Evening star., 1914-04-19

Lees of Virginia are the northern proeo-
types of the older families of Argentina
The Argentine government has recently
housed its legation. soon to De an EN-
bassy, in a handsome modern mansion
at 1900 New Hampshire avenue. in
the heart of the fashionable residence dis
trict. Here the minister lives and WORKS,
fleeing in the summer, along with other
diplomatists, to the seashore or to the
mountains with his family.
He is familiar figure in Washington,
not only socially. but otherwise. Ac1uisi-
tive of Information. he is to be found
frequently. in self-effacement. seated In
the audience at many national conven-
tions and congresses devoted to PUBIC or
semi-public purposes
Ask DR.. Naon why it is that his coun-
try spends SO much on the cause Of edu-
cation, and why it has developed pub
lie instruction SO broadly, and You VIII
get an instant response: Because the
ArRentinos are a people of principle and
of high ideals.
Education he will point out, is the great
need of a new country such as Argentina.
No people can govern Themselves who DC
not know. how. and the Argentinos are a
seh-governing people. No nation can de-
velop whose people have not the knowl-
edge necessary to turn her resources to
account and make them productive.
Into Argentina are pouring great hordes
of Immigrants, potential citizens. They
are wanted and needed. but Ignorance
comes with them and; must be destroyed
if the body polite is to digest properly
and ,assimilate them.
The Argentine, DIR. Naon holds, is cold,
reserved. not emotional politically and
not at all prone to deal in political alb
stractions. He sees the definite. present,
urgent national need Of education, and he
proceeds to establish it without disturb
ing himself as to whether it might lead
to paternalism, state socialism or other
possible Ill.
The time for criticism of forms and
theories of government has not yet ar
rived in Argentina. The immediate needs
must be met, and met in large way.
The national and state authorities. under
the constitution. are the bodies to supply
the peed and they are not attempting to
shift the responsibility.
So it is in the matter of peopiing the
idle lands of the country. First the peo-
pie must be procured. and hence the ef-
forts on the part of the national govern
ment to promote immigration. Pubic
land laws are founded on the principle
Of giving the settler and the developer
opportunity. Lands are CLASSIFIED by the
government as to their proper uses. so
that the settler is not obliged to take the
risks of learning their best use a1ter ne
has settled upon them
Land and resources are granted on
leases, on cash sales, on installment sales
and on installment sales partly payable
in products-all. however. with restrictions
to prevent monopoly.
Inasmuch as 2a3.O0O 600 acres Of Argen-
tina are available for agriculture and
grazing. and though the population is
now less than seven persons per SQUARE
mile, as against more than thirty per
square mile in the United States. DR..
Naon confidently looks to the time when
there will be 1O0.OOO.OO0 population in his
country. for, he asserts. there is no coun-
try in the world possessing such weal'h
Less than sc, 100000 acres of this great
agricultural country were under culttva-
ton in 1910. Two years later this had in
creased to more than 54.00O.0O0. acres
an Increase of, per cent. The increase
since then is said to have been more
rapid. but the exact statistics are not
available.
Cattle raising and agriculture are now