The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-29


In rebellion" have until recently beer
much in that same condition. though
there the difference between them and
their more enterprising and less in.
Rratiating Northern neIghbors cannot
be accounted for by chronological ex.
plantations, the stock from which the
Southerners sprang being essentially
the same with that from which the Yam.
KEGS originated. But this magazine
article would have still more deeply
stirred the sectional wrath Of the late
Senator Bacon II he had encountered II
during his lifetime than that wrath was
stirred by q somewhat later novel by
the author OF tho article, novel Of
which the Georgian Senator declared
that II he had seen It sooner the nov
elists nomination to be an Ambassador
would never have been confirmed. In
the magazine article the writer pictures
his languid countrymcn as languidly
specializing upon the prosperity that
might befall their land II "they" would
come there and build railroads and
cotton mills and what not. "They" have
since gone to the South In considerable
numbers and fulfilled in many parts the
languid prophecies. They" whether
the same or other members Of the pro-
gresslve and en;erprislng peoples. or
whether or not they have even repre-
scented the same people. have since I'M
dertaken the development OF South
America. What They" have required "a
condition OF making the investments
! which have go fruct!iied IL in the frs,
place such an assurance as could be
given by the purity and impartiality Of
the courts OF Justice that they should
reap where they had sown. and. Sec
ondly. an assured supply OF the crude
labor which their enterprises .mpera-
lively needed whether the labor was
indigenous or imported. But the fact
strikingly stands out mono the less
from Gen. Reyes's smooth and COM
Portable text and equally from his most
interesting and really illustrative Illus.
trations that the "progress"' OF the most
progressive South American countries,
OF those which Mr.. Bryce was willing
to admit to Tho rank OF nations" has
by no means been a matter OF internal
development, hut has been imposed
from without. has In fact not been OF
"lberan" or even OF Latin" origin a;
all. but has been imported from Nor-h
America or northwestern Europe. Gen.
Reyes's accounts OF the various
European colonies. which he found IN
all the South American republics In
which there was enough OF political
stability 20 encourage their establish
ment. is OF great interest But Of even
greater interest. or at least OF higher
actually" Ia his almost unconscious
showing Of the stimulation of tho ra-
tive which has come from tho invest
ments OF the foreigner. There IL an
other aspect to the picture. OF course.
The foreign investor IL not likely 10
have "charm," and his resident agent
still less likely. On the other hand. the
native. whether of pure Spanish OF even
Of mixed descent, IA apt TO have that
"courtly Spanish grace" which covers
multitude OF sins when II Is not en-
gagged IN covering some of the seven
deadly ones. II Is quite safe to say thai
Mr.. Bryan's Official represe ntatives in
South America have excited the wonder
and anirnadversion OF the chsnceleries
of those parts quite as much by their
manners ~ the South American off,
Gals have excited that Of the untutored
Norte Amer!canos by their insensib.lity
to practical and Business considera-
tons No wonder that. confronted with
the exponent OF the new diplomacy. the
South Americans should rage at the
assumption OF North American SUPERB
GRITTY in civilization" Their state Of
mind was smusingly expressed BY a
Mexican paper during the Spanish war
upon the announcement OF an American
paper that We were about to bestow
upon Cuba the blessings of civilization:
Bah. We know what those Yankees
mean by civilization. They mean teie-
phones and roll top desks"
II remains to he noted that Gen
Reyes, as good Colombian. cherishes
and expresses the special grievance Of
Colombia. II by no means follows ina,
that grievance n 30 feelingly enter
tanned by those Ihero-Americans who
do not happen TO be citizens OF Colom-
hia. He expresses the hope that tho
United States will take -he occasion OF
the San Franciscan celebration Of the
opening of the Panama Canal to make
Il triumph OF Justice as we'll as OF
mechanical achievement by satisfying
the Just claims OF Colombia These he
does not explicitly set forth. though he
Is sufficiently minute in pointing out
the disregard OF conventional usages In
Panama. But ne n careful not to allow
his position of a patriot with grievance
70 convert him into . bore, as IN such
cases there ia always danger Of such
characters becoming. He does not
dwell upon tho grievance overmuch: he
states II moderately and with good tenn
per. He does not allow II TO prevent him
from approaching tho conciliatory ut
terances OF North American statesmen.
OF Senator Root he says: THAT his
memorable trip was crowned with tr,-
umph II demonstrated by the fact that
hls none ts venerated throughout South
America, and that the friendship Of
the larger countries Of that portion OF
the continent for tho United States has
never before been 20 firmly established
as at tho present time He has oven
good words for Mr. Roosevelt, not. nat
urally. for hAs share in the establish
ment Of tho Republic Of Panama, but
for his own good words about the Latin
republics.
Gen. Reyes has written an Interesting
and valuable book. which anybody may
read 10 his own satisfaction and I'm
provement, and which n really indis-
pensable to the student Of "Ibero-
Americau" afYaira