The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-29
SOME NEW B00n
Latin America.

We have been hearing q good deal of
Latin America Of late. not only through
the ephemeral mediums Of addresses
and pamphlets, by the condition Of their
origin condemned to speedy extinction.
but also through bound books which by
the condition OF their publication aspired
to longer date. Only last year We had
the convinced and enthusiastic volume
about Latin America" Of Mr.. +. Garcia
Caldcron. although OF what he was con-
WINGED. about what he was enthusiastic,
and why SO may have remained In tho
minds OF his readers 4 little vague.
Just before that we had had the cooler
and more ineligible estimate. although
st!ll amicable and sympathetic, In u
Briton's chronicle OF travel, Of MIR.
Bryce's South America" Now stimuli
taneously appear Latin America by
Prof. WILLIAM II. Shepherd Of Column
bla University. a number of the Homo
University Library Oienry Holt and
Company, and The 7tco Americas by
Gen. RAFAEL REYES. ex-Presldent OF the
Republic Of Colombia Frederick A.
Stokes and Company.
Prof Shepherds volume really could
not. under the conditions of It's publica-
ton, be Of much account. Something
Ike 10000 words was the space to
which he was restricted. Nothing could
be done within those limits much be-
yond the pretensions of q primer. As
= the author complains In his preface, he
could not, under the conditions, attempt
any real and distinguishing characteri-
xat1on Of each of tho twenty Latin
American republics. He has in the
main contcnted himself, after Indicating
that tho points OF resemblance among
them are upon the whole greater than
tho points Of difference, with a general
and necessarily summary account OF
Spanish America in general. This Ia
rather pity, since ii casually appears
from his account that he knows a good
deal about many II not most of the ma
tional items which he is compelled go
comparatively TO lump. and since It
may 10 Inferred that his special knowl-
edge of the units might become inter-
esting ana even valuable II he had space
enough in which to impart II. He seems
Co be very fairly up In the historical
facts, a knowledge OF which is tho first
condition 20 an understanding of the
actual conditions OF Spanish America.
Some chapters are really interesting
and charged with "actual.ty.' even az
II Is. Notably this Is the case with the
chapter on Journalism" from which
the reader must be particularly we'll In
formed about the current Journalism
Of South America who cannot learn
something. Incidentally this chapter
reveals certain dIsconten;s Of the au-
thor with the Journalism OF his own ma
tive land which. whether We'll or III
founded. look distinctly out of place In
q primer" Naturally the summary
sketch in outline Of the Spanish Amer |
lean countries. and the necessity OF
Jumping rather than distinguishing
them, tempts TO generalization. Here II |
tends TO epigrammat.c generalization |
upon the part OF a writer who, as Gar
rick remarked Of the aspiring author |
who submitted ep.grams to him. does
not seem to have that turn" To yoke
UP alliteratlve or tirgling triplets by |
way Of summing up period or q ten |
dency is an easy but clearly an unprofit- !
able exercise OF ingenuity. SO. when We
find this writer assuring US that the OBJ |
5ects of the Spanish conquest were
gospel. glory and gold" or that the |
aims of the Spanish church In dealing
with the aboriginal Americans were |
destruction. construction and instruc-
ton" the Glib generalizer necessarily |
inspires diffidence among judicious read !
ers, even though II be a dif'idence !
which. as appears elsewhere. ne may not
altogether deserve For upon the whole !
q reader who wishes TO know little
something about Spanish America, and
has neither leisure nor inclination TO
know much, may find his moderate GU
riosity moderately assuaged in Prof. !
Shepherds pages
ON the other hand the volume Of Gen. !
Reyes IL a serious and important con-
tribution 20 our working knowledge OF
Latin America or. as he prefers to call
Il, "Ibero-Amerlca." This narrowing Of
the designation looks a little ungrateful
Of him, since II appears that he was by
no means above invoking as Latin"
oil the French sympathy that could be
got in Paris, what time he was touring
the continent Of Europe and endeavor-
ing to enlist continental! interest, 80
far as that interest was not "Tcutonic"
or Slav. in the cause OF his own native
continent. But then Latin America I'M
doubleday is Spanish America, except
for Brazil. which IL Portuguese Amer
taken to include Lusitan!a with His
pania. There has been established in
Madrid, it appears. under the auspices
Of the Spanish Government, an hero
American Union which aims to unite all
tho nations deriving their origin from
the peninsula, much OF the scope and
purport OF the Pan American Union
with its headquarters at Washington.
Gen. Reyes has spent more than q year
IN making a tour OF Europe and 1.-THE
two Americas" IN the character of a
Latin American missionary. apparently
with the particular purpose OF doing
what he could 10 promote tho senti-
mental Solidarity OF the Latin repub-
licA His original scheme included also
visit to the Caribbean archipelago.
There the large infusion OF African
blood constitutes complication addi-
tional 10 that presented in the repub-
lies OF the mainland, whether OF Central
Or OF South America, IN which tho mix
ture Of blood Is for the most part con-
fined TO that OF tho aboriginal inhab-
tants and that of their "Iberian" con-
Querors. Neither the Antilles nor the
Central American republics were in
cluded In the travels OF which this VOL