Education and Religion.— Attendance at schools of primary grades is compulsory and free. The public schools are maintained by the nation, the state or the municipalities, according to circumstances. There are about 1,500 ele mentary schools with an attendance of 50,000 pupils. Of secondary schools there are 102 (58 for boys and 38 for girls, the others admitting both sexes), while Caracas has a normal school Tor young women and another _for young men, for the practical instruction of each sex. There are 34 national schools for higher instruction and the government subsidizes 21 other schools of this grade. A degree is given at the end of a four years' course. Caracas has its famous university and Merida the University of Los Andes, both having faculties of political and ecclesiastical sciences. The university at Caracas has faculties of medicine and mathe matics, while in the capital there is also a school of engineering. Instruction in the fine arts, in arts and crafts and military and naval matters is given in special organizations. More over, there are commercial schools in Caracas, Ciudad Bolivar and in which both day and night classes are held. The govern ment has established at Puerto Cabello a prac tical school of naval construction which is maintained in connection with the docks and shipyards. In the city of San Cristobal there has been inaugurated the Simon Bolivar School of Political Science. At Caracas a school of mathematics with courses in higher mathe matics and sciences has been opened; and there has been added to the school of commerce at Caracas an institute for the stud' of modern languages. It is worthy of note that, in spite of the apathy of some of the states and the decreased public revenues during the European War, earnest efforts on the part of the Venezuelan government to extend the school provision and improve the entire system of education have been continued. A recent report of the Minister of Public Instruction dwelt upon the need of a new order of rural education. It was pointed out that small model farms should be attached to such schools, the distinguished official ob serving: °If this plan is followed throughout the republic and the small farm schools pro vided with competent instructors, the benefit in the development of agricultural industry, the basis of new public wealth, will be great. ° The National School of Arts and Trades for boys maintained at Caracas offers a select course in the general subjects of primary education, to gether with training for various trades. In the general course mathematics is extended to in clude geometry, and lineal drawing forms a special feature. The trade courses are numer ous, including typewriting, lithographing, in dustrial modeling, bookbinding, metal work, ironwork, carpentry, tapestry, woodwork, forg ing, electrical engineering, telephoning, manage ment of automobiles, etc. The Woman's School of Arts and Trades, Caracas, is also a national institution, under the control of the Minister of Public Instruction. Applicants for admission to the school as regular students must have com pleted the five years' course of elementary in struction as shown by a certificate of pro ficiency. While Roman Catholicism is the state religion, there is toleration of other forms of worship. The archbishop of Caracas has five suffragan bishops.
Army and Under the provisions of a recent law of the National Congress, the standing army of Venezuela numbers about 9,000 men, including commissioned officers. The active army has infantry, artillery and cavalry. It contains 20 battalions of infantry, with 4J0 men to a battalion, and eight battalions of artillery. In addition, there are reserves esti mated to number about 100,000 men. The Vene
zuelan navy consists of two cruisers, the Maris cal Sucre and General Salons; three gunboats, Miranda, Jose Felix Ribas and Sanas; an army transport, the Zamora, the brigantine Antonio Diaz, and another small craft, the San Carlos. The personnel of the navy comprises about 500 officers and men.
Agriculture and Cattle Over 200,000 acres are devoted to coffee, on estates in the northern and western zones of the coun try, and the value of the exports of coffee annually is about $14,000,000 (average of the years 1913-16, inclusive). Both cacao and sugar are produced, the number of cacao plan tations being about 5,000 and the annual out put of sugar about 3,000 tons. Cotton is cul tivated, and is almost altogether consumed in the textile mills operating in Valencia, Caracas established a factory for the extraction of cocoanut oil and cocoa butter and exportation of these products has already taken 'place. Other products are: Matches, chocolate, beer, glass, cigarettes, etc. Increase in the manu facture of sugar was noted (1916-17) in the states of Zulia and Yaracuy.
Venezuela's foreign trade for the year 1915 amounted to $36,874,663, of which $13,470,236 represented imports, and $23,404,427 exports. The figures for the pre ceding year were: Imports, $13,987,465; ex ports, $21,520,534; total, $35,507,999. The de crease for the year in imports was $517,229, and the increase in exports, $1,883,893, or a net increase of $1,366,664. The latest available statistics show volume of trade (by values and countries) as follows: and Cumana. The livestock has always been a source of national wealth, and it is thought that the extensive llanos • toward the south and in the drainage area of the Orinoco River will, when better utilized, be regarded as among the best grazing lands in America. Modern refrigerating plants lately established in Puerto Cabello and in Barranco on the Orinoco have given impetus to the raising of cattle for the export meat trade. Estimates of the livestock in 1915-16 were as follows: More than 2,000, 000 cattle, about 1,700,000 goats, 177,000 sheep, 191,000 horses, 1,600,000 pigs, etc. The agri cultural and pastoral industries employ about 60,000 laborers. A presidential decree of 12 March 1917 created an experiment station of agriculture and forestry, with a garden of ac climatization, to be located on lands near the city of Caracas. The purposes for which it was created were stated to be: The study of improved methods of cultivation of the princi pal agricultural products of the country; in troduction, selection and distribution of seeds; experiments in reforestation; report upon soils suitable to each kind of cultivation and the crops to each region; and practical work for the training of agricultural foremen and forest rangers.
Manufacturing As a rule, Venezuela imports all manufactured materials that are required; there are, however, several sawmills and lumber factories, using native woods, and tanning factories where leather of good quality is prepared. Two paper factories have proved commercially profitable. The mills of Valencia, Caracas and Cumana turn out cotton cloth and many finished articles of clothing. In Cumana there has recently been The principal articles imported during recent years (from all sources, Including the United States) were: Agricultural implements and ma chinery, automobiles and accessories, bagging, butter, cotton, textiles, drugs and medicines, flour, lard, machinery (other than agricultural), rice, tanned or unmanufactured skins, stearin, thread and wines. The chief articles noted in 1917 as imports from the United States were cotton cloths, flour, leather and iron and steel.