Artificial

America from our own still undeveloped country. I believe on the other hand that a steady flow of immigrants will continue to come from Continental Europe and undoubtedly will be speeded up as an aftermath of this war. efforts, to be sure, may be made to curb this immigration, but I believe that forces actuating it will be too powerful to be greatly checked. The more the south Europeans move in, the more firmly southern Europe will influence the nature and culture of Latin America.

It is entirely unrealistic to dream that the commercial relations of temperate South America will turn under normal conditions toward this Continent and away from Europe, because climate and soil make them our competitors and make their economy naturally complementary to the economy of Europe. The coffee zone in Brazil is the southernmost zone which is in any important respect complementary to our agricultural economy.

I think, therefore, that efforts to promote an economy complementary to ours can be directed with a strong chance of success chiefly toward the tropical countries. I believe, too, that it is impellingly important to direct them there. I do not believe there is a more pitifully unscratched part of the world than Central and South America, north of twenty degrees south. It is surprising that some of the temperate countries which are hungry for materials have not already fought their way into those countries, and it seems to me a kind of natural law that sooner or later they will do this unless the United States cooperates with its_neighbors to develop them in the common interest of humanity.

It seems to me that the key to closer relations with the people of temperate South America, as of tropical America, is to recognize that our common destiny can be achieved only if we cooperate in developing our countrieș and in encouraging and protecting each other. This would mean a division between them and us of the prerogative and responsibility for the development of the whole Hemisphere and an alliance by which we would assure them protection against aggression from outside their continent.

We must go much further than this.

When we have won this war, which we most assuredly will do, we must be prepared to use the full force of our wealth and influence in aiding them in the further development of their natural resources and in so placing their surplus products on the markets of the world that there will be no disastrous competition between them and us.

The Agricultural Zones of Central and South America.

There are two great agricultural zones lying within the Central and South American countries. They are the tropical and temperate zones. Climate and soil have made them immutable; that is, unchangeable. Man, animals, and plants are dominated by them. It is absolutely essential that we understand and therefore place ourselves in harmony with the natural laws that govern these zones if our work is to be constructive in the development of a program that will be mutually beneficial to them and to us.

1. The Tropical Zone.-The tropical zone includes practically all the Central American countries and that part of South America lying north of the coffee zone in southern Brazil. These countries, with the exception of Brazil, are limited in areas and have small populations. A large percentage of the people are of the poorer class. Their natural resources, however, are potentially great as well as important, but they have never been developed properly. These countries are in great need of financial assistance, such as only the United States is capable of providing. This financing should be provided on a strictly business basis and should be administered with wisdom, fairness, and justice.

The agricultural economy of the tropical zone is almost wholly complementary to our own; that is, there is no serious conflict between what the people of those countries produce and desire to sell to us and to the world, and that which we produce.

The chief agricultural products of the tropical zone are coffee, rubber, bananas, cocoa, sugar, quinine, pineapples, coconuts, silk, essential oils, mandioca or yuca, beans, corn, and many, many other products. Some of these could be made of great economic value to those countries and are of vital importance to our own economy. This is true of such important commodities as coffee, rubber, silk, and quinine. We should make every possible effort to assist all these countries in the development and marketing of these complementary products because in doing so we will not only be rendering a valuable service to them, but will be greatly strengthening our own public welfare.

2. The Temperate Zone.-The temperate zone includes all that region of South America south of the coffee zone. The country is more thickly populated and better developed than in the tropical zone. The principal agricultural products of this section parallel, to a considerable extent, the main agricultural products

that make up our own commercial agricultural economy. I have reference particularly to commodities such as corn, wheat, beef, cotton, flax, and wool. These products can be produced in those countries considerably cheaper than they can in our own country, by reason of a more favorable soil and climate, and cheaper labor.

Conflict of Interests. It is vitally important that this country avoid disastrous competition with the countries of the temperate zone in marketing our agricultural commodities. I believe that this harmful conflict can be avoided by proper planning ahead.

The case of Brazil.-Brazil probably has more and a greater variety of natural resources than any other country in the world. Many of these are agricultural and almost wholly undeveloped. There are vast stretches of Brazil that have hardly been visited by civilized man. Most of the agricultural products of Brazil are complementary to our own economy. We should assist her to the limit in the development of these products and in placing them on the markets of the world, including our own.

