2 SELLING LATIN AMERICA
To-day the United States consumes all of
these exports, while the requirements of the
three countries are supplied by America,
which also does their financing through banks
organized in these possessions, and capitalized
with American money. To be more specific
and by way of a concrete example let me men
tion Cuba, which in 1913 exported $165,000,-
000 worth of products, all but 15 per cent,
of which was taken by the United States, the
amount shipped to Spain being about four-
tenths of one per cent. During the same
period of time she imported goods to the value
of $132,000,000 of which we supplied 65 per
cent, against Spain’s 8 per cent. Since 1902,
Cuba’s foreign commerce has increased 250
per cent., due absolutely to the part played by
the United States in the Spanish-American
war. The same condition of affairs in ex
ports, imports and other lines is equally true,
although not on such a large scale, of course,
of the Philippines and Porto Rico.
The Napoleonic wars gave to England the
strong position she now occupies in the finan