'^ohe PAN AME:RICAN UNION JOHN BARRETT : ; Director General FRANCISCO J. YANES : Assistant Director Latin American Foreign Trade GENERAL SURVEY REPRINTED FROM THE DECEMBER. 1914. ISSUE OF THE BULLETIN OF THE PAN AMERICAN UNION WASHINGTON , liATIN AMERICAN FOREIGN TRADE IN 1913 — A GENERAL SURVEY. 974 THE PAN AMERICAN UNION. Total foreign trade. o $7, 763, 258 1,533,254 1 614,774 1,034,440 1 3,475,773 ' 1,047,780 531,291 9,701,226 ‘ 860,921 ■ 7,746,356 6,818,865 38,423,993 3,452,424 > 29,445,386 2,973,118 6,665,231 > 1.37,081 3,834,819 ■ 3,147,511 11,412,800 1,684,045 42,011,474 48,830,339 1913 $248, 088,977 24,512,254 16, 102,269 8,432,932 3 8,828, 336 19,211,050 12,467,556 308,581,795 19,742,225 19,415,684 685,383,078 I . 1 877,711,376 57,908,895 641,593,196 264,927,313 62,851,600 ! > 24,044,260 13,133,552 74,001,062 115,808,000 47,513,892 2,179,493,146 2,864,876,224 1912 $240,325,719 22,979,000 16,717,043 7, 397, 492 3 12,304,109 20,258,830 11,936,266 298,880,569 20,603,146 27,162,040 678,564,213 839,287,383 54,456,471 671,038,582 261,954,195 56, 186, 369 > 24,181,341 9,298,733 70,853,551 104,395,200 45,829,847 2,137,481,672 2,816,045,885 Exports. Increase. $1,208,244 1,293,388 > 13, 460 220,076 ' 2,717,898 361,409 402,908 I 8, 155, 269 1 1,915,301 > 5,969,926 > 15,285,829 3,019,892 1,403,425 i 47,630, 159 4,775,111 2,094,054 997,459 1,353,350 1 1,461,894 12,102,000 4,222, 881 19,123,881 > 34,409,710 1913 $160,202,808 14,449,926 9,928, 724 3,300,254 3 3,861,516 10,432,553 2,467,556 164,823,059 10,469,947 11,315,559 381,251,902 468, 999,410 36,551,390 315,164,687 144,653,312 34,315,800 > 13,689,696 5,462,001 44,409,610 65,142,000 29,483,789 1,157,871,696 1,539,123,597 1912 $148,994,564 13, 156, 538 9,942,184 3, 080, 178 >6,579,414 10,071,144 2,064,648 172,978,328 12,385,248 17,286,485 396,537,731 465,979,518 35, 147,965 362,794,846 139,878,201 32, 221,746 > 12,692,237 4,108,651 45,871,504 53,040,000 25,260,908 1,176,995,576 1,573,533,307 1 S / o B Increase. $6,555,014 239, 866 1 601,314 815,364 > 757, 875 I 1,409,189 128,383 17, 856, 495 1,054,380 > 1,776,430 22,104,694 35, 404,101 2,048,999 18,184,773 1 1,801,993 4,571,177 1 1,134,540 2,481,469 4,609,405 * 689,200 > 2,538,^6 40 CO to CO <£) 83,240,049 1913 $97,886,169 10,062,328 6, 173,545 5,132,678 3 4,966,820 8,778,497 < 10,000,000 143, 758, 736 9,272,278 8,100,125 304,131,176 408,711,966 21,357,505 326,428,509 1201274,001 28,535,800 > 10,354,564 7,671,551 29,591,452 50,666,000 18,030, 103 40 CO CM O of 40 o- o^ CO 1912 1 $91,331,155 9, 822, 462 6,774,859 4,317,314 > 5,724,695 10,187,686 9,871,617 125,902,241 8,217,898 9,876,555 282,026,482 373,307,865 19,308,506 308,243,736 122,075,994 1 23,964,623 > 11,489,104 5,190,082 24,982,047 51,355,200 20,568,939 960,486,096 , 1,242,512,578 Countries. Mexico Guatemala Salvador Honduras Nicaragua Costa Rica Panama Cuba Dominican Republic Haiti 3 North American Republics Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Paraguay Peru Uruguay Venezuela South American Republics Total Latin America I Decrease. * 1912 (latest available figures). ® Fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 1913. Partly estimated, imports first 6 months, $5,196,519. LATIM AMEMCAN FOIEIGN TRADE IN 1913 -GENERAL SURVEY /. '/ T he foreign commerce of the 20 Latin American countries for the year 1913, customshouse valuations, was $2,864,- 876,224, of which amount $1,325,752,627 represented imports and $1,539,123,597 exports. For the preceding year the figures (revised and corrected) are: Imports, $1,242,512,578; exports, $1,573,533,307; total, $2,816,045,885. The increase in imports for the year was $83,240,049, and the decrease in exports $34,409,710, showing a net increase in the total trade of $48,830,339. The decrease in exports was very much less than was expected prior to the compilation of these statistics. Nineteen twelve had shown a phenominal increase of over $287,000,000 in exports as compared with 