CHAPTER X BRAZILIAN IMMIGRATION ENGLISH-SPEAKING SUPREMACY NOT THE Our survey of the present status of immigration brings us again to the new world of the Americas; but in South America, we find a situation different from that in either the United States or Canada; different, in fact, from that in any part of the countries previously studied, because here we leave behind the ideal of English-speaking supremacy. Portuguese and Spanish are the dominant languages in Brazil and the Argentine Republic respectively. These are the two South American nations selected for this study since they not only desire but receive large numbers of immigrants. The other eight independent countries are also open to immigrants, but the numbers arriving are in most cases negligible, while political affairs in at least some of them are not sufficiently stable to encourage settlers. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF SOUTH AMERICA It is not the intention here to confuse the reader by reference to works in a foreign tongue. I have therefore confined myself to material available in English, together with such translations as it was necessary to make. In accordance with this plan, and for the purpose of furnishing a background for study in this section of our work, I am presenting a statement regarding the South American continent as a whole, prepared for prospective emigrants from the United States by the PanAmerican Union, Washington, D. C.: "The area of the ten countries is about double that of the United States and they present every variety of soil, climate, and rainfall to a degree much greater than the varieties presented in the United States. Even within a single country there are varieties in soil, climate, and rainfall as great as those existing between Maine and southern California. Moreover, the social customs, farming and stockraising methods, also differ widely in different localities. "It is not possible, therefore, to predicate anything generally of South America. It is a continent and not a locality. Prospective settlers must bear this in mind, and, moreover, they must bear in mind that in every part of South America they will encounter conditions radically different from anything they have known in the United States. Even in localities where there is a certain similarity in soil and climate to given parts of the United States, it must be remembered that the people speak a different language, have different social customs, transportation is on a different basis, the markets are different, culture and methods are all different and money is different. When labor is employed it demands different requirements and produces and works differently. "The prospective emigrant to any part of South America, unless he be a large capitalist and able to create his own conditions, goes there much as a European immigrant, not speaking English, comes to the United States; his chances of assimilation are certainly no better than those of the European immigrant here, and in nine cases out of ten are not nearly so good. But, after all, the main question is a personal question. As a general axiom it may be laid down that the man who has failed of success in a locality with which he is familiar is almost sure to fail in a locality with which he is not familiar. Of course, there may be exceptions, but generally speaking, neither South America nor any other foreign land is likely to offer the basis of success to a man without capital who cannot succeed here. "Nevertheless, South America does offer a magnificent field to the man with proper capacities and who is properly equipped, and this offer includes many lines of industries. "In Venezuela and Colombia there are large areas of almost virgin prairie land which grows a natural coarse grass suitable for cattle-grazing. The climate is tropical and the cattle are subject to a number of tropical diseases and parasitic enemies. Notwithstanding, however, the cost of producing animals is low and transportation by water can be developed cheaply. In southern Brazil the climate is semitropical. The lands are rolling and hilly. The soil is good and cultivated grasses grow luxuriantly. Stock production is perhaps best carried on as an adjunct to farming, but range operations on a large scale are practical. The largest development of stock-raising is in Uruguay and Argentina, and it is generally proven to be extremely profitable. Cattle are grazed on the native grasses, but the best success is had from cultivated grasses. Railway transportation, particularly in Argentina, is well developed and there are excellent markets and refrigerating plants. Paraguay and western Brazil are new and more or less undeveloped country but suitable in a high degree for cattle production. They are distant from markets, and it is difficult to secure labor, but they offer excellent opportunities for big establishments. "The above are the principal localities offering particular advantages to the cattle man, but there are areas in the highlands of Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador which are unquestionably favorable to this industry. In Chile the conditions are somewhat different from elsewhere in South America. Most cattle produced are for home consumption and the home market is a growing one. The cattle industry there is on much the same plan as in our eastern seaboard states-a local industry for local markets and usually as an adjunct to agriculture. "Generally speaking, in all the localities mentioned the best and sometimes the only suitable lands are to be acquired by private purchase. In some cases land can be purchased from the governments. In most of the republics free land is offered to intending colonists but is not available, on account of remoteness or other disadvantages, to any except large colonizing enterprises. The individual immigrant will find it cheaper to purchase than to attempt to settle on government |