Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-12

whether they DO % or not. private enter
prise IN England II no longer holding back
ana are
ects. This, I have been informed, 10 part
iy the result OF the American example and
partly the outcome Of the favorable report.
| made by the commercial and financial
houses Of the stability and progress OF the
| Peruvian government.
Solid Industrial Condition.
It would be mistake to call the present
Improvement boom. There IL simply q
settled condition industrially, commercially
and political on a solid basis. The for
ward movement is substantial and steady.
The only visible evidence of an underlying
| boom Ia the frothy schemes that rise to the
surface. These are of all kinds. They In
| ciudo digging up buried treasure OF the
| 1ncas In twenty-ton lots, and wild plans OF
| exploiting the whole country as II 1t were
| a private estate. Most Of these schemes
are devised for the benefit Of the credulous
English investors. but some of them have
| spread to the United States, where there
| is, or ought to be, less gullibility.
Though there Is sharp competition with
| the German manufacturers in electrical
supplies, the Americans seem to have the
best of It, The new electric road between
Lima and Callalao Is an American project.
Yet manufacturers in the United States do
| not take full advantage of their opportunt-
| ties Manufactures are admitted free to
| the permanent industrial exposition, which
| Is maintained by the government, and an
excellent chance is given for their exhibit
ton. This applies not only to electrical APP
paratus, but to farm tools, mining machin-
| cry, and the like.
| Material for public works are certain Of
an increased demand in the future. Tho
new navy mole has been completed at Cal
lao and the waterWorks are progressing so
that it promises to become one of the
healthiest and best ports on the Pacific
coast. The bubonic plague at some Of the
seaports has been a heavy loss to commerce
during the last six months, but 1t has been
| permanent gain for hygiene and SANTA
ton in the provisions that have been made.
The municipality of Lima is arranging a
| loan of $1,5O0,O0o, chiefly for sanitary bet
terment.
Our Trade Growing.
Minister Dudley says that the trade be-
tween the United States and Peru is grow
ing At several of the little ports in the
south 1 inquired about the cotton in bales
which the steamer was taking and was told
it was consigned directly to New York and
would be trans-shipped at Panama. The
best-known Peruvian cotton is the piura,
which is produced in the north. Its quality
is very fine, and it always is in demand.
The present movement is to ship directly
instead of sending the product via Liver
pool.
Peru also Is increasing the quantity of
goods imported from the United States, yet
she would take still more If the right effort
were made by American exporters. The
British commercial colony is strong. Peru
Is one of the few places in South America
In which 1t seems to have withstood sue
cessfully the German invasion. This proba-
bly, is because the Scotch element predomf-
mates. Not only are there Glasgow houses,
but the Liverpool firms are of kin with
these. Scotch tenacity SO far has out
matched German plodding patience. The
Peruvian representatives. of Glasgow and
LIVERPOOL clever. keen and able. They
have done well in keeping Germany off a
commercial reservation that properly be-
longs to the United States. No one will
grudge them the usufruct of this trade a
while longer. But it's rightful owners
should not wait too long to come into pos
session.
These scattering impressions which I had
formed regarding PeruS political and COM
mercal conditions received confirmation in
a talk with the Rev. DIR. Wood the head of
the Methodist Episcopal missions, whose
labors have made him known to a large
number of the members of all the evan
gelical denominat ions in the listed States.
Dr. Wood has been thirty years in South
America and more than a third of that time
has been passed in Peru. After speaking
OF the growing liberation and liberty in re-
ligious matters and the facilities afforded
himself and his associates, he drew bright
picture Of the great advance in social and
political conditions. The moral difficulties.
he said, were vanishing, and the passionate
and revolutionary elements were finding
themselves powerless in the face of the atti-
tude of the common people, who daily are
becoming more enlightened. In his opinion
there never had been a time SO favorable
| as the present for the development of Peru's
material resources and for the investment
of foreign capital
Visit to Monastery.
An Illustration of the way the modern
spirit is spreading was given me in visit
to the church and monastery Of San Fran
cisco. l could not spare the week which
would be necessary in order to really study
that ancient institution, but had to be
content with a scant half day Of sightsee-
ing within it's walls. These cover several
bic cks. If a visitor were permitted to
wander alone he would be sure to lose him
self. The guardian assigned one of the
younger priests as guide to me and my
companion, Mr.. Garland. The friar was
full of life. He enjoyed showing us the
innovations which mark the monastery to-
day. They are in contrast to the evidences
OF antiquity when the vida contempla-
tiva,' the contemplative life, was the one
sought within these cloiSters
The wonderful series of Mural paintings,
which extend all around the four walls Of
ono OF the patios, lately have been cleaned,
oiled and so restored by this process that
they are as fresh when first painted.
They recount the scenes in the life of ST.
Francis de Assis the founder of the order
For years the idea that these paintings
snCuld De dusty, musty and obscure. Now
their beauty may be admired by those to
whom they appeal artistically, as well as
by those who are attracted by the de-
yotfonal spirit.
noticed incandescent electric lights and
asked II they were not something of a
luxury mo; they an economy" was
the reply. 1.-THE order is poor The cleo
trio lights are cheaper than candles and
lamps" But in their cells the monks are
still restricted to candles.
The telephone has not yet been permitted
to distract the quiet of the convent Our
guide laughed in answer to a suggestion
that it always went with the electric light
and added: 1t would keep the senoras
the women) away from church. They
might want us to hear confession over the
telephone
An invitation to take afternoon tea was
pressed so strongly and the assurance that
1t would not be an intrusion, given so heart
lily. that 1t was impossible to decline We
passed into the refectory, took our seats on
wooden bench alongside the long board
table, and were served with tea or coffee
and piece of bread The friars filed in,
bowed courteously and took their places.
Some of them looked with evident surprise
at our host and his guests, but none with
reproof. Our presence was to ourselves in
congruous yet as variation of the monot-
onous routine of daily life it did not seem