Show world eyes new bolivia tin coveted dictator busch can swa sway y market of important raw metal prepared by national geographic society washington D C service bol vias newly established dictatorship can affect foreign countries more than would changes in many other parts of 0 south america because government is financed mainly by the revenue from rom its exports and its exports particularly un tin are in strong demand tin one of the strategic metals highest on the united states want list is number one product and is responsible for its biggest business As the third greatest tin producing country of the world bolivia is the nearest source for that metal to all countries of the new world since its chief competitors are the federated malay states and the netherlands indies in asia most of tin ore exports however go to great britain since there are no tin smelters shelters sm elters in bolivia or the united states bolivian tin returns to the americas from british shelters smelters sm elters rs not a one metal land in bolivia the tin standard substitutes utes tor for the gold standard this metal constitutes from two thirds to nine nine tenths of the count rys exports and export duties in this land of impoverished agriculture and limited industry are the chief sources of the governments income during 1937 the nation produced 12 per cent of the worlds tin output but bolivia is by no means a one metal land some 95 98 per cent of her exports are minerals tin being followed in value by silver lead antimony zinc tungsten copper and bismuth in antimony too the country ranks third on the list of producing nations its position is now of added importance because china has previously been the leading source of supply but is 0 o longer a factor in the world market in addition to utilitarian tin and the spanish silver of such romantic lore exports of rubber quinine and exotic chinchilla fur help to make DICTATOR col german busch youthful president of bolivia livia who dismissed his congress and set himself up as dictator promising to give agne his people an election in a few months bolivia known to the outside world some estimates rank bolivian forests second to those of brazil for production of south american rubber since much of the smaller cun count arys rys forest products float down the headwaters ot of the amazon to brazilian ports their origin is obscure in an area more tha than n twice as large as texas bolivia supports only 55 per cent as many people as the lone star state this is the only south american nation without access to the sea directly from its own ports bolivia lost her coastal territory to chile after the war of the pacific nearly 60 years ago the landlocked land locked andean plateau cradled feet above sea level between two snow capped ranges with peaks exceeding feet has so impressed popular imagination with its worlds highest capital la paz and its worlds highest steamer service on lake Titi caca that the low tropical plains to the east of the mountains are frequently forgotten yet these extensive lowlands constitute about TO 70 per cent of the nations square miles on the south they merge into the gran chaco scene of the most recent war tn in the western hemisphere |