The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1943-02-11
To Tap Wealth
OF the Amazon
Invasion Barges to Be Used
In Developing Riches
OF Venezuela.

CARACAS, VENEZUELAN far-
sighted plan that would aid in the
development of the vast mineral
riches of the Amazon and Orinoco
basins has been outlined by Dudley
P. South, representative of the Hig-
gins Marine Industries, makers in
New Orleans of the famous "inde-
.structible" landing craft used by the
United Nations armed forces.
South has been carrying out ION
the scene" studies of the Amazon
and Orinoco basins and soon will
be in Washington to make report
to the War Production board.
South originally came to Latin
America to find postwar market
for the Higgins boats. He Travelled
thousands of miles by plane, boat,
canoe and afoot until he was ready
. to make preliminary report of his
findings. He plans to ask Washing
ton for permission for the delivery OF
IL shallow-draft, Diesel-powered Hig-
gins boats and one fast river craft
as the first step in his plan.
Gave Glowing Accounts.
He came out of the Alto Orinoco
region with glowing accounts of I'M
tapped natural wealth, sufficient to
take care of the majority of the rub
Der, mineral and hardwood needs
of the entire Western hemisphere.
What South reported on the. riches
of this area is no secret In the
past, however, these riches were
useless because of lack of trans
portation. The vastness Of the area
involved is such that construction OF
railway or highway would require
the expenditure of hundreds of mil
lions of dollars, an amount so huge
that to date no investor has been
willing to undertake the risk.
r. But South claims to have solved
the problem. After detailed study
of the Orinoco river and its. tribu
taries, he asserts that all of Vene-
zuela, Colombia and northern Bra
zil are linked by the arms OF a
mighty system Of rivers. He be-
Iieves he can establish IAN express
boat schedule that will function as
efficiently, and at an inexpensive
figure, as any network of overland
routes. 7
Build Hardy Vessels.
The main idea, South says, has
been discussed before but has been
turned down because of the reported
unnavigability of the rivers. South
says that his own tests and research
proved that hundreds Of the water
ways run to depth of four feet,
and with the special shallow-draft
barges designed by Higgins to carry
55-ton army tanks, he could bring
supplies to the most isolated vii
lagos Of the interior and take out
quantities of rubber, ore. chicle. ma
hogany, and castor oil.
Higgins Industries have designed.
In addition to their famous barges,
high-powered invasion boats that
Withstand the toughest sort Of treat
ment. Last year, in tests in New
Orleans, these craft sped through
the waters of Lake Pontchartrain at
40 miles an hour and hurled them
selves up on the rough shores with
out injury to the hull.
South's idea is to put fleet OF
these on the rivers to carry passen-
ger traffic and mail. A letter posted
at Ciudad Bolivar, a middle Orinoco
port, addressed to an interior town
near the Colombian border, must
be taken most of the way by canoe
and requires up to two months for
delivery. South is certain he could
establish a weekly passenger-mail
service into the most remote areas.