New Britain herald., 1925-01-23
GIFTSOF s. AMERICA
 ID CIVILIZATION
National Geographic Society Man Talks on Latin Country

Washington, D. C., Jan. 1s. VI 4 resume of the remarkable contribu- tons South America has made to civilization and the unusual geo. graphical features of that continent are contained in an address by John Oliver I.aGorce. vice-president Of the National Geographic society. to the, Third Pan-American Scientific Congress meeting at Lima, Peru.
 Tn Peru originated the potato the worlds greatest single crop; Chilli contributes the guano fertilizer which rejuvenates the soil of many lands: the panipns of Argentina be. stow meats and wool upon millions outside her borders; Brazil helped make possible the automobile by teaching the use of rubber and Mex leo furnishes the twine to bind civilizations harvests - to mention only a few Of the important eco homie services of the continent" \ Mir, LaGorce said.
 The United States and South American countries have always manifested their friendship by their trade" the speaker continued. Tn & recent year Argentina bought three-eighth of her imports from our country: Brazil spent in the United States approximately one- half Of her expenditures for imports, and Chile gave the United States practically the same proportion of her foreign purchases. Columbia was an equally good customer in proportion to her total importations, while Peru gave the United States nearly two-thirds of her total for- eign orders. More than two-thirds of venezuela's foreign business was done with American houses and, in Ecuador. the proportion was 45 percent. '..
 ,.. Tn. our turn we bought more than half of the exports of Chile, Columbia, Peru. and Venezuela, nearly half of those of Brazil, and nearly third Of those of Argentina.
 To the geographer these figures tell far more than profitable busi- ness relationship: they betoken a mutual dependency based on mutual needs. It is happy geographic fact that our two continents, thrown into close proximity, need each other and, in 50 many ways, com plerlent each other.
 "The physical geography of South America is fascinating. It is distin- euished by the absence of clearly defined watersheds between its great river basins. From the Orinocc delta to the Rio de Ia Plata estuary there Is almost a continuous over lapping of these basins. In south ern Venezuela, where that country thrusts a political peninsula into northern Brazil. below the town of Esmeralda, the waters of the upper Orinoco suddenly decide to part company, some fthem reaching the Amazon. and. the sea through the Brasos Casiquiare and the others forcing their way to the lower Orinoco over the rapids Of the eroded mountain .barrieds at Maj pures and Atures.
 Although the communications between the Amazon and the Ric de,la Plata basins are not so marked as those between the Amazon and the orinoco basins, there are numerous places where the flip ot birds wing, the direction of the wind, the abundance of local rains the formation of a sand-bar. or the slip of bit of land, may determine the destiny of drop of water whether 1t shall flow past Para ol Buenos Aires. G, l..s r.;"
 Nature has been prodigal of he blessings to South America--bless ings which. in some instances, art just being revealed.
 A rich asset of our eastern sea