Evening star., 1926-03-07
BY WILLIS J. B.iLLINGER,

INVESTMENT by the American
people abroad at the rate of over
a billion dollars a year, a total
foreign investment of over ten
billions, a labyrinthine maze of
american ownership and interests in
Gold mines, great oil properties, vast
frllit, rubber, sugar plantations, tele-
phone, telegraph and railroad lines
extending from jungles and Swamps
and deserts to the heart of Paris, Lon
don and the great metropolitan cen
lers of the world, was the astonishing
picture that was unfolded to me by
Theodore Burton as I sat chatting
with him in the Capitol.
Representative Burton. member of
The American debt-funding commits
NlOnS, long a student of and partici-
patOr in international affairs, has been
Intimately acquainted with the stupen-
dous evolution of America from the
role of a poverty-stricken debtor ma
tiOn of a century ago to the world S
dominating financial power.
The Representative prosaically
brought the tips of his fingers together
as | began to draw out some of the
information that he has amassed in
his years of service in public life and
his close attention to business and
finance.
How much money! l asked. "have
the American people invested abroad?'
$40, ,lO5, 900, 900 Invested.
The American people, private in
VcStOrs, had investments abroad on
January l. 1926. amounting approx
mately to $40, ,405 900 900 OF this, in
Vestments in Europe aggregated
s. 800 600 600; in Canada and New
foundland, $2.S25. 100000 in Latin
America, $421O.0OO. 900; in Asia and
Oceania, $500. 900, 900: in Africa, $50
10000. OF this total, $4.430 900, 900
was in government and government
guaranteed obligations, including loans
10 political subdivisions and some in
dustrial loans, mostly to railways;
$5.915 5000 in industrial securities
and direct investments.
1t should be noted that investments
in Europe are almost exclusively in
loans. while in Canada and more eS-
pecially Latin America the largest
share is in property owned. The fol
lowing is the estimated amount of
loans made in 1925: Europe, $685.
ol0.300: Asia, S66,902 900; Australia,
SO. 900 900; Latin America GncludinS
West Indies), S199. 402 200; Canada lin
Guiding NEWFOUNDLAND, S1S5 ,942 900;
Loans for refundinG are deducted.
There has been "a slackening in gov
ernment loans, an increase in those
to municipalities and a still greater
increase in industrial loans.
The original amount of indebted
ness to the United States Government
was S10,33S, 900 900. a very large sum
of interest has accrued on the origi-
nal amount.
Two Billions Before War.
"Our foreign loans and investments
before the war. or as of January J.
1914, are generally estimated at about
Two billions of dollars
How much has been invested in
Mexico?
The amount of investments in Mex
leo at the present time is estimated at
one billion. Their value has been
seriously impaired by damage during
revolutionary and other disturbances
and hostile legislation. In the pre-
war period Mexico stood first of all
countries in our foreign investments"
What country in South America
has been most invested in? What
country in Europe. in Africa, in the
Central America states?
Among the South American
countries, Chile stands out pre-emi-
nently in the matter of American in
Vestments. A large volume of loans
10 the governments national, state
and municipaD of Argentina and
Brazil have been placed in this coun.
Try, but our direct investments in
Chile more than offset this difference.
our mining investments in Chile are
tremendous, such as with Chile Cop
per Co., Braden Copper. Santiago Min
ing, Andes Copper Mining, Bethlehem
chile Iron Mines, the Anglo Chilean
Nitrate and Railway Co. the nitrate
properties of the du Points and w. Il.
Grace and other enterprises.
Germany Has Most.
I'm Europe our greatest invest
ments are in Germany, in Africa,
Among Central American countries,
Guatemala has led, with Costa Rica
and Panama second and third"
Have Americans many property
interests in Russia?
our property interests in Russia
prior to the kerenSky revolution in
1917 have been estimated at $50 000,-
600, most. if not all. of which has been
written off the books.
''The leading manufacturing plants
owned by Americans, or in which
they had an interest, We're those Of
the international Harvester Co.. the
Singer Sewing Machine Co, the West
prn Electric Co. and the General EleC-