The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-27

coed in business FIX them. In both classes, it
IS equally etiquette 10 blackcn the virtue of the
women, the courage of the men, and the brains
of the race. loudly, and in all companies Here
are the basic reasons why many Americans
have made shipwreck in Mexico, or, succeeding
financially, have earned the contempt OF the peo-
pie and of sef-respectiug travellers. Much as they
are other things they are most OF all fools Fancy
a Turk without a word of English going into
business in New York those principles!
And then Mr.. Lummis goes on to laud
the courtesy of the Mexican and the g-
norance Of the Saxon. He says:
There have been travellers so naive as to tax
the MeEican with insincerty. Your house, SIR,
he says to you; and these sheer Saxons are deeply
grievCd that he does not give them bill OF
sale. That he gives hospitality no land ever
surpassed-and few equals nothing. He says
the house is yours, and hC doesn't move out. How
insincore. Perhaps have preserved, amid the
evolution of American humor, some trace OF the
insuar ancestry.
But Mr.. Lummis' book is not by any
means made up of raillery of this kind
or Of praise of the MeXicans. He is in
the business of showing up the good
points Of Mexico and he does it, and
does it thoroughly. so that most people
who reed the book will be very much
surprised. He backs up his assertions
by innumerable statistics. He deals
with the mining and manufacturing in
+ tcreSts of the country, with the school
system, with the prison system-which,
by the way is educational and reforma-
tory, and if it lives up to its theory is
far ahead of anything we have in the
United States. He analyses the Span
ish-American character, language and
physical makeup. He touches on the
history Of the country. away back in the
early days of America; and there is one
/ chapter which viii be rather interesting
TO educators. in which various words of
our language are traced back to the
nd IF
cation and commerce. And. perhaps,
the most noteworthy chapter in the
book is that in which a character sketch
of President Diaz is given. The vivid
ness and force of this sketch deserve a
quotation:
To any unglazed wits there is sudden and sharp
significance in the way wonder door swings. An
unpreparcd Indian would know instantly that
Somebody was coming. for here already is the
clew OF force in equilibrium. The figure which
advances by something wholly unlike the
strenuous Saxon stride, so equally impressive yet
far more graceful; so supple, puma yet with
out a suggestion OF stealth; so instinct at once
with tTankness and dignity, with power and ease
it IS, for all the distracting windows at its
back, as gallant 4 presence as one VIII know.
1t seems to be established that no man
has talked with Diaz directly, free from The unapt
interpreters awful aid, but came away little
awed great deal impressed. and very largely
won 1t has been one secret OF this marvellous ca
rcer that 1t IS impossible TO doubt the sincerity
OF the man 1t IS Houched for by face and voice,
and inheres IN the very carriage-no scrub can
walk quite like that At the same time the i'm.
preston OF reserve is fully strong. 1t is q
purely leonine type, and with suggestion OF
the fox or his cousin wolf. Some meI
look and walk like gods-and talk as if there were
none have never known another man whose
, language, purely a medium captured me
II is the most luminous, direct. snewy speech
have heard in any tongue; Spanish swift but
unhurried; concise rs Greek and 1.-the; forcefu
as clean Saxon, compact as an Indian tongue, nut
J " French absolutely free from the weak
xf hut llal
. Clear speech means clear thought-as
sembled maTshaled thought; and speech mar
/ velously diagrammatic must refer to unusual men
tai processes. And even while one glows at tins
apparently unconscious past-mastery of words, The
5 larger presence enters. This speech is no mere
, trick of mouth but the medium of very unusua
mind.
, This sort of thing is worship, pure
, and simple. But the story of Diaz life
which follows, reads like a romance thai
I could only be lived by a hero. 1t is {
) story of battles against overwhelming
odds; Of sudden chances; of answering
devotion to country; of tremendou!
! personal magnetism.
Confronted with the amazing difficulty
Y / presented by the depreciation of silver
Mexico has nevertheless become prosper
n Gus Almost at the outset of her caree
as progressive republic. while she wa
still country Of silver mines, her ma
tional wealth was reduced one-half Hav
ing committed herself to progress, which
j, meant foreign debt, she was required t.
n pay that debt in gold. This. however i
% partly offset by the fact that her manu-
. features, when exported, are also paid 70
y in gold and that Mexican dollar, Will
worth 70 cents across the border, is wortl
y a dollar in Mexico. As to the condition o
u labor in Mexico, Mr.. Lummis gives it a
= his opinion that the Mexican peon is poo
only in the sense of having few wants
> and he states that in 1894 when there wa
= a corn famine, and the government offe' e.
y work to all who We're in need, three peon
in the City of Mexico. came to Sc
> about it, and not one was sufficient.
!, hard up to 90 to work!
= Altogether. Mr.. Lummis' book is an in
teresting one, and a pleasant and a prof
liable.
CNew York: Harper & Bros Wash
= inEton: All booksellers)