Biggest Investment

More U.S. venture capital goes to Latin America than any other area of the world --and the total is rising fast. A survey made public last week by the U.S. Department of Commerce showed that by 1950's end $4.7 billion. 40% of U.S. foreign investment, had gone into some 2,000 enterprises south of the border. In the two following years the total climbed to $5.7 billion, more than double the figure for 1943. Earnings in 1950 reached $905 million, which foreign income taxes ($250 million), profit plowbacks and other costs whittled down to $500 million.

In the 1950 totals, the biggest share of the U.S. capital was in oil: $1.4 billion. Then followed public utilities. $1 billion; manufacturing, $800 million; mining and smelting. $600 million; agriculture, $500 million. Fastest-rising industry: manufacturing (chemicals, food processing, motor vehicles and machinery), where investment has more than tripled in 24 years.

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