Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-07

what too rich and dazzling. ~
asked several mattel Of fact questions.
swer vaguely given was that was thought
to have cost between $3.50 COZ and 81, 600 GOO.
And why was It built 20 Betause In Costa
Rica as in other Latin Countries. the thea-
local to San Jose. The. nation built it SIS
tribute to art and culture, The edifce
was not meant to cost 50 much. Like pub
lie buildings In the United States, II grew
new designs were adopted. always artistic
and harmonious and always calling for
more money.
Since the tf1eater was completed II has
rot fully served its educational purpose.
for performances rarely are given In 1t.
Occasionally the government aids dra-
matte troupe or an opera company which
could not be sufficiently compensated by
the patronage, but the majority Of the
people cannot come In from the coffee and
banana plantations, even II their artistic
incIinations were sufficiently developed to
make them wish to do so. Consequently,
performances are quite rare.
This was explained to me by one of the
officials. somewhat delefully. The Ma
tional Theater fs the one extravaganza in
our economical government Speaking Of
1t as such, the Costa Ricans find consola-
ton in the reflection that neither Mexico.
the Central American countries nor South
America has a theater or opera house quite
so fine. though many of them have been
just dS cAtIdNd&tiit iH -uculCdliHS puUIS
moneys to culture and art.
A Progressive Municipality.
The capital is progressive spirited little
municipality. The election Of aldermen is
now near, and the demand is for non-par-
tisanship and business administration in
local affairs. The issue Is an improved
water supply and better sanitation The
trolley and the electric light got ahead
of theSo fUtf net ndinor lvy
healthy location, the lack of pure water
and the open surface drainage have result
ed In typhoid epidemics. II the non-parti-
san issue carries. as Is probable there will
be system of permanent hygiene.
For its population San Jose has an unu-
sually large number of book stores. These
are a reflex Of the school system, which is
good one. I have not looked I'D the sta,
tistics. but have been told that the proper
ton of iliiterates Is small for q Spanish
American country. Six daily newspapers
are published. These are not large as to
size, yet they have the news by cable from
all parts Of the world. I read the full
text Of the Panama canal treaty the day
that 1t was published In New York The
government owns the telegraph lines 1t
secures the news by an arrangement with
the cable company and furnishes the dis
patches to the journals. The schools, book
stores and newspapers of San Jose seemed
to me more substantial evidence of enlight-
eminent and culture than the theater
The sentiment toward foreigners is mixed
1t is not inhospitable. yet one hears much
said of the Latin race, as though 1t were
on the defensive against, not the Anglo
Saxon. but the Anglo-American race. In
typifying the final overthrow of Walker
and the Nicaragua filibusters When all
Central America thought 1t was threatened
Costa RIGA sent a little army to the aid of
Nicaragua. These troops were in at the
finish, and Nicaragua out of gratitude to
her neishbor coded the province of GUIANA
caste. fc-tu,
Ny volunteer guide who was showing me
the points of interest had delicacy about
taking me to see the group, but my feelings
were not hurt nor my patriotism offended
My recollection was that Walker and his
comrades were maintained partly as a
speculation by old Commodore Vanderbilt,
who had a transportation lire for the Cali
fornia trade, and partly by the political
movement to create new slave states. Aside
from the personal bravery Of the fiIibusters
there was nothing to inspire sentiment,
and no objection could be made to Costa
Rica's tribute to her own national spirit
But, artfstically, the group, though It was
cast in Paris, does not compare with the
statues In the National Theater. The female
figures are nodded like great athletes.
Foreigners Influential.
Actually foreigners are influential in
Costa Rica and can take care OF them
selves. They control most of the COM
merce. The merchants of San Jose are
German, English. North American CataI-
ans and some French and Italians. There
are also the Chinese. who are not liked.
Besides general business the English have
their capital in railroads, banks and electric
Hight plants. The French are said to be
the most successful coffee growers. The
United States fs in the banana industry
which 1t has developed, and in the rail-
roads, which have grown out of the needs
of the fruit trade. Some Americans, also,
are interested in the mines on the Pacific
slope and in the cattle ranches The trade
or the states has grown rapidly till more
than half the commerce il American.
Costa RIGA Is just emerging from period
OF depression. Coffee Is its chief product
and the long-continued fan in the price OF
that staple produced a crisis. The export
tax, which was an important means OF
revenue, was removed Because Of this loss
of revenue the country has not paid the In
terest on its foreign debt for the last two
or three years, and the London bondhoiders
are unhappy However, the promise Is
made that within short time the back in
terest will be met.
bounty is given for the cacoa raised.
but 1t does not appear to have been suc-
cess In stimulating the production of choco-
late for export The timber industry, of
which cedar Is the chief wood also suffered
temporary setback. But the extension
or fruit culture, which is purely an Anerf-
can enterprise. and little improvement In
the belief that period Of agricultural pros
perity Is ahead.
One source of this coming prosperity is a
stable financial system. Costa RIGA has the
gold standard. This is the fourth year since
the attempt was made. and the country
seems able to sustain it. In the beginning
both courage end foresight were required
The national treasury managed not only to
get gold. but to keep 1t in the country. The
monetary unit is the colon which Is worth
461h cents. Silver Is purely subsidiary
Notes are issued against a coin reserve.
The American dollar "a legal tender at a
valuation of 215 In the national currency.
That Is. our silver half dollar Is worth a
little more than the colon. The volume of
national circulation hardly is sufficient for
the needs of business, but the deficiency Is
met by the money of the United States. On
the Atlantic side that is more common than
the Costa Rica paper notes and coin. The
steady growth of the banana Industry and
the increased trade with the states brings
about this result.
Effect Of Isthmian Canal.
Costa Rica is In the fortunate position of
beneflting whichever route is taken by, the
isthmian canal. One government official
told me he thought the advantage would be
&C., 49, n.