44  SELLING  LATIN  AMERICA

for  Argentine  ports.  The  Houston  Line
(British)  from  Boston  and  New  York  and
the  New  York  and  South  American  Line  sail
monthly  from  New  York  for  River  Plate
ports.  The  Munson  Line  (American)  from
Mobile,  Alabama,  sends  two  ships  monthly  to
Buenos  Aires.  There  are  many  tramp  ships
from  American  ports  in  this  trade  also.
The  docks  and  facilities  for  handling  goods
in  Buenos  Aires  are  second  to  none  in  the
world  and  are  modeled  after  the  famous
Liverpool  system,  having  cost  over  $50,000,-000.
  Steamers  unload  cargoes  directly  into
the  government  custom  warehouses,  on  the
other  side  of  which  are  networks  of  railway
tracks  from  which  they  can  be  forwarded  to
the  interior.  Each  of  the  large  cement-sided
canals  or  basins  for  the  ship  traffic  is  provided
with  locks  or  water  gates,  while  the  masonry
warehouses,  buildings  and  grain  elevators  extend ­
  for  miles  along  the  city  water  front.  Yet
the  business  of  the  port  has  grown  so  that  there
is  much  congestion,  especially  at  certain  sea-