due south of baltimore nearly four thousand miles lies a city that was born a capital lima peru great metropolis of the spanish colonial empire and for two centuries achieve stronghold of the old world in rarely goes above seven there are dozens of little pent houses which platter of architecture makes possible this is the city on top of the city a life of its own no city in our western world has a more interesting history in the early days leymah was the source from which spanish influence and culture spread over south america here was the center of political power of social life and of commerce over limas old churches are fine and hair is from colonial days and equally enduring is the people's devotion to their fa each child of whatever social group grows up in a setting in which the church is a constant factor even the youngsters take entirely for granted their contributions to the charities of the the racetrack the visitor encounters the leisure class limas population includes many wealthy landowning found where the present day representatives of the immensely rich aristocracy of the old spanish days middle classes in evidence do as in racetrack crowds everywhere in days of old peru had no middle class at all it is still comparatively limited in numbers but it is on the increase or into the cities industrial and commercial development course racing is gradually supplanting the bullfight in the affections of the people it is always good weather for racing it seldom rains in this part of the world although there is a heavy fog almost every day back in the city's busy streets one or spanish tradition shows no sign of surrender or it is fiesta time it is high noon and everybody is about to close up shop even the busiest storekeeper still lima is in the earthquake belt which reaches all the way along the west coast of both americans can usually the quiet city is so shaken that the older houses built often of plaster and bamboo for a mild rainless climate suffer a good deal of damage after each earthquake in former days the city cleared up the day bree and went on with a sort of resignation but today there is a different point of view there is a definite plan for gradually well planned building programs are not unusual in latin america every capital has its changing skyline but here in lima the new construction is going on with uncommon enthusiasm a good deal of the city is to have a new look popular restaurants are rapidly increasing in number they serve the hearty food of a country rice dish meat and bread are about five cents north american money per meal they need a basic need of the population better food more food although peru is an agricultural country bombing methods were for many years in adequate to provide enough food for the people the hospital burrow for workers and their families is one of the finest in south america and a part of peru's answer to our serious health problem clinic patients by all bottles have them filled with prescriptions from the hospital pharmacy these people have already paid a form of social security tax which entitles them to receive hospital care for themselves and their  family these are the workers cab drivers construction laborers waiters clerks all of these and their families many of the patients have tuberculosis which is the profession of nursing is achieving a new status in peru until recent years girls from good families were simply not permitted to become nurses the work was looked down on a second rate unworthy that is changing now there is a rising a new ideal of the professions dignity and of its opportunity for serv century older than any university in the united states for more than three hundred years after its founding attendance at the university was a prerogative of the rich today young men and young women too from the less privileged groups are coming to san marcus for inexpensive education not in the traditional academic courses so much as in engineering industrial chemistry medicine a few are custom still prevail for instance the oral examination is held in the chapel where in the old days the monks who founded for marcus worship the student draws a numbered slip from unearned deselecting by law to the questions to be asked committee of professors is kind but for the examinations are as nerve wracking as examination is usually are are serious young people the students from peru's increasingly significant middle class they feel more than most students responsibility in the working out of their country's destiny they believe that this newly which will belong to them must at least in part be built by them and in the colonnade course yard to san marcos a walk and study and dream as young people have done in university courtyard since first they were built steeped in history they have always been this their home city is no ordinary place when it was the seat of the proudest european state in the new world it was a tiny triangle of narrow streets along the slow river remarked they have lived to see it grow and swell and reach out toward the  she began to ponder her present and the newly merged cheers her own future