Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-21

some solid American Investments. ana the
Chileans and NngliDh who are intrenched
In the Uyuni region are getting ready Tor
q North American invasion. Americans are
the Corocoro district near La Pas. where
French. English and Chilean companies
have profitable holdings.
Estimated Population.
A census Of Bolivia was taken three years
ago. It Is an approximation rather than
an actual and accurate count, but 1t comes
as closely to enumerating the number Of
inhabitants as is possible. This census ac-
counted population Of $4,000. spread
over territory nearly twice as large as
the state OF Texas A brief analysis shows
the character Of the population. The
blancos, or whites, who are Of Spanish
descent, and who are supposed to have no
Indian blood. numbered 215OO0: the mes
tizos. or mixed blood 300 COO and the pure
Indians. 1.O29.OO There were 6,OOO ne
groes. The Indians are chiefly the Aymaras
and the >Quichuas though a good many
minor divisions of these races exist. In
the enumeration of the pure Indians are
given 10000 savages. belonging to half a
dozen tribes. who have resisted all at
tempts to impose civilization on them.
They dwell In the eastern regions in the
river country. and are about as wild and
warlike when the Spanish conquista-
dores found them.
The Bolivian Indian has to work for
himself or starve. The curse of them all is
the CONSUMPTION of raw alcohol They are
also great consumers of coco leaf. chewing
1t constantly They say it is sustenance
and gives them strength. but as the leaf
has the same properties as cocaine the use
is said by physicians to he facilitating and
to be sapping the energies of the whole
race. 1t has been used for hundreds OF
years.
The best training which the Bolivian In
dams get is in the enforced military disci-
pline of the army. Two years i'm the line is
compulsory on all Bolivians over twenty
one years of age. After that there is the
service in the ordinary reserves and the ex-
traordinary reserves. which is more a la
bility than an actual service. Though some
or the popula ton manage to evade the re-
uuirements. a fair proportion of those who
reach the age of tWenty-one actually serve.
The Standing Army.
Compared with her neighbors. Bolivia s
standing army may not seem formidable.
1t numbers 1900 officers and men. But the
reserves and what is known as the terrific
rial guards are much more numerous. The
official calculation is $1,000 men capable of
bearing arms and under organization. Prob
ably there are actually 5000 who have had
military training and who could be mus
tered into some form of an army. The tao
ties are German. The Bolivian military
bands are the best in South America, and
are equal to those of Mexico.
The Pando policy contemplates syste-
matte railway building the best means
of internal development and of cementing
good international relations. 1t is the only
practical means of overcoming Bolivian iso-
1ation. The government now operates the
line from Guaqui on Lake Titicaca to La
PaZ. a distance of fifty miles. which by
means of the steamship connection at Puno
places the capital in communication with
the Pacific coast at Mollendo. This road
was built by the English company known
as the Peruvian Corporations but a
friendly arrangement was made under
which the Bolivian government is pa ying
off the mortgage, and in time will become
the owner. The progress of the Argentine
extension to Tupza in southern Bolivia was
described in a previous letter Negotia tons
with Chile for a treaty under which that
country would advance funds to Bolivia for
building railways recently were declared
ended without result but there is a pros
pect of their renewal.
CHARLES NJ. PEPPER.