New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-20

Amazon traverses the entire country
and reaches into Peru, being over
thirty-fve hundred miles in length.
II is navigsble for ocean vessels for
more than half that distance. The
Importance Of this TO the nation may
be understood If one imagines the Mis-
sissippi River running east and west
in the United States to the Pacific
Coast. with it's mouth at Baltimore, and
Of depth permitting vessels from the
ocean TO proceed almost to Minneapo-
lis.
The country has a railroad system Of
considerable size, but because Of the
low cost OF water transportation Brazil
will always have an enormous advan-
tage in the marketing of her forest
and agricultural products as the coun-
try grows.
In recent years the cattle business
has begun TO receive considerable at
tention in the country, and great tracts
OF land in the southwest which arc es-
pecially adapted to cattle raising arc
now being developed. The refrigerat-
Ing plants are growing, and, since it Is
possible TO raise steers very cheaply
on these lands, the business is regard
ed as highly profitable. The grade of
the cattle is not SO good as in Ar
gentine and Uruguay, but it is improv-
ing, and since the prices are lower
than the beef Of those countries there
is a good demand for it,
The mining industry in the West is
also beginning to look up, and, as in
other South American countries, United
States citizens are active in this field.
Brazil has always been producer of
manganese ore, of which the country
has large deposits but little developed.
Within the last year a syndicate has
teen formed under the leadership OF
the Cassel interests of England, in
which American bankers and miners
have participated, for the exploitation
of the manganese mines. The COM
pany represents a total investment Of
$1,000 900. two-thirds of the money
being supplied in England and one
third in the United States. Our pur-
chases of the ore have jumped recent
ly, and during the year closing July
we bought from Brazil more than
double the quantity taken in any pre-
vious year. this buying amounting 10
So per cent of all our manganese i'm
ports.
While sugar is being pushed now,
as result of high prices. cotton, rice
and cacao are also moving up in pro-
duction. II is likely that mineral prod
ucts, beef, hides and cacao, will be
large factors in the new business
which Brazil develops in the next
twenty years.
Brazil does some manufacturing OF
goods for domestic consumption. but IT
is not a large factor, and probably
will not be for many years TO come.
There are a number of cotton mills,
especially in the neighborhood of Rio
de Janeiro. also some shoe factories.
and part of the native leather is now
being tanned at home.
The business between the United
States and Brazil is in many respects
the most unusual foreign trade situa-
ton we have. In the four years pre-
ceding the war we bought from Brazil
over $3.50, 100000 of coffee, rubber and
other products more than we sold to
her. This is the biggest balance
against US in any direction. ard only
three other countries Austria
and Holland unfavorable bal
ances in Brazil. Holland stands next
to us in the list, with nearly 100000
900 against her for the four years re-
ferred to. During this period Brazil
bought 1886, 100000 worth of goods
from England, s215. 100000 from Ger
many and only s191, 100000 from us.
The balance in favor of England was
over s1O0.000.000 and favorable to
Germany S15,000,000.
In a word. the United States buys
twice as much from Brazil as any
other purchaser of her products. She
is the one customer without which
Brazil is seriously affected, but, while
we pay our money to Brazil for her
goods. England and Germany, partic-
ularlv. take the cash away in exchange
for their manufactures. Obviously