70  SELLING  LATIN  AMERICA

the  coast  and  the  hinterland  by  roads  crossing ­
  it  at  right  angles,  and  is  designed  to  develop ­
  the  entire  country  and  to  be  of  strategic
value  in  transporting  troops.  Two  new  trans-Andean
  roads  are  contemplated  in  addition
to  the  one  now  running  from  Los  Andes  to
Mendoza,  one  to  operate  about  300  miles
north  of  Santiago—the  other  to  cross  400  miles
to  the  south  of  the  capital.  Other  lines  from
the  smaller  ports  to  the  longitudinal  road  are
proposed,  in  all  over  3000  miles  being  projected. ­
  Of  the  roads  maintained  by  the  government, ­
  it  might  be  said  that  they  are  run
at  a  great  annual  loss,  a  condition  which
may  operate  materially  against  the  country’s
prosperity  at  some  near  date.  Many  of  the
privately  owned  roads  are  used  only  in  connection ­
  with  the  nitrate  industry.
Chile  has  many  small  rivers  varying  from
23  to  130  miles  in  length  arising  in  the  mountains ­
  and  rushing  to  the  sea.  Most  of  them
are  dry  a  greater  part  of  the  year,  but  during
the  rainy  season  become  raging  torrents.
With  the  exception  of  a  few  in  the  southern