Many of these products-for example, coffee, rubber, silk, and quinine-are of tremendous importance to the economic welfare of this country. Brazilian climate and soil and the labor situation seem to be ideal for the production of these important commodities. I am convinced that, with the proper encouragement and financial assistance, Brazil can become the leading producing country in the world, especially of rubber and silk.

The people of Brazil are kind and friendly and easy to get acquainted with. They give an immediate and favorable response to a sympathetic and understanding approach from a citizen of the United States. All classes of their citizens know and greatly admire President Roosevelt and Cordell Hull.

By making the right approach it would be an easy matter to secure, to even a greater extent than prevails now, the full and sincere friendship and cooperation of the people and Government of Brazil.

In my judgment, it is impossible to overestimate the importance of the friendship of Brazil. In many respects, it is the key country among all of the South American countries in guarding against an invasion of the United States from the south. Brazil stretches from the Atlantic Ocean on the east almost to the Andes Mountains on the west. It would be practically impossible for any country to invade us from the south as long as Brazil remains friendly.

The Case of Argentina.-Argentina is easily our most difficult problem among all the countries of Central and South America. It is not, however, in my judgment, our most important and vital problem.

Our people and our Government have made many mistakes in dealing with the people and Government of Argentina. These mistakes have been made either through a misunderstanding on our part of their social, economic, and political position, or our refusal to face the real facts and deal with the situation in a just and business-like way.

The people of Argentina on the other hand have not understood us or our agricultural economy and for this reason have sorely misjudged our intentions. Here are the factors that must be given full and careful consideration before we can hope to arrive at a solution that will be fair and just to both sides in the settlement of this embarrassing situation:

1. The people of Argentina are principally of Spanish origin. These people are proud, sensitive, individualistic, and exceedingly ambitious. They are well educated and intelligent. The standard of education is high throughout all of Argentina. These are all admirable traits and accomplishments.

2. There are many immigrants in Argentina. They have come mostly from southern Europe. Nearly one-fifth of her people are Italians. There are also many Germans and Japanese. The Germans have trained the army. All of the immigrants, especially the Italians and those from Spain, have fitted into the religious, social, and economic life of their adopted country better than the North Americans.

3. Agriculture is the pride and glory of Argentina. The climate and soil of this great agricultural region is similar in many respects to that of our corn belt and the southwestern section of the United States.

4. The agricultural belt of Argentina lies in the center of the country. It is over one thousand miles in length and several hundred miles in width. It is level in topography with scarcely any waste land. The soil is fertile and easily worked. There is scarcely any erosion problem. The country has a supply of cheap labor and is traversed by good railways and highways which lead to the chief ports. It is undoubtedly one of the most favored agricultural regions of the world. The chief agricultural products of this highly favored region are, named somewhat in

Many.

the order of their importance, beef, corn, flax, wheat, wool, and cotton. other commodities can be produced economically and in abundance, such as pork, soybeans, dairy and poultry products.

5. All of these commodities can be produced in Argentina and prepared for the world markets at considerably less cost than similar products grown in the United States, due to a more favorable climate, soil, internal transportation, and cheap labor. The farmers and ranchmen are intelligent, progressive, and highly efficient. This, combined with the fact that they are operating in one of the world's most favored agricultural regions, puts them in a class almost to themselves as producers of the world's great staple foods and raiment.

6. The difficult task of solving the agricultural problem of Argentina will therefore never be taken care of by opening to her the markets of the United States. Our markets are already overcrowded with identical products produced in this country. This would not be an advantage to Argentina in the long run, and certainly would not be to our advantage. It would simply place the two countries on a deadly competitive basis, in which we would have the advantage in planes and ships or means of transportation and they would have an advantage of cheaper production. This could only result in intense competition and keen rivalry which are the natural forerunners of misunderstandings, jealousy, and enmity.

