Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-16

of the Lima chamber of commerce, which
is an influential body. and he has a repu-
tation in international finance. Mr.. Can
damo is man of culture and has Travelled
much in all parts of the world. He looks
with most friendly eye to the United
States. Two of his sons are at American
colleges.
Election returns from all parts of the
! country take time to be received. l did
not realize how extensive Peru is terri
torially until an official who was going to
Iquitos from Lima told me that in order to
save time he would take the quickest
route, which is to New York, via Panama,
thence to Para at the mouth of the ANA
zon, and then 5000 miles of river travel
to his destination. IQuitos is the Peru
Wan port on the frontier of Brazil.
Administrative Vigor.
An insight into the administrative vigor
of President Romana's government has
been given by the promptitude with which
measures have been taken to combat the
supposed presence of the bubonic plague
1t is an insidious disease, the scientists
say, and is long in propagating. So three
or four weeks from now, when this let
ter may have run the course of quaran-
tines and be printed. fresh cases may have
developed Yet with this overhang1ng
shadow have found both Callao and Lima
tranquil and going ahead as though notn,
ing unusual had happened. The general
government took immediate steps for SAFE
guarding both life and property. Inc Hiu-
nicipal authorities of both cities suppie-
mented these with local sanitary regula-
tions. Both places have had tnorousu
cleaning up, so thorough that complaint
is made that some of the measures nave
been carried to ridiculous extremes
Though there is no epluemc tne "noie
Pacific coast commerce suffers from the
sporadic outbreak, or even the report OF IT,
for the scientists and experts are dlspuuns
whether the cases in Callao are the genu-
inc bubonic disease or something else. Ins
government mas established port or entTy
at Ancon thirty miles north of Callao,
where vessels whose owners are not TOO
badly frightened may take on anu us,
charge cargo. That is how some Oh us
were able to get to Lima.
The first news of the plague was re-
ceived at one of the way ports and the snip
waited there for orders, happily not guar
antjned as she came from the north II
was interesting to note how completely the
scare takes hold of the local authorities
and sometimes of the higher ones "nen the
first reports of an epidemic are received
Neighboring coast villages quarantine
against one another with the same r1gor
that the shotgun quarantine is enforced in
the southern states when the yellow FEVER
is epidemic Nothing that floats can come
near them.
After a period and with such measures as
the Peruvian government has taken, calm
ness is regained and some regard is had LOT
commerce. Yet it is bad business Gall
fornia has lost the flour trade OF Centrai
and South America because OF the pehei
that San Francisco is a focus Of Infection
But the appearance, or supposed appear
ance, of bubonic pest in Peruvian ports
cannot be more than a passing episode. 1t
has no bearing on the desire OF the coun-
try to draw q little closer to the United
States industrially and commercially, and
in the larger sense, politically. With this
sentiment predominant there is satisfaction
in noting how thoroughly the legation of
the United States is in touch with it's sur
roundings. Minister Dudley has the friend
ship and confidence of the leading men and
exercises the legitimate influence which
should be exercised by the minister of the
United States in South American countries.
Secretary Neill, who has been here since
President Arthur's time, enjoys marked
popularity and is looked upon by the Peru
vians as one of themselves.
CHARLES NJ. PEPPER.