50 SOUTH AMERICA— THE ANDES EEGIONS. 



Curaçao and neighbouring islets, British and Dutcli Guianas, and the Falkland 

 archipelago, the whole territory belongs to peoples of Romance speech, while the 

 largest stream of immigrants directed to this region are Italians, the most direct 

 heirs of Roman culture. Thus the ruling race in this part of the world presents 

 a sort of balance, in its different character and natural genius, to the Anglo- 

 Saxons dominant in North America from Labrador to the Rio Grande. 



The Spanish and Portuguese Americans, yielding to the influences of French 

 culture, and looking towards Paris as towards a metropolis, reflect French ideas 

 in their literature, their fashions, and pastimes. Till recently the tie between the 

 old Spanish colonies and the mother country had been almost completely severed 

 in consequence of the rancour engendered by the War of Independence. Now, 

 however, it has been again strengthened, thanks to their common origin and 

 language ; thanks also to the increasing tide of immigration, in which the Basque 

 element has taken a large part. 



In Brazil active relations have always been maintained with the old sovereign 

 state, Portugal, having never been interrupted by any war. From Oporto and 

 Lisbon crowds of Portuguese immigrants take passage for Bahia and Rio de 

 Janeiro, although in recent years they have been outnumbered by settlers from 

 the Italian peninsula. 



Foreign Relations. — Railway Pkojects. 



The share of Spain in the foreign trade of her old American colonies is rela- 

 tively slight, far inferior to that of other nations, such as Great Britain, France, 

 Germany, and the United States. On the Pacific seaboard the English, formerly 

 excluded from all right of intercourse with the Spanish main, have now more 

 than one half of all the exchanges. Hence, so far as regards its foreign trade, 

 South America cannot be said to have preserved its character of a Latin continent. 

 The settlers come from the Europe of Romance speech, while the merchandise is 

 for the most part imported from the English-speaking world, Great Britain and 

 the United States. These relations will probably continue until such time as the 

 local industries may enable the Spanish and Portuguese republics to become 

 independent of foreign manufacturers, or at least to give the first place to the 

 inland trade between the conterminous states. 



But were the projects of certain United States politicians to be realised, Latin 

 Europe and even England would be completely excluded from all commercial deal- 

 ings with the southern division of tlie New World. A skilfully arranged 

 custom-house league, analogous to the German Zollverein, would place the con- 

 sumers of South America completely in the hands of the producers of North 

 America. With a view to developing these plans, the United States traders, sup- 

 ported by a " bureau " of the American republics installed at Washington, have 

 already organised numerous lines of steamers to ply regularly between New York, 

 Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, San Francisco, and all the more important points 

 along the South American seaboard. New lines are yearly established, and at 

 the Pan-American Congress of 1889 the delegates of the Southern republics were 



