Excerpt from The Republics of Central, and South America, Their Resources, Industries, Sociology and Future Since the publication of the first edition of the present work, there has been comparatively little change in the general circumstances of the Latin American republics. Political and social development is Slow in such com munities, notwithstanding frequent - and often violent change of government, whilst trade activities (often erro neously held to be synonymous with economic growth) have fluctuated in sympathy with general world-conditions. In the Great War the majority of the Latin American States Showed their sympathy with the Allied cause, both realising its justice and displaying their worldly wisdom. Some, however, remained neutral, and there were not wanting certain adverse elements. The populations of these lands increase slowly, except as regards those few into which European immigration is more marked. With regard to the needful uplifting of the great poor and illiterate bulk of folk, which involves all but a relatively small pro portion of the inhabitants of the Central and South American republics, with Mexico, it cannot be said that their rulers have in general awakened to the fact that this is the main problem of government. There is, however, some improving tendency as regards education and the status of the manual worker; but, on the other hand, industrial unrest and the growth of revolutionary socialistic doctrine more than keep pace, as is inevitable, with this growth. In the field of manufacturing industry home manufacture as against importation shows some increase, but the foreign merchant may nevertheless draw some satisfaction from the increased demand by a growing wealthy native class for articles of foreign luxury. The Latin American States cannot expect to become great by reason of commercial resources, as fully discussed in this book; but so far those elements which may make for a truer civilisation in this part of the world emerge but slowly. However, the general conditions, physical and commercial, of these little-understood nations are full of interest, and especially so to the British and North American people; a fact which is borne out by the constant demand for books dealing therewith in England and the United States. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.