Page:Mexico and its reconstruction.djvu/200

182 jobbing and retail business in that line was still controlled by Spaniards and Mexicans. There were three French banking and commercial houses, and two wholesale houses. Eight German, and three English wholesale houses also had established themselves.

In the interior towns, even after the middle of the century, there were still few foreign houses. Strangers were suspected, especially if they had money and the insecurity of the country made even capital that was venturous enough to go to the larger centers unwilling to take the risks of carrying stocks elsewhere.

It was not until after 1870 that marked increase of activity in internal trade began to be shown. At that time the British and Germans had in their hands all the wholesale trade and the manufacture of wool and cotton in which the French were later to play a prominent part. A curious development has occurred in this line in Mexico. After the opening of the country, at the end of the Spanish régime, the British came to control it, but were forced to share it with the Germans. The latter practically replaced the British but were in turn themselves displaced by the French. The Germans and British also controlled the sale of silks, iron and steel, and jewelry. The Spaniards had the wholesale and retail trade in liquors and groceries, lines in which they have continued to figure prominently.