New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-04
Literary Nese,.s and Criticism


dictator with a strain of its own blood
who is President of a republic only in
name. It is benevolent, enlightened,
bat INSCRIPTIONS despotism. which, MI
Palmer fears, may end in chaos with the
death Of Porfirio Diaz. to whose great
qualities he pays Just tribute. while Ill
vesting him of the halo which has been
SO cleverly placed around his head. Says
Mr. Palmer:
A statesman must be Judged by his re-
suits. With them as criterion, Iias >
9 9iSt t es Inc f fesn oear He has
aimed according to his light, te maze q
nation OF Mexico. so insrainea Win Nd
tionalism that it could not be dlsaem-
bered~ Has Don Porfirio made a 20.
litical viii IN which all is arranged bu ~!
the power OF Diszs wor3 9So- % f1;pr iie 70
one of the critical moments of modern
history will be here when the flag is at
half mast on Chapultepec. and one OF the
and human problems will be offered Ter
solution In any event. YOU must
not overlook the force of that great mass
of indians used 10 q ruler with native
blood in his veins. W o regard most OF the
candidates mentioned as Foreigners IN
class with the Grinsos ne sca a,s,s
is a kingdom with an income when oniy
the kings moderation names me LlEalS
for Dfaz-s shoes may try thsir strength
fiji one is found strongest. till one has a
Following sufficient to hold him in place.
The greatest check on disorder VIII De
The fear Of interference by the Unlted
States and no less efflcaclouS because
groundless-
Mr.. Palmer devotes four chapters TO
Mexico. then proceeds southwark through
Guatemala. Salvador. Honduras. Nfcar-
aqua and Costa Rica. and winds up with
q visit to the Panama Canal Zone. thus
furnishing by sudden contrast. a str1K-
ing example of what can be done in this
neglected, abused, benighted, degener-
ating region by energy and organization,
by law and order and sanitation-ey the
white man. He piles instance upon IN
stance of misgovernment, abuse OF
mower. unspeakable cruelty. eNtertlen
and theft, of resultant apathy. discour-
apement, lack of initiative. and progress
sive national and individual impoverish-
ment. and. side by side with these, proof
upon proof of potential prosperity await
ing development. He devetes an entire
chapter to Central American finances
monetary systems and bonded debts,
perhaps the most picturesque and en-
gazing account of national frenzled
| finance ever written. Moral degenera-
ton goes hand in hand with material
decay and political and military an
archy. Religion is losing it's influence;
the masses are reverting to Indian
superstitions:
In morals the people have the examples
1 OF their leaders, Your hopeful pontlclan 10
-,,~er, sS1la a
| YER regards himself as an intellectual.
| His views of life are founded on all the
faults of Latin civilization, which are SC
frequently and wrongly mistaken for Latln
! standards Gradually the old Spanish Gle.
/ ment is being driven TO the wall; The Ole
families are being ruined; their heaas per.
| secuted and aSsassinated. Among thf
| masses Spanish COURTESY which MAKES
Mexican peon a knight, is disappearing.
On paper much is being done for edu-
cation and progress. Dictators amend
constitutions TO make them more liberal
this sounds we'll in press dispatches
but without the slightest intention OF
obeying the laws they make. These con-
situations forbid confscation, but It is
daily practised: they forbid execution
without trial, which is yet the order of
the day Nominally. education is COM
pulsory, but the cempulsion is sus-
pended, like the constitution The bet
ter classes have private schools; every
capital has a university" behind the
times In every regard, which "bestews
degrees as literally as the army makes
generals" And as the classes grow
poorer the number of their sons that are
sent abroad to- be educated is constantly
dwindling.
1t is d dismal prospect Mr.. Palmer
places before us. The remedy? First of
all he pleads for missionaries in this
field. so strangely neglected for the sake
Of Asia Minor and the Far East. but he
LAYS greater stress upon our national
duty as the leading power of this con-
tinent. 1t is for the purpose of enlisht-
ening public opinion ia this country that
his book is published, for 1t is under the
shield of the Monroe Doctrine-er,
rather, Of its current interpretation
that such things can be and grow.
( Under our potent segis the republics to
the south Of US have had their oppor-
tunity to work out their own destiny.
Latin (white) South America has done
so triumphantly; Indian Central Amer
lea has sunk ever deeper into the mire.
Here Mr.. Palmer reviews the policies of
our Secretaries Of State. past and pres
ent. giving special attention to Mr..
Roots establishment OF an attitude
toward Central America that is best de-
scribed as frankly tutelary, and to his
plan for an arbitration treaty. with its
typically Central American Zelaya inter-
mezzo. The author draws from his OBJ
servations the conclusion that only a
strong hand from without-white mans
lhand-can save these countries from
/ themselves We are face to face with
] SOCKS AND PUBLICATIONS.