The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-06
.srHE NEW PACIFIco


BY Hubert Howe Bancroft The Ban
croft Company, 1876 Fifth avenue, New
York
In his book, 1.-The New Pacific HUI
bert Howe Bancroft makes a survey of
the great ocean, its opulent shores and
its enchanting isles. OF pre-eminent i'm
portance to the civilized world during the
present century is the exploitation of the
Pacific. In 1.-The New Pacific are Civ
en- the romance and reality of this re-
gion its climates and industries, it's
wealth and potentialities, and its as
destiny,
There was century search for a
strait, attended by the fanciful stories
of mendacious mariners, which together
| with mythical cities and fitting seas
| were sent forth in volumes of conjec-
tural geography until the legion became
for yet another century great northern
mystery. All worth mentioning of the
actual voyages of discovery and appro-
priation, originally set forth in 20 large
volumes, are given in single chapter
To be abreast OF the times one must
have these books. 1t is safe to say that
a knowledge of this new world now
opening to advanced civilization can no.
where else be found in such compact
form or the facts so clearly and ably
presented.
The shores of the Pacific are the land of
opportunity: the land of adventure and
achievement; the final home of the high
est civilization; a garden of the Hes
perides, where in platonic groves the
proudest forces of the human intellect are
to appear. and the contamination of hui
man advancement to be wrought out For
In single line may be given the history
and destiny of the race First, the Medi-
terranean, then the Atlantic, and last
and lordliest of all, the Pacific.
To,
supreme evolution Of the race; there are
here all that all the world elsewhere can
give, all soils and climates, all the natural
wealth and resources, all the wild display
and all the charm and beauty that nature
offers to conscious intelligence These
conditions will unfold themselves to the
minds of the paramount Importance of
the occupation of this region will be felt
Temperate and tropical lands alike call
to the brave and adventurous All that
nature gives to man is offered; all that
Els n can give to nature awaits his effort.
Wealth calls to enterprise from barbarous
lands whose millions are loosely held, as
well as from half or wholly civilized peo-
pies, with intellects sharpened by rude
culture There are riches illimitable on
the shores of the Pacific for those thai
can achieve them. Under the SHOWS OF
Alaska alone is more mineral wealth than
has ever been brought to light since the
Gays oi ooioflon, 3Olc silver and copper,
iron, coal and OIL Here, where three
great mountain ranges come together and
terminate, were tumbled in by the crea-
tive hand all that was left over OF the
metals known and unknown which make
men mad. and kept hidden away for these
great Gays of graft And all along the
borders of the two Americans what gave
the Mediterranean to the ancients. or the
Atlantic to western civilization to compare
with the coal and forests of British Co
lumbia and Puget Sound. the gold of Cali
fornia and Montana, the bonanzas of Me-
vada, the Potosi silver mountains of Peru,
and vast areas Of grain and fruit lands
everywhere.
For coming ages the shores of the Pa
cfflc Will be the amphitheatre of achieve
nent, the land Of wealth and develop
ment, the seat of learning and refinement.
Were it not we'll therefore to look into
the matter a little further, to study the
situation and be ready to profit by an
accession of the fullest and most reliable
information? And where can this be found
presented more ably or in a more attrac-
tive form than In Bancrofts RETROSPECT
tion and New Pacific?
OTHER BOOKS RECEIVED. CRE-
VIEWS LATED)
THE DEVILS ADMIRAL" By Fred
erick Ferdinand Moore. Doubleday Page
& Co. New York
"sARDoU. AND THE sARDoU
PLAYS" BY Jerome Hart. T. B. Lippin-
cott Co.. Philadelphia.