The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-12-04
UNIVERSITY MEETS
AT COLLEGE HOUR
DR.. Bardin, South American Ex-
pert, Tells Students Conditions
in Latin States.
lspccial to Tho Times Dlspatch.l

Especial to Tho Times Dispatch.l
Charlottesville, Va, December 3.-'rhe
December college hour at the Univcr-
| slty OF Virginia was held In CabelI
Hall this afternoon. This is the month
the university community assemble in
tho big auditorium. sing songs and
hear an address.
The speaker to-day was Or. James
Bardin. adjunct professor OF Romanic
languages. His subject way. "'rv,,os
OF South American Republics" A year
or SO ago DIR. Bardin spent several
months In South America He visited
and studied all Of tho principal govern
mcnts there. and then circled the con
tinent.
Or. Bard!n began Ills address by
pointing out the fact tha. the Latin
American problem is coming TO be
more and more present In tho con
seriousness OF tho North American peo-
pie.
The relations or the United States
with the Latin American states" he
snid, are 50 extraordinarily complex
that The questions 10 which thcv give
rise aro the most important foreign
problems thig country has TO face to-
day The reason the situation il 70
acute At present IS that 80 North
Americans DO not know enough about
tho governments. social conditions AMI
thought OF Iaiin-Ainovica really 20
understand what is going On"
Speaking OF tho types or reputlica.
Or Barhin first dwclt upon tho salient
features of tho geography Of Central
ana South America. IL then dixcusscI
The racial peculinrities Of the Span
iards and Portuguese vino scttled in
these regions. After pointing out tho
fuudame ntal characteristics OF the
Latin-Aincricaus. he showod how and
why There lave boon formed p nurn-
Der OF types OF republics.
one type Is composed OF nations
lying wholly within tho tropics, name
-, the republics or Central America
and the islands. Or. Iardin showed
how the cnervating Influences Of tho
tropical climate. plus tho presence ana
conflict OF numerous Spnuiards
Indians ana nccroes-havc led 10 tho
formation OF states upon a basis Of
anarchy whose only stability is the
domination OF oictators ana the despot-
ism OF force
Passing TO the continent, Dr. Pardin
showed nov. in r second tyi.s ot repub-
lies the Influences Of geography and of
social conditions hay. produced a to-
tally different order or government In
the western part Of I'll. continent the
land is either mountainous or desert
Wealth depends upon minerals. and is.
bi'I'l orc, not STABLE Agriculture u
impossible. and Immigration has been
negligible. There arc but few whites
90 thcso countries Democratic gov
eminent is Impossible. because the In
dians anu half-brecds are TOO ignorant
70 exercise IL" suffrag. Tho result IS
that the haudful Of whites controls
politics and wealth, ana governs as an
oligarchy.
: third group Of republics is com
posed Of four MISUNDERSTANDING Bra
I'll, Uruguay ana Chile Thcy occupy
regions IN which geographical features
have not prevented tho expansion OF
society Wealth is based upon aSri-
culture and consequcntlv IS stable The
Indians have been exterminated or
forced into civilization. immigration
has been abundant. There has grown
up IN these nations a cultivated pa
triotic society, with q marked feeling
OF nationality and q certain genius for
government While tho institutions
oifrcr considerably from our own. ow-
ing TO Dccul!arities OF Tho Latin nina.
they are republican in spirit and in
practice
"Thos. four nations" said Dr. Bar
din equal TO US in democracy, sur.
Passing US in art. are worthy IN every
sense to take their places beside us i'm
the company OF nations. We should be
honorcd TO have them greeted us We
are greeted-that is. as Americans.