7. I am convinced that a plan can be developed which when put into effect will enable the United States to work and cooperate in peace and harmony not only with Argentina, but with all of the other Central and South American countries. Such a plan can be constructed only after a complete and full understanding of each other's social and political institutions and, above all, a thorough understanding of each other's economy, more especially agricultural economy. With these things in mind, I submit herewith

Suggestions and recommendations on establishing and maintaining a sound and more lasting basis of friendship and cooperation with Central and South America by cooperating in marketing our agricultural products

1. This war is going to be cruel and devastating in the extreme. It may last for years. Finally it may come to a life and death struggle between Germany and the United States, but we are going to win this war. No nation or combination of nations can defeat the United States.

When this war closes, it is going to leave many of what were once the most powerful nations in the world completely paralyzed politically, socially, and economically. World commerce will be completely disrupted and broken. All fundamental organizations for the development and promotion of the agencies for the civilization of mankind will have been greatly weakened or perhaps totally destroyed. There will arise, therefore, from this world catastrophe an appealing and urgent opportunity for some nation to hold aloft the light of civilization, and point and lead the way back to a sane, sound, and just plan of life for all nations, even those whose treachery and barbarity have brought civilization to its lowest ebb in many centuries.

When we win this war, we are going to be that nation. Yes; we are going to be the most powerful nation that has ever existed. We will be powerful in many ways, but chiefly in the number of planes and ships we will own, and the food and raiment we will have at our disposal.

We should use these planes and ships and this food and raiment in feeding and clothing the peoples of the world and in restoring world commerce as it has never been before. We should go into the peace conference and suggest to all nations that:

(a) The U. S. is going to deal henceforth with all nations on a strictly business basis. We are going to be firm, but just and fair.

(b) We shall never permit another nation to rearm for invasion purposes. (c) Every nation will be free to choose its own religion, its own social order, and its own form of government.

(d) No nation shall be deprived of the right to live economically, not even the conquered nations.

(e) We propose to assist every nation with our planes and our ships in restoring world commerce and in feeding and clothing the prostrate countries.

(f) We propose especially to assist Central and South America, first, in developing their natural resources to the utmost and, second, in placing exportable products on all the markets of the world.

2. This program can be placed upon a practical and working basis by:

(a) Setting up a commission of highly intelligent and well qualified persons representing each country participating to work out a cooperative agreement.

(b) A majority of this commission both from the United States and the countries participating should be practical and successful farmers and livestock men. (c) The members of this commission should first visit and carefully study the agricultural economy of each of the countries concerned.

(d) They should then meet in convenient territory, say in Rio de Janeiro, and formulate their plans.

(e) When completed, these plans should be submitted to each government for ratification.

What this country sorely needs, and will never reach its greatest prosperity without, is a carefully selected group of intelligent and well trained world traders who know their own people and their economy and the peoples and the economy

of all other lands.

3. As soon as this program is ratified by the different governments and the members of this commission have a thorough understanding of the economy of the Western Hemisphere, they should submit definite plans for exchanging their products with all other nations. A program should then be formulated so as to use our planes and ships in placing the agricultural commodities of the Western Hemisphere on all the markets of the world in a way that will avoid disastrous competition on our own markets as well as all others.

4. There is much that we can do to improve the marketing conditions in the Western Hemisphere. We should be careful to purchase practically all of our noncompetitive products, including rubber and silk, from our neighbors. Our planes and ships should enable the Central and South American countries to trade more with each other to their mutual advantage.

A striking illustration of how this might be done can be found in the case of Argentina on the one hand and Venezuela, Peru, and Ecuador on the other hand. Argentina produces beef, corn, wheat, and flax economically and in abundance. Under normal world conditions she has great difficulty in disposing of her surpluses in these products. Last year she burned in her furnaces over eight million tons of corn. She needs to dispose of her surpluses in these products on a reasonable basis. Argentina, however, produces petroleum products in small quantities.

Venezuela, Peru, and Ecuador on the other hand are important petroleum producing countries. They, however, have great difficulty in producing sufficient beef, wheat, and corn for their own needs. The living costs in Venezuela, for instance, are among the highest in the world, and the difficulty revolves principally around her inability to produce these three basic foods economically and in abundance. Venezuela, Peru, and Ecuador need to feed out or finish on grain the livestock they produce. There are, therefore, many reasons why they should sell their petroleum products to Argentina and take in return beef, wheat, and

corn.

