FINANCE AND CREDITS 293 
ler, the house he represents and the customer 
he sells in the accommodation it can afford 
them and the service it may render all parties. 
One of its chief uses will be to give reliable in 
formation as to the credit rating of customers. 
From a financial point of view all of Latin 
America may be divided into seven groups: 
(1) the east coast countries of Brazil, Argen 
tine, Uruguay and Paraguay; (2) the west 
coast countries of Chile, Peru, Bolivia and 
Ecuador; (3) the northern countries of Vene 
zuela and Colombia; (4) the Central Ameri 
can Republics of Guatemala, San Salvador, 
Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Honduras, with which 
Haiti may be considered; (5) Mexico; (6) 
the countries wherein American banking sys 
tems exist, such as Panama, Cuba, Santo 
Domingo and Puerto Rico, and (7) the ex 
tensive group of foreign possessions and 
islands such as British, French and Dutch 
Guiana, British Honduras, Trinidad, Barba 
dos, Jamaica, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Cur 
asao and St. Thomas. 
The first and second groups of these South