10 66 ARGENTINA 



while a few Argentine industrial (land) and manufacturing issues, a Central American 



constructional railway project, as well as a Mexican light, traction and power company, 



and a Brazilian traction company, among others, were well received. A 



Loans and Bolivian tin-mining proposition, on the other hand, was adversely regarded, 



coo tr&cts* , o i 



as were one or two minor enterprises. Several important engineering con- 

 tracts for works in South America were awarded, the chief among them being the con- 

 struction of the Valparaiso Dock and Harbour (to Messrs. S. Pearson & Son), for the 

 sum of about 3,000,000; an enormous reservoir, in connection with the comprehensive 

 sanitary improvements scheme undertaken by the Federal Government of Argentina 

 (awarded to the Cleveland "Bridge and Engineering Co. of Darlington) for 3,500,000; 

 the extension of Buenos Aires port and harbour, involving an outlay of 5,000,000 

 (awarded to Messrs. C. H. Walker & Co.) ; and four destroyers (ordered from Messrs. 

 Cammell Laird & Co., of Birkenhead); while other port and harbour works were com- 

 menced in Mexico, Brazil and Chile. 



The great event of the year 1913 great from a world- wide as well as a Latin- Ameri- 

 can point of view promised to be the completion of the Panama Canal, the huge enter- 

 prise undertaken by the United States of America at a cost of over 75,000,- 

 sternn g- The official opening is designed to take place in January 1915; 

 but it is probable that the new waterway will be operative for trial purposes 

 considerably before that date. 



Attention has been prominently directed to various scandals connected with the 

 rubber industry of Peru, consequent upon the publication in July (1912) of Sir Roger 

 Casement's belated report upon the slavery conditions prevailing in the 

 Putumayo districts. Much public indignation was occasioned by these rev- 

 elations; both the British and Peruvian Governments instituted further 

 enquiries and appointed Commissioners to proceed to the spot ; a Select Committee of 

 the House of Commons sat for several weeks to take evidence; while a prosecution of 

 the parties responsible, British and Peruvian alike, has been promised. 



In the following sections on the individual Latin-American Republics, they are taken 

 for convenience of reference in alphabetical order. 



ARGENTINA 1 



Argentina has an area of 1,139,979 square miles, and the population according to the 

 most recent estimates is 7,171,910, giving an average of 6.1 inhabitants per square 

 mile. Imports were valued in 1910-11 at 71,161,273 and exports at 62,991,324, 

 imports from Great Britain being valued at 21,727,400 and exports to Great Britain 

 at 18,368,246. Imports from the United States at $43,918,511 (U.S. currency) and ex- 

 ports to the United States at $29,090,732; in 1911-12 the imports from the United 

 States were valued at $53,158,179 and the exports to the United States at $29,847,016.. 

 The revenue was estimated according to the budget of 1912-13 at $348,572,812 and 

 the expenditure at $308,741,629 paper ($i gold = 45; $i paper = is. gd.). The total public 

 debt amounts to 104,513,655, the external to 60,285,785, and the internal to 44, 2.27,^ 

 870. There is about 90,000 of additional debt made up of cedulas and currency pro- 

 vincial loans and government guarantees. The total mileage of railways is 19,843, and 

 that of telegraph lines 37,229. The army has a strength of 24,466 men and 2,444 officers. 

 The navy comprises 27 vessels with a personnel of 3,500. 



Doctor Jose Figueroa Alcorta entered upon his office as President in March 1906, 

 at a period when general prosperity prevailed. His succession to President Quintana, 

 who died during his second year of office, gave rise to much jealous feeling; but he 

 succeeded in holding the scale evenly between all parties, and for the most part adhered 

 to the policy of his predecessor. 



About this time the shipping returns of the principal ports of the Republic, other 

 than that of Buenos Aires, began to augment; and before 1906 closed it showed the 

 largest number of vessels entering and clearing on record (aggregate tonnage 2,876,- 



1 Sec E. B. ii, 460 et scq. 



