William Spence Robertson

“ A short railway was begun in 1914 between Guayaquil and Salinas, and another was being constructed in 1920 between Babahoya and Guaranda. During a large portion of the year 1920 Ecuador was almost isolated from the world by sea; for, because of the prevalence of the bubonic plague and of yellow fever at Guayaquil, that port was avoided by large vessels. In April 1914, a radio station was officially opened at Quito and wireless communication was established with a small station in Guayaquil. ”

“ The first years of his administration were stormy, being marked by revolts and civil wars. Even after a troublesome insurgent leader, Gen. Carlos Concha Torres, was captured by Government soldiers in Feb. 1915, his followers were loath to lay down their arms. In elections held in Jan. 1916, Alfredo Baquerizo M., a Liberal, was elected president: he was inaugurated on Aug. 31. Various steps were taken by the President and Congress to lessen the economic and fiscal strain due to the World War. Embarrassing disputes arose between Ecuador and the Guayaquil & Quito Railway Co. ”

“ Certain of these institutions have few university students: their instruction is mainly secondary. The university of La Paz furnishes instruction in law, medicine and theology.
Finances.—Early in 1908 Bolivia had only a small internal debt composed of bonds of various sorts. In Dec. of that year the Republic negotiated a loan with J. P. Morgan & Co. of New York amounting to £500,000. Subsequently three loans were floated in France to secure funds to promote banking enterprises; and another loan was raised in the United States for the construction of the railway from Tupiza to La Quiaca. ”

“ Finance.—In Ecuador's budget for 1914 the revenues and the expenditure were balanced at 20,441,955.92 sucres (nominal value $0.486 or one-tenth part of £1 sterling) ; the income for that year, however, amounted only to 16,913,768.97 sucres, while the expenditure came to 20,220,794.83 sucres. Revenues from import duties which were estimated at 10,883,055.02 sucres came only to 7,707,191.26 sucres. The end of the year left the Government with a deficit of 3,307,007.86 sucres. This deficit would have been larger but for certain economies and the postponement of some payments. ”

“ The Minister of Public Instruction was to be charged with public instruction, statistics and civil registry, fine arts, theatres, charity, justice, religion, agriculture, improvements and national forests. ”

“ All male citizens between 19 and 49 years of age are compelled to serve in the regular army or in the reserves. The reserves in 1914 were estimated at 187,178 men.
Education.—A Bolivian sociologist declared in 1910 that less than 13% of his fellow-countrymen could read. Primary instruction is still managed by towns and cities. Considerable attention has recently been paid to the establishment of rural schools, as well as to the instruction of aborigines in the Spanish language. ”