El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-12-25

~ TASHlNGTON. D. c. Dec. 10
w For the first time in history the
United States has a fair chance
at the trade IN Brazil Until now the
English. French and Germans have
been combining against US. They have
prevented the establishment OF Ameri-
can steamship lines to South America
by giving rebates and preferential
rates. and have done all they could to
keep out American banks and American
capital Now their hands are tied by
the great war in Europe
The Europeans have money to borrow
instead Of to lend and the great South
American loans proposed prior to the
outbreak of the trouble have been
practically cancelled One of these
amounted to more than S125, 600, 600. It
childs, and both the government and
the business men Of Brazil depended
upon 1t The prospect of other loans
from France and Germany departed
with the declaration of war. and as a
result Brazil is having some of the
hardest times Of her history. In the
past she has been depending for out
side aid to the extent of 80 per cent Of
her financial requirements. and her
resources are so enormous and her
possibilities so great that she has had
no trouble in borrowing. Today she
has TO look to this hemisphere for the
most Of her supplies, and she will
gladly welcome financial assistance
from US.
troubles start Before the WHTs
The troubles Of Brazil began before
the war opened. The war in the Bal
kans caused the withdrawal Of much
English capital and money was tight
1914 the trade Of Santos showed a de-
cline Of - per cent and there were
heavy declines in imports and exports.
Coffee has been steadily dropping since
1912. and in 1914 II was 40 per cent
below the 1912 price.
The rubber Industry has been greatly
reduced in value by the competition Of
the cheap rubber of Malaysia Four
or five years ago Para rubber brought
as high as 50 a pound in New York
It has steadily fallen until rubber Of
that grade is now quoted at 60 cents,
and il is a question whether il is not
below the cost Of production, as far as
the Amazon valley is concerned
Again the money Of Brazil, which
rises and falls with the markets Of the
world, has dropped from its value OF
20 cents and upward 1t fell to %
cents when war was declared, and
gradually declined until II was only
20 cents last October. 4 little later II
rose to its old figure, Is cents, but such
changes Of rise and fall greatly disturb
values, and importatiOns have fallen
everywhere throughout the republic
Prospects Good for Substantial Revival
Notwithstanding this, the prospects
Of Brazil have never been brighter The
world is just beginning TO realize the
enormous resources OF the country and
the people have been putting in the
machinery for their development
Within the past few years they have
increased their railway construction so
that they have now something like
$3.50 000, 600 worth of lines, comprising
altogether something like 5000 miles
Of track They have been opening up
their rivers and improving the harb DTS
along the coast All OF the ports from
Para at the mouth Of the Amazon TO
Porto Allegro In the far south are being
made sanitary. There is no yellow
fever anywhere and one can live just
Is safely in Rio and Santos as in New
York or New Orleans.
Vast Sums Spent on HarbOrs-
An enormous amount of money has
been spent on the harbors Of Brazil
The new improvements being made at
Bahia will provide a line Of quays that
add about six hundred feet TO the width
Of the water front for more than two