CHILE'S IMMIGRATION POLICY [To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.]
Snt,—In your journal of November 26th and December roth, I read with great interest the articles on South America signed by Wilbur Burton and Sybil Vincent. Since I suppose your paper publishes these articles with the intention of making the South American Continent better known to the -British Public, allow me to give your readers some reliable information on Chile, to which reference has not been made by the writers of these articles.
On account of the geographical characteristics of the country, Chile has every variety of soil and climate which would suit not only Southern Europeans such as Spaniards, Italians, French, Yugoslays, &c., but also northern peoples like the British, Germans, Scandinavians, &c. The northern regions of Chile, from Arica to CopiapO, conceal vast mineral wealth, especially nitrate and copper and promise a great future. The Central zone, which includes the cities of Santiago, Valparaiso and ConcepciOn, is very fertile, and large farms and vineyards cover the countryside. Factories have sprung up in many places. The south, from ConcepciOn to Magallanes, comprises green fields, lakes and forests where emigrants of northern Europe will feel at home. Farming is prosperous—sheep, livestock, wheat, barley, oats, flax, maize, honey being the principal products. Game abounds and fishing is among the best in the world.
As Miss Vincent states in her article, the southern provinces of Chile, specially in Temuco, Valdivia and Llanquihue, were tried before the Great European War on an intensive colonisa- tion scale with German elements, with the result that they are now perfectly well adapted to national habits and their immi- gration to Chile has been a valuable contribution to the economic and cultural development of that rich zone. The sons and grandsons of the Germans who settled in Chile now figure prominently in all national activities, and the virgin forests which were allotted to them are now lands of valuable produc- tion.
'Today the Chilean Government is more desirous than ever to establish an immigration stream and they are studying the best methods to commence it. The provinces of Aysen and Magallanes are very suitable for this purpose and next year the Chilean Government will take out agricultural families from the north of Europe in order that they may settle on the land owned by the Government in these provinces.
The new Minister of Lands and Colonisation of Chile, Senor Mamerto Goytia, is willing to give all facilities to suitable people and will defray their fares, installation expenses, and will give them free r,000 to 2,000 hectares, all fenced in, and a house to live in.
Hoping that this information will contribute to foster Euro- pean immigration into my country,—I am, Sir, yours faithfully,
Embajada de Chile, LUIS RENARD. i Carrington House, 6 Hertford Street, Mayfair, W. r.
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