Comnterce.—The sugar production greatly increased following the outbreak of the World War. It rose from 185,000 tons in 1914 to over 820,000 tons in 1916-1917. In 1919 the acreage of sugar cane was estimated at over 1,000,000 and efforts were being made to increase the area. The total imports for 1918 amounted to £9,705,113, and the exports to £19,972,595. The chief imports were coal, textile bags, wheat, lumber, and industrial oils. The chief exports were sugar, cot ton, copper, petroleum and wool. In 1918 395 vessels of 790,133 tons entered in the foreign trade at Callao and 364 vessels of 717,340 tons cleared.
Transportation.—The total length of railways in Peru was 1,889 miles. Of these, 1,358 miles were state railways under the control of the Peruvian Cor poration. They include the Peruvian Central, from Callao and Lima to Huan cayo; the Southern Railway of Peru, from Mollendo to Puno; the Paita to Piura Railway; and the Pacasmayo to Guadalupe Railway. There were about 274 telegraph offices, with about 8,000 miles of line. Three submarine tele graph cables connect Peru and Chile, and one connects Peru and the repub lics to the north. There is a telephone system with about 3,000 miles of wire. In 1919 there were 19 wireless stations.
Education.—Elementary education is compulsory, but the law is loosely en forced. In 1919 there were 2,880 pri mary schools with 195,689 pupils and 4,284 teachers. There were about 300 pupils in the normal schools and about 5,000 in the government high schools. The high schools are maintained by the governments in the capitals of the differ ent departments. There is a central university at Lima called the University of San Marcos. It has about 1,500 stu dents. There is also in Lima a school of mines and civil engineering, a national agricultural school, and a school of arts and trades.
Finances.—The total revenue in 1919 was £2,972,997, and the expenditure £2,680,767. The total debt on Jan. 1, 1919, was £5,802,144.
Army and Navy.—Military service is compulsory and universal. The peace strength of the army is 11,000. The coun try is divided into 5 military districts, each furnishing a complete division. Military instruction is given in the mili tary schools and in special schools. The navy consists of 6 vessels; 3 cruisers, 2 submarines, and one submarine de stroyer.
Government.—The constitution was amended in 1919. The republic is di vided into departments and into prov inces. The legislative power is vested in a Senate and a House of Representa tives. The former is composed of depu ties from the provinces. The executive power is in the hands of a president, and there are two vice-presidents who take the place of the president only in case of his death or incapacity. There is a coun
cil of State consisting of 6 members, se lected by the ministers of State, to be confirmed by the Senate. There are three regional legislatures, northern, central, and southern. These have au thority to pass legislation for local mat ters, which is reviewed by the Central Congress at Lima. The Central Con gress is elected every 5 years. Congress is elected for 5 years as well as the presi dent. The Senate consists of 35 mem bers and the Chamber of Deputies of 110. The president is elected by a popu lar vote and only in the case of his death can the Congress elect.
History.—Peru, the origin of whose name is unknown, is now passing through its third historical era, and is manifest ing its third phase of civilization. The present era may be said to date from the conquest of the country by the Spaniards in the early part of the 16th century; the middle era embraces the rule of the Incas; and the earliest era, about which exceedingly little is known, is that of pre-Incarial period of unknown duration, during which a nation, or nations, living in large cities flourished in the country, and had a civilization, a language, and a religion differ ent, and perhaps in some cases even more advanced, than those of the Incas, who succeeded them and overran their territories. Regarding the origin of the Incas nothing definite can be said. There are no authorities on the subject save the traditions of the Indians, and these, besides being outrageously fabu lous in character, are also conflicting. It appears, however, from all the traditions, that Manco, the first Inca, first appeared on the shores of Lake Titicaca, with his wife, Mama Ocilo. He announced that he and his wife were children of the sun, and were sent by the glorious Inti (the sun) to instruct the simple tribes. He is said to have carried with him a golden wedge, or, as it is sometimes called, a wand. Wherever this wedge, on being struck on the ground, should sink into the earth and disappear forever, there it was decreed Manco should build his cap ital. Marching N. he came to the plain of Cuzco, where the wedge disappeared. Here he founded the city of Cuzco, be came the first Inca (a name said to be de rived from the Peruvian word for the sun), and founded the Peruvian race, properly so called. The Peruvian sys tem of agriculture was brought to its highest perfection only by the prodigious labor of several centuries. Not only was the fertile soil cultivated with the utmost care, but the sandy wastes of the coast, unvisited by any rains, and but scantily watered by brooks, were rendered pro ductive by means of an artificial system of irrigation, the most stupendous, per haps, that the world has ever seen.