_Assistant_ MAIRO BAPTISTA NUNES Official representation, information and publicity _Vice-President_ ADMIRAL JOSÉ CARLOS DE CARVALHO _Assistants_ DR. OSCAR SAYAO DE MORAES ADALBERTO DE SOUSA ARANHA Disposition of Exhibits, Decoration, Etc. _General Secretary_ DR. EUGENIO DAHNE _Assistant Secretary_ MR. DILLWYME M. HAZLETT _Accountant_ MR. IVO GRACA CAMPOS Reception of Exhibits, Correspondence, Purchasing, Accounts, Payments, Etc. STATE COMMISSIONERS _State of Amazonas_ DR. MANOEL LOBATO _Commercial Association of Amazonas_ MR. A. W. STEADMAN, New York Commercial Co. MR. J. LEVY, Manáos _State of Pará_ _Commercial Association of Pará_ MR. GEORGE E. PELL, General Rubber Co., New York _State of Bahia_ J. DO ARGOLLO _State of Minas Geraes_ DR. I. SANTIAGO CARDWELL QUINN _Rubber Demonstration_ DR. CARLOS CERQUEIRA PINTO OFFICE HOURS—9 to 12 A. M. and 2 to 5 P. M. Committee Meeting of Delegation—Daily 3 to 4 P. M. [Illustration: DR. PEDRO DE TOLEDO, Minister of Agriculture of the Government of Brazil] INTRODUCTION Brazil, with its vast and immeasurable virgin forests in the valley of the Amazon, undoubtedly the greatest in the world, traversed by innumerable tributaries, many of which are larger and deeper than many of the rivers in other countries, can be considered the largest storehouse of native rubber of the best quality, all ready to be extracted, coagulated and applied to all kinds of industries. No other investment of capital can be as remunerative as that invested in the extraction of the native rubber from full grown trees, already existing in large quantities of many millions, and in zones full of natural richness. For the culture of rubber trees of the various species, the whole northern and central portions of Brazil are well adapted, and will give magnificent results in the near future. Nature has prodigally provided easy means of communication by waterways broad and deep. The climate is equitable without great variations of temperature, which gives perpetual summer and produces large and nearly uninterrupted harvests of agricultural products. The difficulties which hinder the rapid development of the extraction of rubber are the obstructions in rivers in certain places, at certain seasons of the year when the water is low, and the fact that the production of rubber is so remunerative that all the vigorous men that are thus engaged do not care to engage in any other industry. Thus it is that living in the rubber regions is very expensive because everything must be brought there, even implements and foodstuffs.