The Washington herald., 1908-08-28
Our Literature in Mexico.

A very interesting report has just been
made to the Secretary bf state by Con-
sui General GottschaIk, Of Mexico City.
who has found surprising interest
being taken in American books and maga-
zines throughout the central and southern
portions Of Mexico. In the capital city
Of Mexico. where there are over $500
resident Americans and a long list Of
English-speaking residents. there are sew
eraI stores devoted TO bookseHing. which
supply the merchants in the minor cities
OF Central and Southern America with
American books and periodicals.
Whether II is on account OF cheap
rilory under consideration American books
and magazines seem 10 have entirely
supplanted those published IN Great
Britain The only real competition TO
American magazines seems 10 be some
cheap paper-back novels which are i'm
ported into Mexico from Spain
The consul general reports that in one
large bookstore in Mexico City there was
a surprising record Of sales. This one
store received some 500 American week
iy and daily papers. selling 80 per cent
Of them. II received 2.350 American
magazines. Of which IL sold IS per cent.
This same store showed sales Of Ameri- /
can books last year: Miscellaneous. 5000.
current fiction. 400. standard authors. /
1910; technical books. including books on
games and books on travel, 1000. Il is
said that these figures probably repre-
sent two-thirds OF the entire sales OF
American books and periodicals in Mex
leo City The demand for American
books and periodicals. IS constant but lin
tied. but il is found that an increasing
number Of Mexicans are buying Ameri- (
can magazines and technical journals
II is curious 70 md that America should /
be making headwey in pushing its Etera-
JUre among the Spauish-American people. /
for the taste Of the Spanish-American /
especially in books of fiction. turns en-
trely 70 France. A good deal Of Spanish I
fiction is read. but the popular taste
seems 10 run largely toward the emotion /
al class OF French novels. which for the +
Mexican market are translated into
Spanish II would appear that very little 4
IS known in 0Iexico-o- cared about. per I
hsPs-of American classical writer's +
American fiction OF -t1g- modern school .
is little in demand, and Of our classics. (
Edgar Allan Poe seems 10 be away and F.
above the most popular. Other Ameri- .
can works Of conJemporaneous interest /
that have grown popular among the 4
spaaish-Americans when translated into 4
Spanish are Mrs. Stoves ''Cncle Toms T
Cabin and. IN recent years. the books .
Of President Roosevelt Says the consul /
general.
7 have 10 d5zbt tsat sreat many wo1zs q r7d-
en- American f-uon c1-ld Be successfully Translated
ard marketed Ee-s. bt these sb5ald BE invsris5y O.
the emotional KIND. The habsc q reading uzsaz.nss
ard PERIODICALS IL bones is uot AZ al gsaeral and .
-sry little o7ld Be Gozs II The way OF monthly mag
szi-es q t-aasLlted Anericaa f-,ion Il should be
bone II mind b. A-s-can publishers that fer
Mexican ladies do any reading. and nat f1E slne
yea-s 20 come there VII be E.-le demand here to-
the cas- q Etsrzu-re wh1-h sads It's bos, market
among A@s-ieaa e-izens-"
One great bar. OF course. that will al
ways exist against the widespread prog
ress Of our literature in Mexico is the
language: for almost every young Span
learns 10 read French from
his textbooks al school. while English
IS regarded as quite q separate accom-
plishment. France and French literature
stand 10 the Spanish-Anerican mind for
the contrary. are regarded as a hard
headed. phlegmatic. and eminently practi-
cal race. from whom they may learn
much OF industry. but little Of art