Evening star., 1947-04-27

T 40 AAAOWA VA ~ 1GyOaa ACW Hnuc6
its major tributaries. But although
on between Manaos and the delta
lean health improvement organiza.
ton, maintains an immaculate little
hospital in Abaetetuba and we were
entertained by a young Brazilian
doctor and his pretty wife. In one
OF the towns four or five cafes 7
found beer on ice, and In the barber
shop there was a pool table. Quite
q number of the girls Of Abaetetuba
wore their hair styled a Ia New
York.
All this has little to do with bus.
iness opportunities in the Amazon
country. perhaps, but 1t is an indi-
cation ct the changing way of life
In hundred river towns from
Belem to Manaos and beyond. And
this changing life portends an In
creasing demand for manufactured
goods. At least one enterprising
Brazilian journeys up and down the
rivers in a launch, offering foun-
tain pens, cheap watches, lingerie,
bobby pins or anything else that ap-
pears salable, In exchange TO;
jungle products.
On q large scale, the natural
resources of the valley are as yet
virtually untouched. There is oil.
a lot Of it, up near the Guiana
border. Certain major oil interests
are considering the best means Of
bringing 1t down to the delta region
north OF the island of Marajo for
transportation overseas. Far I'D In
the interior there is q lake whose
bed is OF rich tin ore. But those
resources, like Brazils Inflated
rubber industry, can only be ex.
plotted by huge investments.
Craftsmanship Good.
According to reliable sources, In
cluding an American importer and
exporter who lives In Belem and
would like to do business with more
OF his countrymen, there is an ex.
cellent opportunity waiting for
some one to develop a market in the
States for articles of Amazonian
craftsmanship. Alligator skins and
other reptile hides are shipped from
Belem tanned or In the raw state,
to be made up into wallets belts
and handbags In American fac.
tories. When they finally reach
the consumer they sell at luxury
prices. I have seen those things
made here in Belem in little back
alley factories that would compars
very favorably with anything Of
the kind produced at home, and a.
fraction of the cost. AS my Amer
ican friend puts 1t: "All we need
here Is the design and, In the case
OF women's handbags, the plasti:
or metal fittings; these boys can
make anything, once they know
just what is wanted"
Rare orchids can be imported into
the United States; here they sell AZ
ridiculously low prices. Local wood.
workers turn out inlaid boxes. lamps
and tables that are works of art:
purchased from a wholesale jobber
down south in Curityba, where most
Brizilian woodwork is done, or in tho
tourist shops of Rio de Janeiro, ID
costs several times as much. was
shown some hanging flower pots
made from a kind of jungle gourc
that are very attractive and sell for
few cents. Articles made from tor.
toise she'll are quite cheap; they even
make things from the huge mica.
like scales OF river fish.
Valley Neglected.
AS to what is needed here In ex-
change for those products, one misht
as well say: Everything. The Ama-
zon Valley is sadly neglected by the
Industrial Brazil of the south. Man.
ufactured articles imported into
Brazil sell at fantastic prices today.
And yet they sell. There are no
cheap fountain pens here at this
moment. In Belem, q small box Of
matches costs as much as 8 cents,
depending upon the state Of supply
from week to week. Yet there are
no cheap cigarette lighters Offering:
Only British Dunhills at fancy
prices. The Amazon Valley is COM
pletely cut off from Southern Brazil
except by air and the long sea route;
consequently manufactured goods
can actually be brought here from
New York in less time than 1t takes
to ship 1t in from Rio or Sac Paulo.
the country's two largest industrial
centers. Beer, which / am told is at
present priced at about 80 cents per
bottle down south, costs nearly 90
cents here.
But despite its neglect and isola.
ton, the Amazon region is slowly
raising its head above the level Of
the vast rain forests. Sanitation is
being improved. malaria is being
stamped out in the towns through
the use Of DDT, and air travel Ia
bringing far-off communities within
easy reach of Belem and Manaos.
The American Consulate in Belen
will gladly furnish any information
wanted on small-scaie trading op-
portunities. Best of all, for the young
man with not too much capital to
risk, 5000 and nine days time will
bring you to Belem, on ship out OF
New York. As business venture,
Belem and the Amazon Valley are
worth the Investment.
'Neblett