Evening star., 1919-05-25
COLOMBIA RICH FIELD =
FOR us. INVESTMENTS
One of the Most Important Latin Americas
Republics Looks to This Country for Z
Aid in Development.

| IL Vail uc TCAuIy ScSus tn0Tot0IOsS
that Colombia has every reason to,
anticipate a great future of pros-s
perity. tsie
Textiles Chief Imports.-
| Regarding its imports. the chief
/ item is textiles. Textiles in raw and
| manufactured form are ever needed
in Colombia. and since the beKinnins"
of the war the United States has
| furnished the bulk of these necessi-
| ties. Other principal imports are
foodstufrs and condiments. machinery
| and machine parts. electrical appa-
| ratus. railway supplies and engines.
| pharmaceutical supplies and products,
shoes. soft drinks. tewelry and paper
and paper manufactures. Previously
shipped from the United States to Co.
| lombia. /.
Colombia is fortunate in the pos
session of number of splendid sea
ports, the principal ones on the
Caribbean sea being Puerto Colombia.
| at the mouth of the Magdalena river.
4, his port is busy one and IL equip
ped with fine dock facilities and other
features attractive to shipping in
! On the Pacific ocean Buenaventura
| and Tumaco are the chief ports. They
are reached by all of the Pacific coast
lines from South American ports and
from Panama from the north.
Bogota Capital and Chief City. q
Colombia. Bogota, has 175. 900 people
and has an altitude OF $500 feet
The valleys in the vicinity of Bogota
are FERTILE and devoted to intensive
farming.
The presidential palace, the national
capitol building. the cathedral, the
several banks and schools and the
College of Medicine, Law and Engi-l
neering are important buildings.
Medellin is the city of next. impor-
of a trifie less than $1,000.
/ Another important city. Is Cali.
which has population of almost
Santa Marta is rapidly attaining
prominence and in population since
the recent revival of the banana in
! dustry along the coast.
Discovery and Conquest.
| It might be said that Columbus dis
covered Colombia. Records show that
| when he was on his fourth and last
voyage to the new world" and, after
discovering Cape Gracias Dios, Sep
landings on the Colon bian coast, but
made no attempt to settle the country
or to conquer the native Indians. -. .
| 1t was to Alfonso de Ojeda that this
task fell In 1903 he was granted the
land lying east of. the Darien river,
which was termed the Province of
Uraba.
In 1886 Jimenez de Quesada assumed
this difficult task of conquest. At
about the same time two other expe-
ditions We're assigned to this work
OF subjugatfng the Chibchas. Quesada
set up his capital. where the present
| city of Bogota now stands. -.
Goes to War for Independence.
Afterward followed the appoint
| ment of a Spanish governor general. .
| and soon after that Spain named the
| country the Province Of New Ora
NADIA. In 1717 1t was made q viceroy- !
| de la Pedrosay Guerrero. Things
moved smoothly until 1910. when the
| citizens Of Bogota deposed the gov
| ernment rulers. This was followed
by war against Spain to attain ia.
dependence. Gen. Simon Bolivar and
F. de p: Santander led the patriots
in their fight for liberty. A union !;
with Venezuela was formed. and IN
1919 hte Republic Of Colombia came :
into existence. Gen. Bolivar was, on
July %, 1921, elected the first preat-
dent of the Greater Colombia" The 4
"Intendencia de Quito" now the, He
public OF Ecuador. Joined the union
in 1922. but when Bolivar died, eight 5
years later. the union Wa8 QISSOlVOQ- ,
Colombia adopted the title Of the Rs
| public of New Granada, in 1891. This !
title was subsequently changed to
! that of the Granadine Confederation.
| later to that of the United States !.
! of Colombia. and finally to the Re-
| public of Colombia. -.
Three Branches Of Government.
The government is composed Of
| legislative executive and judicial
| branches. There are a house Of rep
resentatives and a senate. The.
president of the republic is elected
| by direct vote, and serves for term
| of four years. There is no vice pres
! ident, but two designados. first and
second, elected annually by the con-
gress succeed to the presidency, re-
| spectively, in case of absence. death
or inability on the part.of the prestr
dent to serve. The president 10 as
sisted by q cabinet of eight members,
whom he appoints. H. .. yrtsa..
There are 5000 men in Colombta's
permanent army. However, military
service Is compulsory, and the total
war strength is therefore estimated
at 10000. The navy comprises hNH
cruisers, three gunboats, one troop
ship and other auxiliary vessels.
In Colombia there are about $40
postoffices, more than $4,000, miles; Q1
telegraph lines and 1,100 miles q
...-l q