The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-13
NATIONAL SCHOOLS SOUTH OF EQUATOR Peru Has University Older
 Than Harvard UNCLE SAM IS LAGGARD Every Latin-American Capital Has Its National Institution of Learning. Washington Facilities Just
 Being Utilized.

 capital of this country has not been made more enthusiastically the educational capital. In practically every country of South or Central America a national institution of the higher education af- lords to students from the various prov inces opportunities to make use under the guidance of teachers of scholarly attainments, of the libraries museums, scientific collections and other govern mental facilities.
 Consequently Spanish-speaking observ- CTS are astonished that Washington, with libraries and museums such as no South American land can hope to duplicate has, until very recently never had anything approaching the character of a national university. Particularly, because up to this time we Americans have paid com- paratively little attention to intoxicating the sciences of government such as diplo- macy, international law and iurispru- dence right at the seat of government where students can see the actual pro- cesses of administration, for this reason they have felt that in at least one re- spect the North American republic is dis tinctly behind the sister republics of
 the other side of the equator. The opinions of Latin American contem- poraries are perhaps worth considering l q Independently just now when the George Washington university. more than a century after the bequest made by the Father of his Country" to found central university which should give higher training to the youth of all sec tions, is becoming reality
 University education, at all events, is nothing new to the descendants of tho Spanish conquerors of tropical America. Most people, if you ask them the name of the oldest of American universities, will say Harvard, founded in 1636. There in they are mistaken. Down-or per- haps as it is in the Andes one should 'up"-at Lima, Peru, is the Universidad de San Marcos, whose charter was grant ed by Philip II in 1572. Before the first Pilgrim stubbed his toe on Plymouth Rock, before Sir Walter Raleigh smoked his first cigar, university instruction in polite literature, jurisprudence and the ology was being given in the land of the Incas. The institution at Lima has a continuous history from late in the six teen century down to this year of grace, and it has always been the central fea- ture of the educational system of a veal 1 thy and intelligent republic. Not only is classical education given at the Pe-
 ruvian capital. but one finds also a School of Mines and Civil Engineering Nation al Agricultural school and a School of Arts and Trades. All these get the ben eft of being near the governmental col lections just as students at the George Washington university live and work in presence of advantages which are shared by no university outside of the national capital.
 What is true of Peru applies In meas ure to practically every South American country. The troubles of Venezuela have been very much in the public prints in the last few years. President Castro has been largely responsible for that In the midst, however of revo- lutions and counter revolutions center ing about the celebrated Yellow House at Caracas the Central University of Venezuela continues from year to year
 to train the most gifted youth of the
 provinces of a vast country Although the Venezuelan republic has several large cities, and these are usually equipp- ed with local educational institutions, the
 best facilities for higher education are all at the capital where, besides the uni versity. housed In beautiful Gothic building are the Institute of Fine Arts, the National Library, the College of En- gneers. the School of Arts and Trades
 the School of Agriculture, the National Military Academy, the Nautical School and the School of Engineering.
 Still another South American country
 which can give lessons to this republic In making use of its governmental de- partment and collections is Chilli. Tho capital city of Santiago is laid out in the same imperial way is Buenos Aires. Rio de Janeiro or Washington. In no other Spanish American country are the educational interests of the people more carefully served Each Chilean province has it's local gymnasium which sends students up to the National University where instruction. is given in theology, law, political science, medicine, phar- macy, physical and mathematical sci ences, philosophy literature and the fine arts. There are also at Santiago a National Conservatory of Music, a Nat ional Observatory and School Of Arts and Trades
 Buenos Aires again has one of the three great universities of Argentina with a collective attendance of about 2500 Con- nected with the university system of Ar gentina are 16 lyceums, g normal schools and other technical institutions. This plan is somewhat like that which has been suggested for the George Washing ton university. in accordance with which the authorities of the various state uni versailles shall cooperate in sending to Washington those of their advanced stu dents who can best take advantage of the resources of history, literature science and art in the governmental treasure houses.
 Paraguay and Uruguay do not occur to us as countries possessed of exten- sive educational equipment. Yet their respective capitals. Ascuncion and Mon tevideo, have each national universities with full equipment of professors and large attendance of students. In especial, the university at Montevideo is a very fiourishng institution which has assis- tance from important libraries and nat ional museums. At Rio de Janero, all though there Is no university proper there are several schools of higher educa- ton which constitute in effect a nat ional university of medicine, law, mili- tary and naval sciences, school of mines and polytechnic institute. All students in the Brazilian capital may make use of a national library with about 2e0,0OO volumes. of large and well-equipped museum, several of whose departments have an international repu- tation, a Botanical Garden and the As tronomical Observatory which was found- ed in 17s0 and is one of the oldest in the world.
 Bogota in Columbia has long had fac- ultes of letters and philosophy, juris- prudence and political science, medi- cine and natural sciences. mathematics and engineering although some of these departments were interrupted during the recent political disturbances. Quito in Ecuador is equipped with good sized National University as well as with com mercial and technical schools. At La