1911. It was thought, therefore, that if the trade of 1913 came within $150,000,000 of the high water mark of 1912, it would show a most satisfactory and flourishing condition. As a matter of fact, however, it falls short less than $34,500,000, and exceeds the export trade of 1911 by more than $250,000,000. Even the decrease over the high-water mark of 19] 2 is more apparent than real, being due not to a shi'inkage in the volume of exports, but to a fall in price of one or two commodities. The increase in imports for 1913 over the preceding year is approxi- mately the same as the increase of 1912 over 191 1 . The purchases of Latin T^unerican countries in two years increased about $165,000,000. It is proper, in connection with the figures given in the tables accompanying this survey, to state that these figures, when used comparatively, that is totals of one country compared with totals of another, do not represent aggregates of identical units comparable the one with the other. The figures are in aU cases based on customs- house valuatitms, and these valuations are predicated on widely differ- ing theories of appraisement. LYtil there be an international agree- ment for uniformity in collecting anfl stating cojnmercial statistics, there can be no correct totaling or comparisons of countries in groups. The totalings given above must therefore be treated as approxima- tions only, although the units going to make up the same are fairly accurate, each viewed within itself and from its own standpoint. Of course comparisons of totals by years, 1912 and 1913 for instance, being composed as they are of the same integers, are not open to a like criticism. In many of the Latin American countries — and these the ones hav- ing the largest trade — customsliouse valuations of imports are based 975 976 THE PAN AMERICAN UNION. upon rigid appraisements in comparatively few classifications. This, by operation of forces pressing always in one direction, necessarily, shows values much less than true values. Valuations in exports, generally speaking, approach nearer a uniform standard, and in addition approximate somewhat more closely commercial values. CONSTANTLY INCREASING VOLUME OF TRADE. Comparisons for one or two years sometimes fail to show the real comm^ercial progress of the countries whose statistics are under observation. The stream of imports and exports — the former de- pending for its volume in all the Latin American countries on the volume of the latter — moves by undulations and not under constant pressure. It is therefore necessary, in order to arrive at something like accurate conclusions in estimating the trade of these countries, to take for comparison longer periods. In 1897 the imports of all the Latin American countries were only a little over $400,000,000, and their exports for that year less than $500,000,000. In 1913 the imports were over $1,300,000,000 and the exports over $1,500,000,000- Imports. Exports. 1913 $1,325,752,627 415,079,562 $1,539,123,597 495,342,937 1897 Increase 910, 673, 065 219 13.7 1,043,780,660 211 13.2 Percent of increase, 16 years This constant annual increase of over 13 per cent, as shown by the comparison for 16 years, represents a larger trade development than has taken place in any other considerable part of the world during the same period. There is no reason to suppose that this jatio of increase will not continue for a like period of 16 years in the future. IMPORTS. What does Latin America buy ? To answer this question cate- gorically by enumerating the articles, or even the classes, would he to name nearly all the finished manufactured products of Europe or the United States, the standards of living being practically the same. Unlike Europe and the United States, Latin America produces very few of these articles. Even when it produces the raw material, it rarely produces the finished product, or, if producing at all, in quan- tities or qualities sufficient to