The sun., 1919-10-06
ITALY EXPANDING
IN SOUTH AMERICA
Heavy Increase Of Exports and
Imports Noted Since
End of War.
TURNING TO ARGENTINA
Immigrants Go Into Agricul-
ture and Readily Adopt
Practices Of Country.

The reported arrival of the Ansaldo
San Giorgia at Callao will come Us
something of n shock to most OF those
who have not realized what a large place
Italy has come to play in the South
American trade since 1913. Before the
war Italy ranked eighth In the list OF
the countries to which Argentina ex-
ported goods. To-day 1t is third. In
the matter Of Argentine imports the dif-
ference Is even more striking. Be1ore
the war twenty countries sold more gooos
I'm Argentine that Italy; to-day she Is
outranked by only four.
An examination OF the statistics oil
Brazils foreign trade gives similar re-
suit Before the war Italy ranked tentn
in the list Of countries to which Brazil
sent her goods; to-day Italy Is fourth.
In her exports to Brazil Italy has also
made a gain, although 1t has not bean
SO large; her rank has changed from
eighth to sixth.
These figures are not so surprlslns
when one realizes that in the last two
decades Italian immigration INTO the
southern countries Of South America mas
surpa assed that from any other country.
The greater part of this immigration has
gone to Argentina, where the ltaian
farmers now play a large part in the
harvesting of the cereal crops. Most OF
the settlers have gone to the regions OF
Mendoza and San Juan on the eastern
flank of the Andes, where they have
found conditions very similar to those OF
their own country.
Adapt Themselves to Country.
A great many have gone into viticul-
ture, and the wine industry of Mendoza
owes much of It's success to the sturdy
farmers OF northern Italy, who nave
| brought to the New World the knowledge
obtained in the Old World. In Brazil
the majority of the italian Immigrants
have gone into the coffee industry. Tne
newcomers almost always hire out 10
the Brazilian planters. but such has
been their thrift and industry that to-
day many Of them own their own small
! farms In both countries they have
blended easily with the native popuia-
| ton and have at all times proved 10 De
a most desirable type OF citizen.
Until recently Italy has paid but lit
tie attention to the west coast OF South
America, but the action of the Compania
| Transatlantico 1taliana in opening a
new service of steamers between ltai'
ian ports and Peruvian and Chilean
rorts, via the Panama Canal, VIII un,
doubtedly stimulate a large amount OF
trade between the countries affected
II one can Judge from the lines wh'cr
have run in the past between Genoa
and the chief ports OF Argentina anc
Brazil, these steamers will be- fast ano
modern in every respect.
The passenger traffic of the new lines
however, will hardly be as great as thai
of the lines of the east coast, for much
of it was made up of steerage passen'
gers, many OF whom after the termina
ton of the harvests in Argentina anc
Brazil, returned to their own countr,
to live in plenty the rest of the year or
the earnings made in the four or fiv'
months spent in this hemisphere.
Italy Needs Raw Products.
The Italian demand for the raw prod
ucts of Peru and Chile is now yer,
great. Italy needs the raw cotton. wool
cascarilla, cocoa leaves. coffee, minerals
petroleum and benzine OF Peru and tn
nitrates of Chile. She could also us
to advantage much of Peru's sugar, bu
owing to the prohibitive customs dutiel
at Italian ports as a means of protec
tion of the beet root industry, Peruvian
sugar cannot now be introduced int,
Italy. 1t is expected, however, that, ow
ing to the great scarcity of sugar il
Italy, permission will be granted to i'm