The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-07-07

not yet ripe to build them. All that will
come. and in the end we shall be thick
ls populated land"
Gold and Pearls
How about your mines?"
I'VE have. some gold mines working
right here in the central part of the 18th
mus, and there are others at Darien We
know that we have copper and other
minerals but the country has not been
thoroughly prospected."
1How about your pearl fisheries?e
'"rhey have produced a great deal in
the past. but we have not been taking
care of them and they do not yield what
they did. have been interested in pearls
myself, and my father sold one pearl for
$500 II weighed % carats, and was of
beautiful shape and fine color That pearl
would bring $4,000 today. I think If we
should let the pearl fisheries lie still for
a while and keep closed season for fish
ing that we might make that a profitable
industry"
How about the hidden gold of Pan
anna? 1t is said that you have islands
near your coasts where the treasures of
the Incas are buried and also that there
is gold under Old Panama"
That Is the stuff that dreams are made
Of replied the president. Many have
hunted for those treasures and have never
lORIlu tiltHls e D1Nt HOW IaNt ii iptiu
to old Panama, and It is probable that
something may be discovered there
Panama and American Trade
Tell me something about your trade
with the United States.''
I'VE are buying more of you than of
any other nation and the trade steadily
increases. 1t might pay your merchants
to establish a great warehouse here for
the display of American goods. There
will be a continuous stream of merchants
passing through the canal, and that
house could take orders for both North
and South America. AS it is now our for
eign commerce amounts to 81 100000 per
year, and of that about S5.750o00 goes to
the United States. Next to you. our chief
consumer is Great Britain, and after that
comes Germany, France and Italy AS TO
our exports, the most OF them go to the
United States. Indeed you buy nearly
all that we sell"
Education and Sanitation
Are you doing much In edueaton?'
1--WE are preparing the way We have
established some schools. and have a large
number of students abroad to be prepared
for teachers. We have some girls study
ing for that purpose in Belgium, and we
| have also scholarships in Chile, which |
arranged for during r.iy trip there last
year. We have also built national ed
| vocational institute here at cost of about
| sS00.000."
| How about the health of the isthmus
Do you think that the sanitation methods
which we are using here in Panama could
| be extended to the whole country"
| mot as an entirety" said the president.
ut would be too expensive. Nevertheless
| you have done a great deal for the cities
of Panama and Colon. Indeed the sani-
tary commission is the r-ost absolute ruler
we have. Everyone has to obey II and
then men who come in on the ships. no
matter whether they be presidents Of
other countries. American ministers or
our own officials, are kept in quarantine
for three days If they come from any part
that is even suspected of fever or con-
tagious disease, We did not like the san
itation methods at first, and many of the
people objected TO having their houses in
spected. That has all passed away now
and we are congratulatlng ourselves on
our new streets with good water and free
don. from disease"
what are to be the future relations OF
Panama and the United States?"