INVESTMENT IN SOUTH AMERICA.
A remarkable increase in the part taken by American
finance in the development of South America is traced in a recent study by the World Peace Foundation. This shows that United States investments in South America grew from $173,000,000 in 1913 to $2,294,212,000 in 192a. The United States is still- far behind Great Britain in the amount of its South American' investments, the British total in 1.929 being computed to be £4,485,093,000, but it is notable that while British investments in fifteen years have increased only 18 per cent., United States investments have increased 349 per cent. In Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Salvador, and Panama American investments exceed the British: According to Dr. Max Winkler, a well-lmown authority on this subject, the influx of American capital has been accompanied by significant economic changes. Old -railroads have been improved and new ones -built, modern agricultural machinery has become popular, inferior breeds of sheep and • cattle have been replaced by new blooded stock and modern indus- trial methods have been 'widely adopted. Perhaps the ehiel obstacle to the -development of the countries- South of the Panama has been the lack of adequate transportation facilities. This 'obstacle is now being overcome -rapidly, and with the immense natural resources of these countries awaiting develop-
Previous page
