The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-23

laws as do not affect the national laws about rse same as those of the United States, and the country is quite as free and democratic as ours In reality, how ever, 1t is like every Latin American req public an oligarchy. The government is run by few wealthy families, the aristo- cratic Argentinos dominating the whole. The great leaders have their official henchmen, and 1 am told there is vast deal of graft. Argentina Is much as the United States was in the days of Boss Tweed. I do not mean to say that there is no patriotism or honesty. Many of the better class Argentinos love their coun- try, and are doing all they can to fight down the official corruption and to put their nation in the front rank among the republics.
 In many ways this republic is better off than ours. AS far as individual rights are concerned, there is liberty and equal ity, and before the law the foreigner has the same rights as a citizen. There are no titles of nobility. Property is inviola- ble, and the state sees that the father provides for his children. Tn our coun- try man can make a will giving his possessions to whomsoever or whatsoever he pleases and cut off his daughter or son with a nickel. In Argentina the laws provide that father must leave his chill dren four-fifths of his fortune. and a husband, if he has no children has to leave half of his property to his wife An unmarried son is compelled to leave his parents two-thirds of his property and only unmarried persons without par ents or descendants can make wills dis posing of their possessions as they see fit.
 Religion is free in Argentina. Almost all of the people are Catholics and the state gives some support to the Catho- lie church. but all other creeds are to!- erated. and any one may worship any god In any way he pleases.
 Primary education is free and compul- sorry for all children of from six to fl years of age. The government has a national council of education. and at present about two-thirds of the children of school age are in attendance. The republic has In the neighborhood of 23O0o teachers and 1000 pupils in the primary schools. It has thousand teachers in the secondary schools, and there are 30 national colleges with about 9000 students There are 67 normal schools and 34 schools TOT Specldl lnstruCllOn. IHere are HdtlOIldi universities at Cordoba, Buenos Aires and La Plata, and the university at Cor doba is one of the oldest in the new world. It was founded in 1613 ante dating Harvard by 23 years and the first charter of William and Mary by 80 years. There are also schools and colleges for women, and a large number of the teach CTS are women.
 Intelligence in Argentina is of high order. There are big libraries at Buenos Aires. and among them the National H. brary which has 100000 volumes. The country altogether has about 800 news papers, of which more than 700 are in the Spanish language. There are Is news papers published in Italian, 10 in Eng fish. seven in German and others in Scan- dlnavian. French and Russian.
 Buenos Aires has a live. up-to date press. It has It's humorous papers, with striking cartoons, and illustrated journals that compare favorably with those. of the United States. It has also great dailies