CHILI. 



103 



wearing apparel, wines, paper, potterv and glassware, 

 fish, olive-oil, tools and implements, fiquors, felt bats, 

 medicines, jewelry, watches and clocks, etc. During 

 the year 1877, according to the report above quoted, 

 there entered at and cleared from Valparaiso 827 

 steamers, of 798,656 tons, 1,319 sailing-vessels, of 

 648,712 tons, a total of 2,146 vessels, of 1,447,368 tons. 

 The United States was represented in this fleet by 68 

 sailing-vessels. Of the steamships^ 36, of a tonnage 

 of 126,000 tons, entered the port direct from Liver- 

 pool, via the Straits of Magellan. Herein lies the se- 

 cret of England's large trade with South America. 



The following extract from the official organ 

 of the Chilian Government will be found to 

 contain significant considerations on the com- 

 mercial relations of Chili with the United States : 



From the data collected, systematically arranged, 

 and published in the yearly reports of the Bureau of 

 Commercial Statistics, it appears that Chili imported 

 from the United States in 1856 assorted merchandise 

 to the amount of $2,439,153, and in return exported her 

 own agricultural and mining products to the markets 

 of the United States to the amount of $3,090,899. Our 

 business thus, in that year, with the great republic ag- 

 gregated the respectable sum of $5,530,052, an amount 

 certainly greater than its commerce with any of the 

 other republics of this continent. Neve_rtheless, in the 

 course of twenty-four years only, this condition of 

 things has totally changed, to the great detriment of 

 both nations. While the commerce between Colom- 

 bia and the United States reaches the sum of a little 

 over $7,000,000 per annum, and with Venezuela ex- 

 ceeds $11,000.000; while her commercial relations 

 with the far-off Argentine Eepublic and the petty re- 

 publics of Central America are every day assuming 

 greater importance, our commercial statistics hardly 

 make any record of trade, and this record only shows 

 a trifling amount of the commerce between Chili and 

 the United States, which in other times was so active 

 and profitable. The decline is shown by the following 

 official figures : In 1860 importations from the United 

 States had fallen 'from $2,500,000 to $1,085,000 in 

 round numbers. Three years later, our exports of 

 copper and ores still amounted to $1,250,000, while 

 the imports of American products amounted to about 

 the same sum. In 1868 the decrease was still more 

 noticeable : our exports scarcely reached half a million, 

 or $400,000 less than in 1844, in which year the United 

 States were purchasers from us to the amount of 

 $956,052. From 1874 to 1878 trade continued in the 

 same depressed conditionj and it is but reasonable to 

 suppose that the fluctuations in exchange, and diffi- 

 culties in obtaining exchange, will have, during the 

 course of 1879 and the present year, still further re- 

 duced the figures representing the commercial inter- 

 course of the two peoples. In the tables of commercial 

 statistics, which we may properly call a journal of our 

 progress, the total of the trade between Chili and the 

 United States, during a term of twenty-two years, 

 from 1844, ia set down at the respectable sum of 

 $88,730,000 ; what will be the insignificance of the 

 total for an equal period of time reckoned from 1866 

 may be easily calculated from the data we have al- 

 ready given, and it is no rash assertion to pay that, if 

 the causes which have led to this decay be not con- 

 sidered and some remedy applied, the day will soon 

 come when trade between Chili and the United States 

 will be but a sad reminiscence of our commercial sta- 

 tistics. It is but proper to add, in support of our ob- 

 servations on this decay, that the same is observable 

 with other countries, the Argentine Republic, Ecuador, 

 and Colombia, with which, at a period not very re- 

 mote, and under circumstances much less favorable 

 for developing and increasing trade, our own country 

 had an active and mutually advantageous commerce. 



The causes that, within the last twenty-four years, 

 have led to this extraordinary decay in the commerce 

 of Chili with the United States are apparent. 



The astonishing development of the agricultural 

 interests in the old mining regions of California, to- 

 gether with the fact that there, on rich and virgin 

 soil, scientifically cultivated, are produced the same 

 articles raised by us here on worn-out soils, imper- 

 fectly cultivated without the aid of fertilizers, consti- 

 tutes the first and most conclusive of such causes. 

 Not only have our cereals been driven out of the ad- 

 vantageous markets of California, but by the products 

 of this same California they have been supplanted in 

 other markets, which, but a short time since, were 

 our own. United States flour to-day finds its way to 

 Central America, Panama, Ecuador, and occasionally 

 has reached even our own country to supply the deficit 

 created by bad crops, unwise commercial calculations, 

 or our imperfect methods of planting and gathering 

 our crops. It is not singular that in San Francisco 

 Chili flour should be no longer used, inasmuch as that 

 essentially agricultural land produces wheat with such 

 wonderful profusion ; but it is very singular that the 

 wheat of California, which is, as it were, put of yester- 

 day, should have absolutely driven Chilian wheat, of 

 long standing and high repute, out of all the markets 

 of the Pacific coast. Our inability to enter into com- 

 petition with it indicates the existence of questions to 

 oe resolved with regard to low rates of interest, the 

 use of agricultural implements in planting, of fertil- 

 izers, and means of transportation. These questions 

 must be considered hi the light of the requirements of 

 our agricultural interests. If, however, there are rea- 

 sons why California, so far from buying wheat from 

 us, brings her own extraordinary production of this 

 article into competition with our own, such reasons 

 totally fail when we come to consider other articles 

 which, twenty-five years ago, we exported to the 

 markets of the United States, and to a very_ consider- 

 able- extent. Why is it, then, that the United States 

 are no longer purchasers of our copper ? Why is it 

 that they have ceased to work up our wool ? In 1866 

 we exported to the United States $1,000,000 worth of 

 these two articles ; in 1862, $1,943,429 ; and in 1863, 

 still $823,600. This trade, far from tending toward 

 an increase, seems to be on the verge of disappearing. 

 Is it, then, because the United States produce all the 

 copper they require in their manufactures and ship- 

 building? Most certainly not, if we are to believe 

 their own statistics and the reports of some of the 

 branches of their manufactures. The yield of copper 

 in the United States is not sufficient for their con- 

 sumption, and it is necessary to import from England 

 part of that which England receives from Chili. As 

 may be naturally supposed, this reaches the hands of 

 the consumer in thcTJnited States with an addition of 

 the charges for the increased freights, expenses, and 

 profits 01 the first purchaser. The same, or some- 

 thing very nearly so, though perhaps on a smaller 

 scale, occurs with regard to our wool. All this is due 

 to the protective, or rather prohibitory, tariff which 

 the Government of the United States have put in 

 force, more particularly since 1863. when they were 

 called upon to meet the expenses of their tremendous 

 war of secession. 



Commerce is nothing more than an interchange of 

 products ; and in order that wo may become consum- 

 ers of tho manufactures of America, it is indispensa- 

 ble that our products should have easy access to the 

 markets of that country. Drawing against England, 

 as has been the case up to the present time, it is not 

 probable that we shall be purchasers to any great ex- 

 tent of the goods offered to us. Upon such a basis of 

 trade, and however advantageous the prices might be, 

 it would be impossible for them to compete with simi- 

 lar productions from other countries. England, which 

 buys our copper and wool, can always sefl us her cut- 

 lery and hardware on advantageous terms, for finan- 

 cial reasons that from their obviousness it is not neces- 

 sary here to state. It is not, then, through the means 

 of education pursued bv the State, or the intelligence 

 of the American manufacturer, that the problem of 

 establishing extensive commercial relations between 



