The Washington herald., 1909-07-18
BY LANES q. MORROW.

ment and the statisticlanS ana ec0no- !
nists considerable perplexity. VIII the
Eheat-eaters OF the earth be compelled !
10 reduce their lOaves and 70 consume
more corn, oats, and rice?
The staple food OF the, strongest races, !
wheat. it might be said. is the blood,
skilled with figures and prophets habitu-
lted TO the delights Of melancholy Wis
ons. therefore. have a subject IN the
wheat supply worthy Of their most pains
taking calculations and their most sensa-
tional predictions Happily. the statisti-
clans do not agree.
The wheat fields Of the world are the
United States. India, Canada. Russia,
and the Argentine Republic. Sociologists
and mathematicians become vague and
Dolemical before the appalling geograph-
Ical proportions OF their task and their
utter lack of all the essential facts IN
the case. There are millions OF little
granaries which they can never see and
vast stocks are in ambush, waiting for
the roads TO dry. the market TO advance.
freights TO go down, or the mysterious
-~N-AAA1 NAAtAN A4OM - tic AAAlAE 70 GCAA
Look 10 the Future.
Incident TO the question in its broadest
aspect Is the belief in scme quarters that
the United States will presently eat all
the wheat il grows In the meantime. the
Yankees OF the South. as the people OF
Argentina can logically be called, con-
fuse the general theory as TO wheat by
the bold opinion that they
viii yet control the food supply OF the
worid-Jhe bread. the beef. and the NUT
ton, ct least Of the great countries in
Europe. which must meet their own IN
suficiency by supplies from abroad. In
short, they argue. the ranchmen and
Of the Argentine Republic will
fix the prices Of the necessities OF life.
not alone IN London. Paris. and Berlin,
but in New York. Boston, Philadelphia,
St Louis. and Chicago.
Potentially. because Of sts soil. climate
and area. Argentina. imperfectly under
stood and nearly a month away by mall
from the United States, is one OF the
greatest ana most interesting nations on
earth II is 400 miles long and 100 miles
broad In area. It is as .arge as all the
States east Of the Mississippi River. with
North Dakota. South Dakota. Iowa, and
Minnesota included. Wheat farmers can
plow their land every day in the year
Cattle and sheep are fattened on grass
alone. and require no shelter either IN
winter or summer.
BY the census OF 1900 the wheat area
in the United States was about s.. SIS. 900
acres. There are more than SoO1o.0 600
acres n the Argentine Rep1piic~ RO-
naldo Tidblom. director OF agrlcuIture.
said not long ago. that could be inne-
aiately devoted TO successful wheat farm
Ing If we had enough farmers 20 90 the
work As il Is. Argentina sells SI.O00.00O
worth OF its products each day f. .Ae
year. including Sundays. 20 fOreigu coun-
tries.
Becoming an Export Country.
Twenty years ago il was not raising
wheat FOR its own use. Last
year il shipped enough 20 outside markets
to feed 26.00O.OO0 people-sufficienf for all
the bread made In spain. Portugal. and
Switzerland, and almost enough for the
flour supply OF Italy In meat & sent
the equivalent of 200 car loads Of frozen
mutton and 5000 car loads Of frozen beef
by refrigerator ships t0 Europe. All IN
all. II Is the most alert. enterprising. and
prosperous country IN South America
There are many millionaises in BuenOs
Ayres. and their wives. needless OF dis
tance, go 10 Paris, seventeen DAYS away
IN a fast ocean liner. 10 buy their gowns.
hats. and jewelry
4 distinguished maa represents Argen-
tina in Washington Epifanio Portela.
envoy extraordinary. and so on. has been
a statesman and a journalist His eyes
are as black and brilliant as globes OF
Pennsylvania coal while his dark. hand
some face is touched at the cheeks By
the warmth OF good health and a tran
gull state OF mind. He has been a mem
Der Of congress. q high government officer
in the province OK BUenos Ayres. and an
editorial writer for Ia Nacion and>other
daily newspapers. An English bCtler in
a blue coat with brass buttons showed me
TO his library and Office
My father he said, was q physician
and a public man. IN my youth I was
but after My course at college
I studied law. I began my life In diplo-
macy when came here. during President
Grants second term. as an attache TO
the Argentine Legation. Mr. Sabuco.
the Ambassador from Brazil, then a
young man Ike myself. was secretary TO
the legation from his country Now.
after all these years. we are back again.
Afy. career opened In Washington, and
hope II will close in Washington. At my
marriage I left the diplomatic service
and wrote editorials. principally for IA
Nacion. OF which Gen. BsrtOlme Mitre
the famous soldier and author, was owner
and editor. Later. was minister to Bra
I'll Chile. and Spain In 1905 I was sent
back 70 the United States"
Opportunity There.
DO poor boys in the Argentine Repub-
!ic ever become rich or famous men?" I
asked.
"Oh, certainly. Jose c. P. Paz. owner
OF our great newspaper. La Prensa. or
the Press. was q poor boy. but he be-
longed TO a good family. He had nothing
when he started out IN life forty years
ago. I have reason 20 believe that his In
come Is now considerably more than $500
900 a year. Any way. he lives IN a palac-.
La Prensa IS elited and published in
building as fine as any IN Europe OF
America The structure Is five stories
high. and is made OF gray marble. 1
have been told that Il cost % O0O 900. II
contains a fine hall for public meetings
and a magnificent suite OF rooms for rhe
entertainment of eminent strangers who
visit Buenos Ayres Each subscriber OF
La Prensa is entitled TO free medical At
tention and legal counsel. the paper keep
ing competent physicians ard lawyers
constantly in the building As many
as 100 sick people are treared in a day