It is these, created by skill and enterprise and drawing the vigour and virtue from our English counties, that have made Argentina a great country.
CHAPTER XVII
COMMERCE AND FINANCE
In dealing with this subject it will be necessary to make use of a considerable number of statistics, for there is no other way by which to express the unprecedented development of this great Republic. Her genial climate, her fertile soil, her vast waterways, potent alike to fertilise the country and bring produce to the sea, and now her unequalled railways and excellent docks, have caused the trade of Argentina to be surprisingly large in proportion to her population, and, unfortunately, wealth seems likely to multiply more rapidly than men. As has been said before, the importance of Argentina as a world State is purely industrial and commercial; her politics, literature, and people are interesting, but they still belong to the day of small things. Her exports of wheat and pastoral products, her railway share list and her bonds are scrutinised eagerly at every commercial centre, and Buenos Aires is an increasingly important member of the delicate system of international commerce.
In 1908[106] the imports were £54,594,547.
" exports " 73,201,068.[107]
The principal items of import were as follows:—
| Textiles | £9,980,267 |
| Railway carriages and vehicles | 6,140,067 |
| Iron (including manufactures) | 6,015,096 |
| Pottery | 4,979,580 |
| Foodstuffs | 4,709,819 |
| Building materials | 4,276,485 |
| Agricultural implements | 3,167,967 |
| Wine, &c. | 2,655,956 |
| Oils | 2,610,344 |
It is clear from this table that Argentina still relies on the foreigner for most of her manufactures. Her policy of high Protection has not yet enabled her to produce high-class goods, but it would be rash to say that success will never come, when we consider the position of the United States and the enormous advantage which an industrial start of some fifty years gives a country. The imports show a decline from the previous year of some two and a half million sterling, doubtless in sympathy with the prevailing depression, and the principal importing countries all sent slightly smaller quantities. Of the imports England has 34·2 per cent., Germany 13·9, the United States 13·2. The figures are:—
| England | £18,371,396 |
| Germany | 7,569,415 |
| United States | 7,119,400 |
| France | 5,295,383 |
| Italy | 4,982,649 |
| Belgium | 2,550,674 |
A remarkable feature in the history of Argentine trade returns is the enormous advance of Germany. In 1874 she sent to Argentina £160,000, in 1882, £920,000. England's figures for those two years are £1,040,000 and £1,480,000. Those of the United States are £380,000 and £580,000. But it should also be remarked that the advance of our own country has been even more rapid, and here, as elsewhere, the absurdity is demonstrated of those who declare that English trade is vanishing. Everything has been done to write down England and to write up Germany, and at the end of it all John Bull can beat Germany with one hand, the United States with the other, and has still an ample margin of strength to beat Belgium as well. We are handsomely above the Two Power standard in the Plate district. France makes steady progress, and Italy shows a large increase, as is only to be expected, because the emigration from Italy has long been very large. It may be added that French goods make their way by sheer merit, for France has in her own land ample scope for her scanty population. Some advantage may be obtained by her as the head of the Latin race, but wherever there are women and luxury there will French trade flourish, and further, in machinery of many kinds France, if equalled by any other nation for excellence, is equalled by England alone.