Omaha daily bee., 1914-07-26

goyGrnmout is 8t last waking
- uD 10 the condition of its In
HlgssQd dian Three-fourths ~ the IN
fuhitau's Of this nigh plateau
ore little more than say8ges They have
churches blt their religion Is a C0mbina-
ton Of superstition interviewer with the
customs Of medieval Christianity. Tho
government has schools but the Indians
Do not attend them, and not one In IA
hundred can read or write Thousands
Jf them arc In a state OF debt slavery,
and tens Of thousands are ~ soddep with
alcohol and cocaine that for the most N
the time they are little better than
beasts The government has established
a compulsory system Of education.
and II mas thrown tho schools oUen
20 all Bolivian children heyertheless,
but few Of the Indians go to school. ana
not one IN hundred has any ambition
% rise above his present condition
One II the new movements for the Gle
walton Of the Indians has 20 do with the
reorganizatiOn Of the Bolivian army
Military service has been made coapuI-
sory for all between the ages OF - ana q
The selection Of the troop is made with
out regard 10 race, and IN this way thou
sands Of Indians are brought 20 the mill
tary barracks and schools from eyer5y part
OF the republic. Here they are drilled By
German officers and instructors They
are taught 20 obey and 10 learn 20 read
and write and do primary sums in aritL-
metic. They are kept from drinking, and
they acquire such civilized tastes and
wants that when their military service
Is over they are not cOntenfed % go back
70 the sen,-sayage life OF their Villages
ThOee who do 90 carry the seeds Of civ
ilizstion with them. ana a crop OF new
ideas and new customs IL beginning 20
sprout
Fine Looking Fellows.
have seen great many Of these
indian soldiers during my stay They
Gre fine looking felloWs and are said 70
have good fighting qualities. They have
great powers Of erdursnce and are noted
for their frugslity and patience The
only trouble Is that the army is not
large enough 20 take IN more men and
there has 20 Be some weScing out Of
those who volunteer 70 90 into the sery-
ice. A. first the Indians were afraid Of
the army, but they are now keen 10
serve.
All the above statements relate % the
Aymsrss They are the chief nation q
red men upon TIE plateau % Bolivia.
They are mum bered by hundreds Of
thousands, and altogether are twice 80
many as the Indians Ct the United
States. They belong 20 q race that is
said 70 sntscste the Incas. and 20 have
BEEN 20 powerful that the Incss were
never able 20 suh5ugate them ss they
CD the other Indian nations that popu-
lated the western part of the South
American continent. After the EDsuisrcs
got possession q the country. the
Aymarss were enslsved. ana they are
IN what might be called 4 condition q
Crbt slavery today. u is q state Of
yeonsge not unlike that which rreYailee
81 the days Of feudaIiFru- Much Of
Bolivia ls Ft5n 4 fegdal country. and
the men and women are practically
bought md sold with me farms on which
they Live The fact that the law per
snits thefn 70 leave upon the payment Or
trs rsfsr o. their oebts Goes not alter the
natteT, for d a known that their attach
Hert 10 their homes ls such that they
Viii not Go 30. Many q the Indians on
The Industrial farm near Lake Tgucaca
" HON our missionaries are now trying 70
ciyliEe, have belonged 90 that farm for
generations and they have always done
q certain number o. days work every
week fur The right 10 stay there and cll-
tvste the lsnds allotted 10 them.
Tenure Ab0S1 same.
The same conditions Of tenure rreys.u
upon most o. the large Bolivian farms
The Indians give Two or three days o.
saen week 70 the owner q the Land and
they are allowed the remaining days tor
themselves They reosive no LAY -ur
ihsiF work except the ground rent ~
the hrts gatCnsE which they are al
lowed 10 farm u their master needs
only pan uf TIE time be has TIE rlrht
10 tirs them Out 10 others. auc Il they
DO not ubey them ne can iufhrt certain
punishment upon rheIn- IL Ia against rhe
law 10 strike al Indlsn, but as one Eng
AhhN oman tellE mt, EICh striking is rtsr-
fec-y safe Il Il is duns when there gre no
white witnesses present as rhe uqurrf
viii never Euuapt the statement sf an
Indian against That q 4 v-ufts .'rts
woman has been IiTllg IN different Ia 5
Of Bolivia she SAYS That q sy-steru ~
ct-id-slBysry 10 common in the hlg-tlurds
and 1ut-uf-ths-Wsy districts a. hatf Peru
and Bolivia and ] uudsrEtEnd rnat II
prevails ~ some parts q Ecuadur A
well, S6id she
There if 10 COUNT but that Indian
rhlorau are bought and Bnld 70 be used
as servants. -udeed, ] uy se1 have
bought giriE End boys ranging N age
from 10 y years Al times J have taken
them IN ou q pity 10 Ei0e them a h1oune
and Al other times because 7 wished 70
uss them Ef servants. Buuh buying iE
uurt often rhe form u q leEBs than Al
the way o. regular bargain and sale. Il
is hike the htndiuE ont ~ chilcreu 10 Wus.E
lar thci1 buErd and clothes EE WA oaos