The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JULY 5th, 1930. IN BRAZIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 July 1930, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JULY sth, 1930. IN BRAZIL.

The visit of the President-elect of Brazil to London as the guest of the British Government, follows closely the return to England of the Trade Mission headed bj’ Lord D’Abernon from the South American republic. The significance of these visits is apparent—that the British and Brazilian Governments are desirous of fostering reciprocal trade relationships on an extended basis, and have found that such a move promises to he mutually advantageous. Brazil, comments a southern paper, although the most important of the South American countries, is, it might be. safe to say, practically an unknown quantity to the average Briton; still, in fact, is best

recognised in the famous phrase of a favourite play as the place “where the nuts come from.” Its coffee production is, of course, a distinguishing feature, especially siin.ce the recent' slump in the price of coffee has centred the attention of importers upon this product;'hut the real Brazil, covering an area of 3,275,510 square miles, is unfamiliar to the West. Yet this republic offers a great lesson in progress. British and American capital has been expended there in large sums in recent years and the vast mineral deposits of the area are being exploited. The country hats -enolrmous hydroelectric resources capable, it is estimated of yielding no less than 25,000,000 horse power, and these, also, are being tapped, with the 00-onern-tion of overseas capital and utilised to produce cheap power for the crowing Brazilian industries, among the more important of which is the cotton industrv. So far the manufacturing industries have been sheltered from outside competition by a tariff, “but the Brazilian Consul-General in London, Dr J. C. Muniz, recently stared that many are now capable of withstanding j foreign competition without protection, j A phase of Brazilian progress of more I thh.n parsing interest to New Zealand is the rapidly increasing prnduc- I tion of meat for export. Until the war no meat was exported, the- first shipment being made in 1015. Since that time production has prown rnipnHy. Tlo liirf- »shipment too England, of a value of £51,000, was made in 1020, and the value of last year’s beef exports to Great Britain was £1,2-19.379, making Brazilian beef a serious competitor ol the Argentine product. The depend-

once of the country upon coffee has, in the past, been a lacior tending to constitute a. danger to the financial well-being .of Brazil, but the opening up of fresh channels for development of t.;e export praline market, notably m respect of cocoa has bad the effect of stabilising finances, and since 1927 the Government lias keen able to show increasingly satisfactory Budget surpluses, that for 1927-28 being nearly five millions sterling. The great need of the republic is still capital, and it is doubtless with the idea of interesting British investors in its undeveloped resources that the Brazilian Government- is now welcoming the friendly overtures of the British Government. Any increase in reciprocal trade give-, promise of being to the advantage of both countries for the 89,090,C00 people in the republic present an attractive market foi,- : .the absorption of British manufactures.