satisfy the home demand. Generally speaking, the imports of all the 20 countries are of the same character. This general statement is of course subject to modifications due to difference of climate and, in the case of primary food products, to differences of home production. Of course heavy woolen clothing is but little in demand in tropical countries, while wheat and flour are largely imported. In the temperate countries no wheat or flour is imported, but the clothing is heavier. LATIN-AMERIGA COMMERCE-1913 TOTAlr $2,864,876,224. PAN AMERICAN UN/ON 978 THE PAN AMEEICAN UNION. United States. 1913 cc *T '.S' I'- 1-- CM tp lO r'*o — oooopipoos ■roc>iOcor-*05X ^ IC 05 'P ■*r C<0 'P P O P0'^'^*0‘0'n'05 1'*05 cr* o* c-i CO* csT tc o" P tc* 159,845,763 52. 55 r-oc'i'XQ’wooop 1 POX4CO<— 'CCNOrO wcci 05^PCiOQ**r ^- O x X oo lO fo O -t- •^OiC^CPP’^pc^O o" cc ' (S p ^ CS M O 165,991,582 16.25 325,837, 345 24.59 1912 $49, 212, 836 4,532,361 2, 627, 700 2,891,838 > 2,754,940 5,865,908 3 5,413,305 65,416,475 5, 100,001 7,302,484 151,117, 848 53. 58 57,353,142 1,791,911 48,109,316 16,806,341 7,612,037 ‘ 2,588,168 306, 467 5, 763, 425 <> 6, 2(X), 000 6,832,438 CC *-l P cn O cc o CO France. 1913 $9,168,978 402,025 418.111 148,280 ! 256, 255 391,681 3 689, 634 9, 202, 720 274,318 817,335 21,769,337 7.15 38,933,537 3 1,100,000 31,939, 752 6,623,260 4, 408, 600 2 616,053 » 537, 000 1,363, 191 M, 100,000 1,093,655 88,715,048 8.68 110,484,385 8. 34 1912 - $7, 809, 138 436, 882 397, 252 190, 382 ‘ 448, 264 424, 189 680, 784 7, 706, 064 224,912 1,050,416 19,368,283 6.86 36, 490, 020 949, 885 27,751,094 7,261,061 2,011,886 1 714,426 366, 778 1,547,575 ‘ 4,300,000 2,616, 400 84,009,125 8. 74 10.3,377,408 8.32 Germany. 1913 $12,610,385 2, 043,329 713, 855 558,327 3 604,038 1,355,417 3 970, 263 9,473,543 1,677,833 535, 544 30,542,534 10. 04 69, 172, 279 > 7,000,000 57,043,754 29,578,138 4,012, 100 2 2, 105, 372 » 2,200,000 5, 132, 039 2 8,600,000 2,589,986 187,433,668 18. 35 217, 976, 202 16.45 1912 $11,922,609 2, 250, 862 604, 674 487, 969 > 642, 753 1,503,944 957, 806 8,431,201 1,628,286 484,915 28,975,019 10. 27 62,023,258 6,440,316 53,018,079 33,189,070 4,201,125 > 2,381,573 1,508,737 4,521,729 2 8, 700, 000 3,199,389 179, 183, 276 18. 65 208, 158, 295 16. 67 United Kingdom. 1913 $12,950,047 1,650,387 1,603,846 751,051 2 939, 290 1,303,187 3 2,453,118 16, 071,787 730, 191 593,319 39,046,823 12. 83 OSPOOfOQ«— 'QPO^ OCOO’^OC^OC'JPGJ OOOOS^COOC^OC^ oTcT t-T oc'r^otT »ou?oceseo»/>OPP05 oaocooocoot^pcj CC M eo ^ 283,181,250 27.73 322,228,073 24.32 1912 $10,753,154 1,7,39,598 1,904,516 546,473 1 1,412,296 1,391,003 2,421,637 15,397,649 720, 242 761,206 37,047,804 13.48 115,109,149 3,537,112 77,615,548 38, 616, 886 7, 838, 879 > 2,844,473 1,301,454 6,648,368 2 13,800,000 4,284,886 271,596,755 28. 27 CJ -w- P OO *o . o crT o CO Total from all countries. i 1913 $97, 886, 169 10,062,328 6,173,545 5,132,678 2 4, 966, 820 8, 778, 497 2 10, 000, 000 143, 758, 736 9, 272, 278 8, 100, 125 304,131,178 100 408,711,966 21,357,505 326,428,509 120, 274,001 28,535,800 > 10,354,564 7,671,551 29,591,452 50,666,000 18, 030, 103 1,021,621,451 100 1,325,752,627 100 1912 $91,331,155 9,822,462 6, 774, 859 4,317,314 > 5, 724,095 10,187,686 9,871,817 125,902,241 8, 217,898 9,876,555 1 282,026,482 1 100 373,307,865 19, 308, 506 308, 243, 736 122,075,994 23,964,623 I 11,489,104 5,190,082 24,982, 047 51,355,200 20,568,939 960,486,096 100 1,242,512,578 100 Coimtrie.s. Mexico Guatemala Salvador Honduras Nicaragua Costa Rica Panama Cuba Dominican Republic Haiti < North American Republics Per cent of imports Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Paraguay Peru Uruguay Venezuela South American Republics Per cent of imports Total of the 20 Republics Per cent of imports 1 1911. * 1912. • Partly estimated. < Fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 1913. * Estimated. LATIN AMERICAN FOREIGN TRADE IN 1913 — GENERAL SURVEY. CO O M H I n < A H O o M H 0 m M A H CO United States. 