Evening star., 1947-09-07


land, which tended to fall into the
hands of big ranchmen and farm
proprietors, the bulk Of the settlers
remaining tenants or laborers. That
accounts for the economic and social
Iproblems which beset Argentina,
especially, today. Nevertheless, the
process was basically a successful
one.
Climate a Drawback
The rest OF South America, how
ever, offers no such favorable pros
poets for wholesale European i'm
migration. One drawback is climate,
the northern half of the continent
lying within the tropics. However,
even here there are large areas Of
upland lying so high that they are
climatically white mans country"
Yet, in both the tropic lowlands and
the mountainous highlands, there is
still a greater handicap in the shape
Of standard native populations
with a depressing economic and
social heritage of slavery or serfdom.
Tropical Northern Brazil was de-
veloped by Negro slavery, which was
not abolished until 1888. And the
economic and social standards of
the defendants of those slaves, who
form a majority of the laboring
classes, are still so low that they
automatically undercut those of
most European immigrants. The re-
suit is that immigration has passed
Northern Brazil by, just as it did
our own South, and for the same
reasons.
In the Spanish-speaking parts OF
tropical South America, even in the
highlands, a similar economic and
social depressant is found in the
large Indian populations who have
been kept in a state Of complete
semiserfdom. There, again, Euro
pean immigrants on large scale
would find it hard to establish
themselves under the wage and liv-
ing standards that prevail. In ad-
dition, there Is in some OF those
countries chronic political instabil-
ity, oppressive and corrupt dictator
ships alternating with bloody revo-
lutions in which neither life nor
property are secure. Those are not
the conditions which would attract
European settlers, especially when
accompanied by their families.
Chile Lacks Resources
For these reasons, it woud appear
likely that Argentina. Uruguay and
Southern Brazil will still be the
most attractive fields for European
immigrants, even though they have
passed through their pioneering
phase when opportunities were most
abundant and rewards most lucra-
tive. immigration to tropical South
America will be more selective. de-
pending on relative advantages in
economic opportunity, political sta
bility, climate and public health
and sanitation. The best opportuni-
ties probably exist in Peru and
Colombia; after them, Venezuela
and Ecuador, with Bolivia and
Paraguay at the bottom Of the list
There is, to be sure, one other
country in the temperate part of
South America not yet mentioned
This is Chile, which would rank
with Argentina and Uruguay in
civilized standards but which does
not have the natural resources to
make it a major goal for European
immigration.
Despite the qualifications Of this
balanced picture, there can be no
reasonable doubt that South Amer
lea Is in position to absorb rapidly
several millions of European immi-
grants. The desirability of such an
influx Is generally accepted by most
South American governments, espe-
cially by Argentina, which is making
vigorous efforts to step up immigra-
ton, albeit with selective standards
to correspond with what are deemed
the best interests of the Argentine
nation and its future.
Transportation Problems
The chief immediate hindrance to
large scale migration from Europe
to South America is lack OF shipping
Otherwise, Italy especially would be
pouring a big immigrant stream
across the ocean. Millions of Ger
mans who would like to emigrate
are prevented by their present po-
litical status, Germany being no
longer a sovereign state and the
occupying powers seeking to keep
able-bodied Germans at home to
rebuild the country and pay repara-
tions. Similar restrictions today are
imposed by most of the Com
munist- dominated regimes behind
Soviet Russia's iron curtain %
Their idea Is that all valuable So
cial elements should be kept at
home while political enemies should
not be allowed to escape but be put
to forced labor.
That sharply restricts the parts
Of Europe from which large scale
emigration is today possible. Yet,
even SO, millions of Italians are
waiting their chance, together with