Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-10-08
THE ARGENTINE CENTENARY.
The Enterprising South America Re-
public Celebrates Next Year
Should Develop Closer Relations
with the United States.

Fer the people of this country there
is real as we'll as sentimental in
terest in the centenary the Argentine
Republic is to celebrate next year.
Nowhere else in the world have the
ideas promulgated in the Constitution
of The United States been more faith
fully copied and nowhere else in the
world is there a nation which in the
past fifty years has risen more rapid
ly 10 commercial prosperity or ma
tional greatness than his Argentina.
OF the growth of Buenos Ayres every
new traveller supplies additional tes-
tirhony. It's presses. its parks, its
transcontinental railroads, its docks.
its population. now rising to a million
haps tomorrow dispute with Paris the
title of the first Latin city of the
world, as il has already distanced
Rome. Naples and Madrid for second
place-these have already become the
common coin of every consular and
commercial report.
Yet it is only by an occasional cita
ton OF facts that a real measure of
Argentine progress is supplied. With
an area a third as large as that of
Canada, it has today greater popu-
lation, it exports more and it imports
but little less than the Dominion. OF
the 100000 population which the last
census disclosed not less than 1900, 900
represent the survivors of the descend
ants of the 100000 Europeans, half
of them Italian and quarter Spanish,
who have emigrated to this southern
republic in the past half-century
The Argentine Republic had it's orr
gin in the consequences of the Napo-
leonic invasion Of Spain. While still
loyal colony its inhabitants captured
one British army and defeated an
other. The 25th of May, 1910, which
Argentines still celebrate as a national
birthday, saw the formation of that
junta which superseded the Govern
ment of a Spanish viceroy, and from
then until 1922 Argentina played an
honorable and conspicuous role in the
battles of South America. the contests
of Peru, Chile and other Spanish colo
MES for liberty.
II the earlier years of Argentine
history was marked by revolution and
disorder, the influx of Spanish. French
and Italians (and Argentina has
steadily dttfacteI the DeSI class OF
Latin emgration) has wholly changed
the conditions. Even the disagreement
with Chile it's rival in politics as Well
as progress. has at last been settled
practically, and today one completed
transcontinental railway and one
shortly to be completed indicate the
growing commercial solidarity of these
two progressive South America coun-
tries
IL will be a fortunate thing if the
coming celebration shall open the way
to q closer relation between the Unit
ed States and the great South Ameri-
can republic which will then observe
the anniversary of its first century OF
indepe ndence. Despite the ties of race,
language and religion which bind the
Argentines TO Europe, there is certain
" in similar constitutions and similar
ideals of an independent America n
basis for greater sympathy. closer
commercial relations and better
knowledge of each other for the Unit
ed States and the Argentine Republic
New York sun.