Evening star., 1927-05-29
Capital Sidelights

COnlfnerClai CONFERENCE UIlHSInS W
gether business leaders from the en-
tire Western Hemisphere, emphasized
the question of American capital being
invested in concessions in other lands.
Representative o. j. kvale of Mime
sofa has been making a special study
of this subject and finds a surprising
total of more than two and quarter
billion dollars in some II countries. lie
believes that such stupendous busi'
ness, which will bring this country
into serious financial conflict with the
major European nations, should be
studied and an official record pre-
served Of the conditions under which
Americans secured concessions in these
countries, with a view to upholding
the integrity and protecting the rights
of citizens of the United States and of
the Government of the United States.
Here is Mr.. Kvale's summary: In
Argentina, approximately $3.50, 900, 900,
American concession and industrial in
terests; in Bolivia, about $50 900, 900,
in government bonds, where the United
States has as large an interest as any
other country; in Brazil, more than
$500 900, 900, including the United
States Steel Corporation concessions;
In Chile, more than 100000, 900. in
Guiding the du POnt interests i'm the
Chile Explosives Co.; In Colombia more
than $80,000,0 900, principally in oil
land leases; in Ecuador. $50, 900 900,
also mostly in Oil land leases; in the
Guianas, $5,000,000, principally in
bauxite properties; in Paraguay. $50.
600. 900; in Peru, about 100000 900,
principally in copper and petroleum;
in Uruguay, SAC, 900, 900, in packing,
petroleum and cement companies; in
Venezuela, $75 900 900. about one-half
of which is in oil alone, coal and man.
ganese deposits also being important:
in Trinidad, no estimate Is made of the
very important asphalt lake properties
owned by Americans; in Russia, meal
culable amounts. running upward of
$400, 900 900; in the Dutch East Indies
and Malay Peninsula, probably the
largest rubber estates in the world, oil,
jute and banking industries; in Meso.
potamia, petroleum interests in more
than two-thirds of the entire acreage
of that country; in Turkey, SIS ,000, 900,
besides the famous Chester conces.
sions. valued up to $500 900. 900; in
Africa, unestimated millions in oil, to.
bacco and minerals, besides the 1,0O0,.
000-acre Firestone plantation.
This really superficial survey mere.
ly indicates the stupendousness of
big business done by Americans
abroad.
The Mississippi River rampage
with its wake Of desolation and des.
titution, which a group Of Senators
and Representatives are now survey.
ing, with view to recommending
legislation to correct q situation too
important and too gigantic to be
treated hastily in a proposed extra
session OF Congress, emphasizes that
reforestation to preserve the sources
OF our waterways is one Of the big
issues to be discussed at the coming
session Of Congress.
Minority Leader Garrett Of Tennes.
see. who Is assisting in the survey
Of the Mississippi River flood, says:
America Is rapidly becoming tree
less. There must be q nationwide
policy of reforestation, in which both
the Nation and the States shall do
their part.
America must not become a land
OF desolation. God gave us the great.
est outdoors ever laid down for a
people. To use it for the practical
things Of life does not require its
further destruction. We are trustees
OF a wonderful heritage Of nature
we must preserve it for those who are
to come after us. Both for utility
and recreation, our national parks
system must be extended to the full
limit OF Federal authority and must
be administered in the interests OF
preservation.
"There exists no greater challenge
to the statesn1anship OF today than
liesQh the policy of conservation of
what is left of the heritage of nature y
It Is this same thought that Is
actuating the acquisition of adequate
park and recreation spaces for the
future Capital, and preserving the
trees and valleys and watersheds and
springs and rivulets and the native
shrubs and plants before they have
been lost forever before the ruthless
hand Of real estate Developments.
X X X X
In response to several inquiries re-
garding historic Washington the fol-
lowing not-generally.known informa-
ton may be of interest:
It was William Greenleaf who read
the Declaration of Independence from
the balcony Of the Boston State House,
July 1S, 1776. His son, James Green
leaf (at one time American consul at
Amsterdam), came to Washington in
1892 and formed a syndicate with
Robert Morris, "Financier Of the
American Revolution" and others.
They obtained control for something
like 100000 of 5000 of the 10000
available public lots when the District
of Columbia was surveyed for the
Federal City, and $500 of the 0,000
lots allocated to the original pro.
prietors Of the land. AS a result of
,ts rxykH ali Ia lo&t dc
died in a debtors prison, and Green
leaf, although eventually released,
never succeeded in entirely straight.
ening out the tangles of his indebted.
ness.
One of their operations, in cooper.
alton with John Nicholson, controller
general of Pennsylvania, was the
erection of the first row of houses
built in this Capital City, which in re-
cent years has been overdone in rows
upon rows. This first block, 1918 to
1921 -Four -and-a.h street southwest.
was erected in 1898, and has been
known as Wheat Row." This same
syndicate built practically all of the
dwellings that were up when the
Government moved here in 1900.
The proposal to carry out the Mai.
Tyler plan for development of the
Great Falls on the Potomac again
forcibly calls attention to this great
phenomenon Of nature within the en-.
virons Of Washington. On the south
ern face of the jutting rocks that
command best view Of the Falls
is a bronze tablet with this message:
"In memory Of George Washington
Of Fairfax County. Va, patriot,
pioneer and man of affairs, who spent
in developing his country the life
he risked In her defense. This Is ex.
emplif1ed in the Potowmack Company,
incorporated to build the Potowmack
Canal, Of which George Washington
was first president. Placed by the
Fairfax County Chapter, D. A. R."
the f1ve great locks Of the canal. which