The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-06-15
" to be the ultimate outcome of the

" to be the ultimate outcome OF the
mixture?
There are no official Figures sup
plying an answer to the first question
as regards the northern and h An
dean republics; but the traveller re-
ceiyes the impression that the Indians
are more prolific than the whites,
though their neglect OF sanitary con-
ditions gives a high death rate, espe-
cially among children. 1t Is rare to
see an old man among them. III
either they or the mestizos are now
increasing. It Is at no rapid rate. The
pure whites in Argentina, Uruguay
and Southern Brazil are. certainly In
creasing, and thus the proportion OF
white to other. blood in the continent
as a whole Is growing.
Everything points to a continuance
of the process of race mixture. 1t Is
the rule in all parts Of the world, ex-
cept where religion or q strong feel
ing of race antagonism (such as ex-
lists in the United, States) prevents 1t.
Neither Of these hindrances exists in
South America
In the mixed race (mestizo or mu-
latto) the white element seems usual
ly to predominant. That is to say the
mestizo deems himself a white. wishes
10 De a. WHllEp lIlGB III live LIN lAilAh
as q white. This Is not equally true
Of the negro, because he Is. physically
regarded, further off the white than
is the Indian. But in Brazil. when
the negro Is able to take his stand.
so far as education and property go,
beside the white. he, too, thinks and
act like a white man and is so
treated.
The facts just stated make 1t prob
able that h nations likely to emerge
when the process OF fusion is com
plete, perhaps at a very distant date.
viii be white much more than Indian
nations.
A Continent That win Stand Close to
South Europe.
Blood Is only one factor, and not
the most important factor, In the
making of men. Environment and
the influence of the reigning intellec-
tual type count for more. In the
United States the child Of the Polish
or Italian immigrant grows up as an
American. He may be a more emo
tional and impulsive, a more violent
American; but the stamp OF
the new country is on him. Sc appa-
rently will it be. so at any rate It has
been, with the Indian. Tinged, how
ever, slightly by the blood of the
higher race, he will become a Spanish
speaking man of the colonial kind,
which differs from the European kind
at least as much as an English-speak-
ing North American differs from an
Englishman. These mixed nations
will, however, stand nearer, intellec-
tualiy and socially, to the South Eu-
ropean group OF nations than to any
other white peoples.
In speaking of the future South
American type as likely to be in the
main "Spanish-colonial." ] do not sug-
gest that 1t will be uniform. Already
there are variations in character be-
tween the peoples OF the several re-
publics; and these r more likely to
be accumulated than to disappear.
The different extent to which aborigi-
nal elements become absorbed, and
the differences in those aboriginal
elements themselves, will be among
may be called national "~sub-types" of
character. But apart from such
causes it seems to be a general law
Of social growth that an Independent
political community, even II originally
the same in rae religion. n habits
as its neighbors, tends to draw apart
from them. and to form an individu-
ality of its own. creating a national
type and impressing that type upon
Its members.
South Americas Political Future
Were there any forces compelling
these various republics to close politi-
cal alliances, such as the fear of at
tacks by a power outside their CONT
nent, they might suppress their 1eal-
ousies and ally themselves close with
one another and realize better than
they do now all that they have in
common. But they are not, and are
not likely to be, SO threatened.
Holland. France and England all at
one time meddled In South America,
but all three. while each retaining a
foothold in Guiana. have long W.
drawn apart and left Latin-America TO
itself. Politically Its republics live in
a little world of their own; they have
their own alliances, their own wars
and bitterness. with which strangers
do not intermedd1e. No States seem
likely to unite with n another of
their own free will, but it Is possible
that smaller States may be annexed
by or partitioned among some of the
larger ones, their weakness and inter-
nal disorders furnishing to powerful
neighbors, rs In the famous case OF
the the partition OF Poland. at once
the temptation and the protext.
AS n Old World nj longer inter-
feres with the South American States.
so they are unlikely to interfere with
the Old World. They have never pro-
claimed any such s~elf-denyfng ordi-
nance, and have not hitherto been
strong enough to make IL seem need
ed. But ey en- IL any among them be-
comes a first-ciass power, SINAI is n
chance that 1t can acquire interests
IN other parts of the globe that would
collide with those OF other nations.
There are now no ~unoccupied coun-
tries left to be acquired as colonies
The Hand of Change Is Laid on south
America.
He who studies the history OF the
South American republics since INDIE
pendence, with a knowledge of what
they were when 1t was assured in A.
d. 1925, win md nothing surprising
in tho storms that have buffeted them,
nor anything to discourage a hope
that they may eventually reach a
smoother sea- The moral Of that his
tory Is that nations have to be train
ed to self-government, just as indi-
~ --- HooA - 10 tNuinnd tc