Many more illustrations could be given showing the failure of these countries to take advantage of favorable opportunities for trade with each other. Aid in Solving Transportation Problems.

We should contribute to the limit of our ability in strengthening the inland and coastwise transportation between the Central and South American countries. The topography of nearly all those countries makes it extremely difficult to transport, either by highway or railway, heavy and bulky freight north and south within each country and especially between countries. It would be practical, at the close of this war, however, to transport products of this nature on rivers and on railroads through mountain passes to the ports and then make delivery by boats and planes.

No one has the vision at this time to comprehend fully and appreciate the part that planes are going to play in the commerce of the world following this war. The development of the plane is going to have a very important bearing on commerce all over the world and more especially in Central and South America where mountains and broad stretches of tropical country make land transportation impractical if not impossible.

We, no doubt, have some difficult problems to work out and smooth over before we can hope to set up a practical and workable program for world commerce with the Central and South American countries that will benefit all concerned. I can see no good reason, however, why it cannot be done so as to include every nation in the Western Hemisphere.

A Suggested Colonization Plan.

Colonies from several of the European countries and Japan have settled on agricultural lands in some of the Central and South American countries. It is

highly probable that some of these, if not all, have been subsidized by their home governments.

It is my understanding that in nearly every instance the members of these colonies have become citizens of their adopted country. I received the impression that these colonies generally have been successful.

Soon after the close of the Civil War several groups of our people left the United States and established colonies in different parts of Brazil. Some of the original members of these colonies are still living. I met and talked with some of them.

These people have almost invariably made good citizens of their adopted country. They underwent severe hardships in the early days but most of them have been fairly successful. It might be advisable for the Government of the United States to undertake to send one or more colonies to certain of the Central and South American countries. I would suggest that the first location be made in Brazil.

If we should make an attempt to establish any colonies, I would make the following suggestions:

1. That the members of the colonies be selected with the greatest care.

2. That young married farmers from the southwestern section of this country who have been members of 4-H and Future Farmer clubs be selected.

3. That each location be selected in advance by a competent committee from the United States working in cooperation with a similar committee representing the country where the colony is to be located.

4. That each colony be subsidized by our Government for a certain period of years, which should not be less than five years.

Student scholarships as a means for promoting better understanding and a more lasting basis of friendship between the United States and Central and South America.

We should at the earliest possible moment propose to the Central and South American countries:

That in order to secure a better and more permanent basis of friendship and at the same time give them aid in the development of their resources, we are willing to establish five hundred scholarships, at the value of $600 each, whereby their brightest and most deserving young men can come to this country and prepare themselves in our colleges and universities for leadership in agriculture and engineering and in veterinary medicine.

In the countries I visited, I explained this scholarship plan and it was received with enthusiasm. Everyone thought it would do more than anything we could possibly do to bring about a more complete understanding and a more permanent bond of friendship.

I am attaching a letter just received from a young man, a native of Venezuela, who was graduated last summer from the A. and M. College. This shows very clearly what may be accomplished by giving a young man an education in one of our colleges.

DEAN E. J. KYLE,

The School of Agriculture, Texas A. and M. College,

College Station, Tex.

MY DEAR DEAN KYLE: Thinking that by this time you may be back from your tour through some of the South American countries, I have decided to write you this letter, my wishes being that you still be the same good and successful educator, a great builder of good characters. I hope that you consider my words as coming from deep into my heart and not as earthly manifestations of someone who may be speaking with the only purpose of pleasing an important man. I want you to know that I am highly indebted to you for all the considerations and signs of appreciation that you showed towards me.

Dean Kyle, I consider Texas A. and M. College as being my second home, and I am really proud of feeling that way. That school gave me so much-education, character, friends-that very, very often I feel homestick for it even in my own home. I really miss Aggieland, the sorrow of my heart being very many times converted into a few tears.

Indeed, I am grateful to the United States of America in general, to Texas A. and M. College in particular, and to you, affectionately. This is why in the present state of war between Japan and the United States (my second country) I wish that we could destroy the Japanese Empire and reduce it to ashes, even if I had to give my own life in order to achieve such a glorious and beautiful end. My heart spoke there also, I truthfully say.