Page:Walter Renton Ingalls - Wealth and Income of the American People (1924).pdf/76

54 ments in this country. There is one important gold mine owned by American interests, and this is the only one. There is a small American interest in Guayaquil & Quito railway. However, the total American investment in Ecuador falls somewhat short of $5,000,000, both at the ends of 1916 and 1920, but little new capital having been invested in this country in the interval.

The Guianas.—Conjecturally, $5,000,000 will cover the American investments in these countries at the end of 1916 and also at the end of 1920. The Aluminum Company of America is supposed to have put about $3,000,000 into bauxite mining in Dutch Guiana and some American capitalists have invested about $2,000,000 in gold mining on the Marowijne (Maroni) River, which runs between Dutch and French Guiana.

Paraguay.—American capital has some interests in the quebracho industry, in cattle raising, meat packing, etc. At the end of 1916 the total was small, perhaps not more than $5,000,000. Since then the International Products Co. is understood to have put about $15,000,000 in the country, for quebracho, cattle, and meat packing.

Peru.—According to Frederick M. Halsey, the United States had about $50,000,000 invested in Peru in 1916, this being mainly in the copper mines, besides which there was the International Petroleum Co. and a few minor industries. In copper mines alone there was about $30,000,000 invested in 1916 and about $50,000,000 in 1920. At the end of the latter year $8,000,000 was held in the form of public utility bonds. It will be reasonable to estimate the total American investment in Peru at $50,000,000 in 1916 and at $85,000,000 in 1920.