1913 ■^■^ — 30X0004000 ICIOIOX’^'^O'^OO ooox — to*— 'OcOr^O h-T ~o'co040r'»0c^00 — C^CSSD 0 00X00 OOXXh-CS — f-OO tcrx“c4“cT— loe^— trT-T :: .. .„ «« 273,212,328 71.60 22, 207, 965 218, 195 102, 562,923 30,418,801 18,861,800 2 3,957,306 6 70 14,741,639 2,972,222 8,475, 251 204,416,172 17. 65 477, 628, 500 31.03 1912 $112,729,950 3,863,829 2, 955, 794 2, 722,009 1 2, 056, 622 .5,025,694 1,779,660 145, 185,933 7,274,606 5 1,100,000 X Oi o r-- fO X 1 31,419,413 152, 976 141,914,885 24,514,565 15, 832, 882 > 3, 185, 808 593 17,495, 276 2,670, 779 9,907,604 247,094,781 20.98 531, 788, 884 1 34. 43 1 France. 1913 Ooccoo^^oxr-^O OcO'^OXOO-rOO lOCSXtcOOOOtCOO ifl'i-ro"' — ' o* o” oT o’" c^05.« XXO %/i O tO 0X0 ro cT — to 13,932,826 3.65 36,586,981 1,783,017 38,685,561 8,858,313 797,900 2 4,096,863 33,069 1,566,495 2 12, 000,000 9,988,043 Ci r- ■^ X !N . CD Oi X 128,329,068 8.34 1912 $4,164,911 969 1,510, 492 1,817 > 2, 619, 219 131,683 7,863 2,574,735 933,212 5 8,500,000 20,444,921 5. 15 34,970,449 2,133,950 35,514,990 7,668,570 625, 199 1 4,530, 135 33,199 2,730,698 8,801,137 6,822,992 103,831,319 8. 81 124, 276, 240 7.89 Germany. 1913 88, 219, 009 7,051,557 1,699,694 176,112 2 702, 250 509,804 5 240,000 4,707,548 2,068,384 5 4,200,000 30,176,364 7. 91 XXOXO'-CO'^J'QX Oic — t'-OtCXXOcO xr-.'T(XC8jcotoxot-. 1,075,044 559, 566 202, 152 6,199,172 1,774,049 5 6,100,000 30,466,610 7. 68 52,375,320 4,368,301 51,928,195 28,060,695 1,854,211 > 2, 136, 695 847,829 3, 205, 496 7,905,882 3,942,708 156, 625, 332 13.31 187,091,942 11.88 United Kingdom. 1913 — 00X00 »o O o X X o o ' O t0OO'*rf0*»TO — XO co'oo''r^iC'^ot'->-ro t>.00 — — OXiM'^O *COt^ 40«^^C^X to— OO ¥> 42,327,445 11. 10 t>.r^ioxoxcoC'X t^x— ■^or^o — o»c r^oxioocsc8i — oo zcoo^t^ScT'^ oTo'cT XQ05 r>- 1/5 to o tc o — rc cT — “ irT to'c^r CD oT Df — ■TT' l-O ^ *^0 279,030,868 24.09 321,358,313 20.88 1912 $20, 099, 328 1,458,498 445,456 20,051 > 523, 100 4,193,036 72,714 11,446,336 1,242,980 5 1,300,000 40,801,499 10. 28 117,732,157 26,112,023 43,065,547 55, 102, 650 4,376,182 ‘ 984,831 1,018 15,734,561 6, 545, 892 1,038,551 270,693,412 22. 91 — o — Oi . a> ^ X Total to all countries. 1913 8150, 202, 808 14,449,926 9,928, 724 3,300,254 2 3,861,516 10,432,553 2, 467,556 164,823,059 10,469,947 11,315,559 381,251,902 100 468,999,410 36,551,390 315,164,687 144,653,312 34,315,800 2 13,689,696 5,462,001 44,409,610 65,142,000 29, 483, 789 1, 157, 871, 695 100 1,539,123,597 100 1912 $148,994,564 13, 156, 538 9,912, 184 3, 080, 178 > 6,579,414 10,071,144 2,064,648 172,978,328 12,385,248 17,285,485 396,537,731 100 465,979,518 35,147,965 362,794,846 139, 878, 201 32,221,746 1 12, 692, 237 4,10.8,651 45,871,504 53, 040, 000 25, 260, 908 1,176,995, 576 100 1,573,533,307 100 fi3-a®~o330d aOtnW^O^oQUl S ® u O O w 521 « C-§: t£-5 < £> O -I .S O 3 -' <«fflOOWAMPHp> ! a 3 vj o 3o ^ a 979 I 1911. ' 1912. 5 Partly estimated. < Fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 1913. 6 Estimated. 980 THE PAN AMERICAN UNION. EXPORTS. On the contrary, Latin American exports, while in general falling in one class — that is, raw materials for use in manufacturing, metals, and primary food products — yet, owing to the great differences of soil, climate, rainfall, and other natural conditions, the proximity to or remoteness from markets and the degree of development in trans- portation, are widely differentiated in the several countries. The greatest mining development is in such countries as Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. But there is a wide difference in the character of mining and in the class of minerals exploited in these countries. Gold is produced, but in no very great quantities, in many of the countries, but only in Mexico and Colombia does the production of gold attain to figures of world importance. Silver is produced in many countries, but only in Mexico to a considerable amount. The rarer