10 



ARGENTINE REPUBLIC. 



strong breechloaders in a central battery, and 2 

 more in the bow and stern, and is fitted with 

 Whitehead torpedoes and search lights. 



Production and Commerce. The chief 

 industry of the country is raising cattle. Sheep 

 breeding is also carried on extensively. There 

 is not much agriculture, although many districts 

 are very fertile. Only about a hundredth part 

 of the soil is under cultivation. The chief crops 

 are corn, wheat, and alfalfa. Flax, grapes, and 

 cane sugar are also produced. There were 22,- 

 779,491 cattle, 70,461,605 sheep, and 4,387,280 

 horses in 1888, having a value of $370,061,717. 



The total value of the imports of merchandise 

 in 1890 was $142,241.000. The exports were 

 valued at $100,819,000 in gold. The imports of 

 gold coin and bullion were $6,946,812, and of 

 silver $204,439, making a total of $7,151,251. 

 The exports of gold were $5,009,358, and of 

 silver $274,542, giving a total of $5,283,900. 

 The values, in currency, of the principal imports 

 in 1890 were as follow: Textiles and wearing 

 apparel, $30,024,966 ; railroad and telegraph 

 plant, etc., $36,273,503 ; food substances, $16,- 

 411,458; articles of drink, $12,790,340; iron and 

 steel manufactures, $9,566,752; wood and wood 

 manufactures, $7,399,412 ; coal, oil, etc., $6,290,- 

 011; china and glass ware, $4,135,523; chem- 

 icals, $3,875,542. The values of the various 

 classes of exports, in gold dollars, were as fol- 

 low : Animals and animal produce, $61,306,597 ; 

 agricultural products, $25,591,401 ; manufac- 

 tures, $8,999,236 ; forest products, $1,413,324 ; 

 mineral products, $673,690 ; miscellaneous, $2,- 

 834,745. The exports of wool fell off from 141,- 

 774,435 kilos in 1889 to 118,405,604 kilos in 

 1890, valued at $35,521,681. The number of 

 hides was 4,647,085, as compared with 3,638,467 

 in 1889, and the quantity of skins decreased from 

 37,896,100 to 29,542.450 kilos. The value of the 

 hides and skins exported in 1890 was $20,097,- 

 656 in gold ; of the wheat exports, $9,836,824, 

 compared with $1,596.446 in the previous year; 

 of the maize, $14,145,639, compared with *$12.- 

 977.721. The bulk of the external trade in 1890 

 was divided among trading countries as follows: 



Navigation. During 1890 there were en- 

 tered at the ports of the Argentine Republic 

 6,070 sailing vessels, of 1,238,066 tons, and 3.966 

 steamers, of 3,431,436 tons, with cargoes, and 

 756 sailing vessels, of 50,174 tons, and 3,081 

 steamers, of 1,621,279 tons, in ballast; cleared 

 were 1,588 sailing vessels, of 402,675 tons, and 

 3.171 steamers, of 2.801.500 tons, taking cargoes, 

 and 2,088 sailing vessels, of 576,148 tons, and 

 2,862 steamers, of 1,726,146 tons, in ballast. 

 About 37^ per cent, of the tonnage was British, 

 30 per cent. Argentine, 9 per cent. French, 8 per 

 cent. Italian, and 6 per cent. German. 



Communications. There were 6,855 com- 

 pleted miles of railroad in 1891, and 4,840 miles 

 were building. The capital expended in con- 

 struction up to the close of 1890 was $346,493,- 

 054. During 1890 the receipts amounted to 

 $41,157,486, and expenses to $23,310,000. The 

 net receipts were equal to a return of !? per 

 cent, on the capital, against 2'2 per cent, in 1889, 

 and the Government paid about $3,100,000 

 of guaranteed interest. 



The length of the telegraph lines in 1890 was 

 about 19,000 miles, of which 12,000 miles belong 

 to the Government. The length of wire in 1888 

 was 28,550 miles. The number of dispatches 

 sent during 1889 was 3,511,420. A contract was 

 made in 1889 for a direct cable to Europe, which 

 was to have been laid before June, 1892. The 

 Central and South American Telegraph Com- 

 pany in May, 1892, established a new connection 

 between the Argentine cities and the United 

 States and Europe via Gal vest on. Texas. The 

 post-office in 1890 forwarded 60,844,963 letters, 

 800,716 postal cards, and 43,974,107 newspapers 

 and other matter. 



Presidential Election. In the struggle be- 

 tween the capital and the provinces, or between 

 the Federalist and the National party, in 1886, 

 the latter carried the day, and, with the support 

 of ex-President Gen. Roca, elected Juarez Cel- 

 man to the presidency. During his adminis- 

 tration the provincial and national borrowings 

 and the emission of paper money culminated in 

 a financial crash and the revolution of July, 

 1890, in which he was turned out by the efforts 

 of the Union Civica, headed by the Radicals of 

 the country, who had with thein a great part of 

 the army and navy. The revolt, led by the 

 Radical chiefs, Drs. Alem and Aristobuio del 

 Valle, was suppressed after four days of fight- 

 ing; but after Dr. Roque Saenz Pena and Dr. 

 Garcia had resigned from the Cabinet, and the 

 President lost the support of Congress and was 

 confronted with the prospect of impeachment 

 and the danger of a general insurrection, he re- 

 signed the executive power into the hands of the 

 Vice-President, Dr. Pellegrini, who by his re- 

 forms stemmed the tide of national bankruptcy. 

 Dr. Pellegrini refused to be a candidate to suc- 

 ceed himself. The Union Civica continued in 

 existence, but, having been organized to meet a 

 crisis and carry out reforms, lacked the essen- 

 tials of a political party. The Nationals were 

 led by Gen. Roca, who declined to put himself 

 forward as a candidate. The Union Civica and 

 the Nationalists were anxious to unite on a can- 

 didate who would carry more weight than Dr. 

 Pellegrini, and by his reputation and character 

 would command the confidence of foreign coun- 

 tries and the creditors of the Government, and 

 encourage the nation in efforts to attain a solid 

 financial footing. Such a man was believed to 

 have been discovered in Gen. Mitre, a distin- 

 guished statesman and publicist, who had al- 

 ready filled the presidential chair with honor. 

 His candidature, however, met with opposition 

 in the provinces, and after a few months he 

 formally withdrew. Dr. Roque Saenz Pena then 

 came forward, but was not entirely acceptable to 

 the Acuerdista or coalition party. A joint con- 

 vention was held, in which his 'father, Dr. Luis 

 Saenz Pena, was fixed upon as. the candidate 



