi-
ton in the ten nearby republics, and
that in South America it is far behind
the United Kingdom in both imports
and exports, and behind Germany in
the imports. But even in South Amer
lea the trade Of the United States is
unevenly distributed as compared with
the trade of the European countries.
1t leads in the imports of Venezuela.
1875 per cent Of the total, as compared
to the United Kingdom gas per cent.
1t leads also in Colombia, 26.7 per
cent, to United Kingdom 2O.4 per cent,