It does not require an especially sharp insight to see the advantage from a commercial standpoint of a direct line between these ports and New York. Furthermore, since the completion of the Transandine Railway, and still more so when the other route farther south may be finished, large sections of fertile Argentina will be nearer to the west coast than to Buenos Aires or Bahia Blanca, on the Atlantic coast. This would mean that shipments which are destined for the United States from those sections would probably be made by the steamers using the west coast route, and through the Panama Canal. Of course that would not be true of grain products, for those shipments go to Europe, as the United States has not yet become an importer of grain, with the exception of flax seed. We do, however, take the greatest portion of wool, hides and certain other products. It will tend, in the opinion of the writer, to not only bring about closer commercial relations, but to develop a spirit of Pan-Americanism, which will mean a great deal for the United States. Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador have been much under the influence of American business interests, and Chile has a natural inclination as well toward the North Americans, but the diplomatic incidents heretofore mentioned have made the Chileans a little bit suspicious of the policies of the United States. This will, however, I believe, be entirely overcome within a very short time. The people of Chile will then realize that the North Americans are their best friends. THE END. FOOTNOTES [1] This statement is disputed by some authorities. [2] South America on the Eve of Emancipation, by Bernard Moses. [3] An unconquerable race. [4] See Argentina and Her People of To-day. APPENDICES I AREA AND POPULATION The population of Chile is not large when its possibilities are considered. It is very unevenly distributed. The number of persons to the square mile is less than one-half the proportion in the United States. The pure white population are undoubtedly in the minority. The following table shows the names of provinces, with their area and population according to government census of 1907: