Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-16

this is produced in the interior highlands
where climatic conditions are most favorable.
Bananas hold second place among Colombia's
agricultural products, but they are grown and
shipped principally by large North American
corporations, which have monopolized the fruit
trade Of the whole Caribbean region. Although
a large part of this crop is consumed locally.
exports of bananas during last year reached a
total value of about $5,00OO0O Other i'm
portant products are sugar, cacao, tobacco, rice
and cotton In 1927 Colombia produced about
100000 tons of sugar. However the agricul-
tural resources of Colombia are not alone the
cultivated products of her fertile soil, but also
include the raising of live stock, the values
of which reach enormous totals. In general,
it may be said that Colombia, with her differ
ing climatic zones varying from the tropical
regions of the interior to the cold mountain
the development of agricultural production, to
which the only impeachment has been, until
recently, the lack of means of communication
and transportation.
THE obstacles which nature scattered at
random throughout Colombia have stub
bornly resisted mans efforts to conquer them
Despite domestic prosperity, and the excellent
condition of her finances for some years past,
road building has been neglected in Colombia.
as in many of the Latin American nations and
only recently has the nation faced the serious
problems resulting from this neglect. Railways,
also, were little developed until recent years.
for the greater part"of Colombian commerce
moved over the Magdalena and Cauca Rivers
and their tributaries. Topography of the coun-
try, for one thing, and the policy of entrlsting
the construction of railways TO the departments
Cor provinces) rather than to the national gov
eminent for another, has made railway de-
velopment very slow in Colombia. There is
still current in Latin America the tale, related
by some tourists years ago. of a train running
between two Colombian cities. consisting Of q
single car, but which carried first and second
class passengers, the difference being that the
latter were expected to get out at certain
steep grades and help to push the engine!
However, this is now a tale of the past and
Colombia is taking up seriously her problems of
transportation. On the other hand, and due TO
that very lack Of railways, Colombia has been,
as we have already seen. especially interested IN
the development of anyways. In this respect
she leads all the Latin American nations haV-
ing had for nine years regular mail and
passenger air service between the coast and
the interior and now having regular lines CON-
Meeting important cities of her Atlantic and
Pacific coasts, and well established inteTna-
CAOkhl Alk Hires W kNuAEnA anu ECudAUI
The mineral wealth Of Colombia lies princi-
pally In petroleum. She has one of the rich
est petroleum fields in the world, which alone
would assure the prosperity Of the nation, with
the present-day value and importance OF
petroleum. American corporations hold the ma
jor part of the petroleum concessions, and the
desire of certain elements of Colombian opinion
to nationalist the petroleum deposits and can
eel foreign concessions very nearly occasioned
diplomatic conflict about year ago. Gold and
silver were produced in large quantities during
colonial times, and today Colombia holds fifse
place in world production of platinum and
emeralds, the mining and sale of the latter be-
ing under government control.
The financial condition of the Colombian
government is good. Although the foreign and
public debts increased considerably during the
past few years. stil the receipts from taxes and
customs duties likewise increased, with b has
kept the foreign credit Of the republic in excel
lent condition.