metals, platinum, vanadium, and the like, are found, often in good-paying quantities, all through the Andes, from Colombia to Chile. Chile, Peru, and Bolivia are the principal pro- ducers of copper; Cuba of iron ore, although the great deposits of Chile and of Brazil will undoubtedly soon come into the market. Mexico and Peru are at present the principal sources of the Latin American supply of crude oils, but the known fields of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Central America will no doubt soon be developed. Bolivia is the great source of tin and bismuth. The exportation of forest products, outside of rubber, ivory nuts, and quebracho, has not attained in any country the importance that it is destined to attain in most of them. Rubber as a forest product is exported from all of the Latin Amer- ican countries except those of the southern third of South America — that is, excepting those within the Temperate Zone. Brazil is the principal exporter. Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, and Central America all produce considerable amounts. Tlie export of woods, particularly fine cabinet woods, can scarcely be said to have made a beginning in any of the countries. Its prin- cipal development has been in the countries bordering on the Carib- bean. The great possibilities of the animal industries in nearl}", if not all, of the Latin American countries as a basis of an export trade have been taken advantage of in comparatively few of them. Outside of Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and southern Brazil, animal industries are generally limited to supplying home needs and the exportation of by-products — hides, hoofs, etc. The great possibilities of western Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, and Central America as meat-exporting countries await development in the future. LATIN AMERICAN FOREIGN TRADE IN 1913 GENERAL SURVEY. 981 Coffee is an export of all the countries bordering on the Caribbean, and, in addition, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil — Brazil, of course, being the principal source of the world’s supply of coffee. Cacao is produced in general in all the countries producing coffee, though not in the same localities. The export of grain, wheat, oats, hnseed, Indian corn, flour, bran, and hay is from Argentina, although Chile exports some small quan- tities of these farm products and in addition beans and fruits. Out- side of the countries named, most Latin American countries are importers of wheat and flour. This condition will exist for some time to come. Cuba is the principal sugar country, its production being far in excess of all the rest of America; but the Dominican Repubhc, Haiti, and Peru are also exporters. DISTRIBUTION OF TRADE. The United States controls nearly three-tenths of all Latin Ameri- can trade. This is over one-third to one-half more than that con- trolled by its nearest rival, the United Kingdom, and double or more than double the proportion of Germany. To many Americans this statement sometimes causes surprise. The erroneous impression too often left by writers on Latin American trade subjects, particularly if they be North Americans, is that the United States is woefully behind in Latin American trade. This is far from being true if the whole trade be taken as a basis. The following tables show the total trade of Latin America for the years 1912 and 1913 and the propor- tionate share of the four leading commercial countries in this trade: Total trade, 1912, all Latin America. Imports, $1,242,512,578; exports, $1,573,533,307; total, $2,816,- 045,885. SHARE OF FOUR LEADING COMMERCIAL COUNTRIES. Imports. Per cent. Exports. Per cent. Total. Per cent. United States $.304,481,093 24.50 $531,788,884 34.43 $836, 269, 977 29. 70 United Kingdom .308,t>44,559 24. 84 311,494,911 19. 79 620,139,460 22.02 Germany 208,158,295 16. 