During the past twenty years the foreign trade of Argentina and Uruguay (especially that of the former country) has developed very largely and rapidly; its increase during the decade 1904-1913 being, in the case of Argentina, 108?% and in that of Uruguay 104%. The increase in both cases is considerably greater than that of the trade of any other South American country; as will be seen from the following figures:—
        $        
Argentina.     1913     996,215,998        
    1904     477,985,737        
    gold     518,230,261     108·5%     increase.
Uruguay.     1913     119,500,000        
    1904     58,481,343        
    Uruguayan     61,018,657     104%     ”
Chile.     1913     725,828,254        
    1904     370,149,864        
    Chilian     355,678,390     94·5%     ”
Brazil.     1913     1,976,733,388        
    1904     1,288,955,306        
    milreis     687,778,082     54%     ”

The figure $996,215,998 gold if divided by 7,731,257, representing the population of Argentina, gives $129 gold, or ￡25 11s. 10d., value of trade per inhabitant of that country; a very high figure indeed. The value of the trade of Uruguay per head of her population is ￡21 3s. 6d.

In 1913 Argentina alone provided the markets of the[128] United Kingdom with cereals and meat to the value of ￡34,500,000 of a total of ￡92,300,000, or nearly 37?% of its total supplies. During the same year Uruguay sent meat to the United Kingdom to the value of some ￡202,000 sterling.
UNITED KINGDOM IMPORTS IN 1913
Wheat     ￡     ￡
1.     From United States     13,953,072    
2.     ” Canada     8,803,949    
3.     ” British East Indies     7,998,552    
4.     ” Argentine Republic     6,149,195    
5.     ” Australia     4,426,629    
6.     ” Russia     1,984,964    
    ” Other countries     544,539     43,860,900
Maize        
1.     From Argentine Republic     10,851,874    
2.     ” United States     1,923,321    
3.     ” Russia     489,993    
4.     ” Roumania     286,600    
5.     ” Canada     64,773    
    ” Other countries     153,781     13,770,342
Linseed        
1.     From Argentine Republic     2,398,629    
2.     ” British East Indies     1,564,428    
3.     ” Russia     228,167    
4.     ” United States     98,366    
    ” Other countries     2,905,803     7,195,393
Chilled and Frozen Meat        
1.     From Argentine Republic     12,815,002    
2.     ” Australia     2,133,951    
3.     ” Uruguay     706,816    
4.     ” New Zealand     393,429    
5.     ” United States     3,119    
    ” Other countries     11,914     16,064,231
Frozen Mutton        
1.     From New Zealand     4,965,310    
2.     ” Australia     3,128,439    
3.     ” Argentine Republic     1,908,255    
4.     ” Uruguay     303,528    
    ” Other countries     293,133     10,598,665
Sundry Meats Frozen        
1.     From Argentine Republic     455,561    
2.     ” United States     155,966    
    ” Other countries     216,526     828,053
    Total         92,317,584

The value of the U.K. Imports from Argentine and Uruguay was considerably increased during 1915.

[129]

In 1913 values of the exports of the United Kingdom to the four most commercially important countries of South America were:—
    ￡ sterling.
To the Argentine Republic     23,430,246
” Brazil     13,015,769
” Chile     6,366,944
” Uruguay     3,027,568

Of the total value of the sales of the United Kingdom in the whole of South America, Argentina received 45%, amounting to ￡52,033,764 sterling.
POSITIONS HELD BY ARGENTINA AND URUGUAY RESPECTIVELY IN THE EXPORT TRADE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM ACCORDING TO BRITISH OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS, 1913.
Value of exports from Great Britain to:     ￡
1     East Indies     71,738,755
2     Germany     60,573,457
3     United States     59,536,352
4     France     40,876,731
5     Australasia     37,852,929
6     Russia     27,705,660
7     Canada     27,235,355
8     South Africa     24,373,018
9     Argentina     23,430,246
10     Belgium     20,667,519
11     Holland     20,605,137
12     Italy     15,620,393
13     China     15,016,023
14     Japan     14,837,948
15     Brazil     13,015,769
16     New Zealand     11,776,261
17     Egypt     9,966,948
18     Sweden     9,241,874
19     Spain     8,655,196
20     Turkey     7,992,712
21     West Africa     7,166,222
22     Norway     6,669,089
23     Chile     6,366,946
24     Denmark     6,340,773
25     Austria-Hungary     5,786,077
26     Switzerland     5,106,764
27     Portugal     3,935,802
28     Uruguay     3,027,568
29     West Indies     2,716,545
30     Greece     2,597,227
31     Mexico     2,549,265
32     East Africa     1,443,859
33     Costa Rica     247,093
Total including other countries     ￡635,117,134
        Population.     Per
capita ￡
1     New Zealand     1,028,160     11·45
2     Australasia     4,802,174     7·88
3     South Africa     5,973,394     4·08
4     Canada     7,758,000     3·51
5     Holland     6,114,302     3·37
6     Argentina     7,731,257     3·03
7     Belgium     7,571,387     2·73
8     Norway     2,437,646     2·73
9     Uruguay     1,112,000     2·72
10     Denmark     2,775,076     2·29
11     Chile     3,505,317     1·90
12     Sweden     5,638,583     1·62
13     West Indies     1,709,732     1·59
14     Switzerland     3,781,430     1·30
15     France     39,601,509     1·03
16     Greece     2,666,000     0·97
17     Germany     64,925,993     0·93
18     Egypt     11,287,359     0·88
19     Portugal     5,960,056     0·66
20     United States     91,972,266     0·65
21     Costa Rica     388,266     0·63
22     Brazil     23,070,969     0·55
23     East Africa     2,651,892     0·54
24     Italy     34,671,377     0·45
25     Spain     19,639,000     0·44
26     Turkey     21,273,900     0·38
27     West Africa     20,176,635     0·35
28     Japan     52,985,423     0·28
29     East Indies     315,156,396     0·23
30     Russia     171,059,900     0·16
31     Mexico     15,063,207     0·16
32     Austria-Hungary     49,458,421     0·12
33     China     320,650,000     0·05

[130]

During the five years 1908-1912 48?% of the whole maize imported by the United Kingdom came from Argentina; or only a little less than the total quantity of that imported from the United States, Roumania, Russia, India, Natal, Canada, Bulgaria and the Cape of Good Hope.

In respect of the total issue of Capital in the United Kingdom during the first six months of 1914, Argentina ranked first (with ￡12,809,200 as against ￡12,244,100 which went to Russia) among the foreign countries for which such issues were destined; and third if British Possessions are included in the comparison.
1913
THE TRADE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WITH THE REPUBLICS OF SOUTH AMERICA IS SHOWN IN THE FOLLOWING TABLES COMPILED FROM AMERICAN OFFICIAL STATISTICS
    Imports
—
American
Dollars     Exports
—
American
Dollars     BALANCE OF TRADE
In favour of
U.S.A.
American
Dollars     Against
U.S.A.
American
Dollars
Argentine Republic     26,863,732     52,894,834     26,031,102     —
Uruguay     2,450,697     7,522,145     5,071,448     —
Guiana (British)     105,933     1,813,745     1,707,812     —
Bolivia     350     940,744     940,394     —
Guiana (French)     86,386     337,714  ............