Omaha daily bee., 1914-10-18

for MANY years. N' has been ut i.a head I
of nearly every -oN.uunut department F.
has been minister Goo ptr... and foHr wears
ago was almost wluunor... elected nros.- .
dent. which office u- nov holds.
Don Ramon Is noted as patriot and
statesman. IIc was one Of tuo LEADING
rlures in tho war against Ralma'eoa
and at that time had ~ narrow escape.
&. wa, when so. rattIt,',iu Eltrro v''
torpcdo,d and sunk 10y the enemy ~
some distance Off the coast Don Ramon
was one of the officers on board ana ne
saved his life by catching hold OF the
tril OF u bun that had boon on IN" SNIP.
Tho bull swan TO the shore and 1t caFH''
Don Ramon with %.
1I,,i wa, twenty three wears aEo when
uou Ramon was then in his ''s no j..
now, mast three score and ten, onc & stu
full of life, although he is criticised as
taking frequent navs during thc deN. I'M
locI ono ~ the wits Of Santiago has
n,aso hon mot IN reference to him mat
a., M, s,ctrs more sarcastic than just.
..-rbc King Of England reisrs but docs NOT
milo The president Of the United states
,,,los hut does not reign. The president
M france neither rules nor reisus. Tho
president Of Chilo-sleeps.
AuNthiuE Hut Sleeping.
found Don Ramon Far from slc'pin-
,.,,,ipr my interview Tho talk was ar
raua.d through Mr. Roland u. Harvey
,.no i'm tho absence of the American
minister. was charec d'affair.- Of our
location i'm SautiaSo and my audience
was given I'm the Moucda. on 'hhean
white rou-o The Noncda is also the
state department. and ho'o." going tn 20
fine urc.fccri I had a rhort talk WIN
ilc secretary of state as Z" inc F'""'"
of chile and the great development no"
coins on I'm tho south ] a-H'" MN us
to the nitrate fields and whether our
r..,,,crs ,ro to continue To- have their
best fertilizers from this part or ln'
world. Th. secretary replied TINT We
,,d ,ct worry we arc -Gindiuc nov
nitrate deposits right along said 'c
and the industry is spreading nortn an"
-,,tb If the present demand only were
o., inc satisfied. we could supnly it Tor u
hundred y.ars. bui new markets gre c"'n
ing nm and the continent OF ASIA Vr"'n-'''
to bo ono of our chief consumers. We
are already sendin- great deal OF
nitrate to- Iaran. and also to Sohtn''"
Europe. including Russia and tn" HalNan
states. Germany is one OF our chief Gus
tor,rrs and the Austru-ElUngarians are
steadily increasing their demand.
Al mis- point I was told that the presi-
dent was ready TO see me, and senior
Castro one Of tho secretaries; Mr. har-
-cy and myself were taken into the
audience room. This is more like large
aal.lor than ike the offices Of our White
House. The floor is heavily carpeted ana
historical paintings hang from the walls
Tic room is luxuriously furnished, nut
{ has none Of the soft couchcs or sofas
upon which the aged president Is said 10
sleep. Indeed, his eXcellency looked more
ike IN active American business man
than a sleeper He is short and straight
and inclined TO he fleshy. He has a big
head, rosy face and bright eyes. lie
asked me to sit down beside him, and
for half an hour or so we chatted To-
gether as to his country. its government
and its relations to the United States.
FavOrs Panama Canal.
The president spoke of the completion
Of the Panama canal, and thanked thu
United states for the great work It had
done there for the world He told me HI
hoped to como northward to visit us
the close of this year Ills term OF offc'
will then be over, and he expects to visit
the opening OF the San Francisco eXposi
ton if congress will free him from thu
provision that the president remain II
The country for one year after the clos
Of his term. Don Ramon told me tina
his plan is to travel to Panama, eXamin
The canal and thence proceed by ship L
San Francisco. After seeing the fair h
will 80 across the mountains and plain
10 Chicago, and thence on to Washington
and New York. lie will return to Chill
by the Caribbean sea and the Pacific
9assing through the canal.
l asked the president as to the effec
Of the Panama canal upon our trade wit
his country. lie replied that it will un
Soubtedly better the relations between tn
no republics, and that the United state
will be able TO sell more goods along tn
whole western coast of this continent II
expects an immediate increase from no.
on i'm the exports of Chile to the Unite
States and that not only from its mine
but also from it's farms and orchards. II
spoke kindly of Colonel Theodore Roost
welt, who has made a host Of friend
during his visit to Chile, and also r.
ferred to the convention Of the Par
American union at Santiago and to I'll
fact that our secretary Of state, VI
BRYAN, and Mr.. John Barrett, the dire'
tor of the union, are to be present. TIL
PRESIDENT bclleNeb IN a tloStI uiioi
the pan-American republics and thnl
that they should cooperate in maintain
ing the peace of this hemisphere.
Modelled After United states.
During the interview I asked Do
Ramon several questions as 10 his exec
tive powers, and as TO the points of di
ference between the republic Of Chile an
ours. The Chilean constitution is model'
upon that of the United states, but the
arc striking differences, and in some
these Chile has the advantage. Preside
Don Barros Luco, for instance, WI
elected for a fve-year term instead
our years, as was President Wilson, al
ne cannot succeed himself although
may have second term II another pres
dent mtcrveucs. This takes him out
politics as far as using the civil servi
Is concerned.
Another point Of difference is in I
conduct Of the administration. The pre-
dent of the United states is assisted
d cabinet of secretaries appointed
himself. although their appointmer
must be confirmed by the senate. T
president OF Chile appoints his o'
cabinet. but he has also a council Of sta
or eleven members, five of whom a
nominated bv HIM and the other