67 187,091,942 11.88 395,250,237 14.04 France 103,377,408 8.32 124, 276, 240 7.89 227,653,048 8.08 Total trade, 1913, all Latin America. Imports, $1,325,752,627; exports, $1,539,123,597; total, $2,864,- 876,224. SHARE OF FOUR LEADING COMMERCIAL COUNTRIES. Imports. Per cent. Exports. Per cent. Total. Per cent. United States $325,837,345 322, 228,073 217,976,202 110,484,385 24.59 $477,628,500 321,353,313 189, 156, 172 128,329,068 31.03 $803,465,845 643,586,386 28.04 United Kingdom 24.32 20. 88 22. 46 Germany 16.45 12. 22 406,132,374 238,813,453 14.18 France.; 8.34 8.34 8.33 982 THE PAK AMERICAN UNION. In the northern group of states, Mexico, Central America, Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Repubhc, to which is added Venezuela and Colombia in South America, the United States controls about 60 per cent of the whole trade of these 12 countries, as is shown by the following table ; Imports. Exports. Total. 1913. Total trade Share of the United States Per cent of the United States *350,697,079 174,419,399 49.7 *445,051,491 300,549,379 67.5 *795,748,570 474,968,778 59.6 In addition to the countries mentioned, the United States leads in the total trade of Ecuador, in Peru it leads in imports, and is a close second to the United Kingdom in total trade. In Brazil, it has a commanding lead in exports, its takings from Brazil being more than Dvice that of any other two countries. In the five countries not mentioned the trade of the United States ranks below that of both the United Kingdom and Germany. For a number of years the United States has been the leading country in Latin American exports; that is, it has taken more of the products of these Repubhcs than has any other country of the world, but heretofore it has always been second to the United Kingdom^- In 1913, for the first time in history, the United States led in Latin American imports as well as in exports. This is the most significant fact to be derived from the study of the figures for that year. So far from being distanced by Europe, the United States has in fact gained more rapidly than any of its rivals, not only in the northern or nearby group countries, but also in the southern. Under normal conditions and if the Euroj)ean war had never occurred, everything pointed to the behef that the great bulk of the trade, both in imports and in exports, for nearly every one of the Latin American countries would in a few years move north and south and not east and west. # IN iMrop':^s. I FT r; 1 I f. T he pan AMERICAN UNION is the inter- national organization and office maintained in Washington, D. C., by the twenty=one American republics, as follows: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Domini- can Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Salva- dor, United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela. It is devoted to the development and advancement of commerce, friendly intercourse, and good under- standing among these countries. It is supported by quotas contributed by each country, based upon the population. Its affairs are administered by a Direc- tor General and Assistant Director, elected by and responsible to a Governing Board, which is com- posed of the Secretary of State of the United States and the diplomatic representatives in Washington of the other American governments. These two executive officers are assisted by a staff of inter- national experts, statisticians, commercial special- ists, editors, translators, compilers, librarians, clerks and stenographers. The Union publishes a Monthly Bulletin in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French, which is a careful record of Pan American progress. It also publishes numerous special reports and pam- phlets on various subjects of practical information. Its library, the Columbus Memorial Library, con- tains 30,000 volumes, 15,000 photographs, 100,000 index cards, and a large collection of maps. The Union is housed in a beautiful building erected through the munificence of Andrew Carnegie.