The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-05-20
SIGNIFICANCE OF
"S0UTH OF PANAMA."

Ernn thu Hank1i~


From the Century.
The phrase, south Of Panama" has
D mighty Significance. It means not
merely geographical location. 1t signi-
Ties vast virgin areas Of lowland and
upland c~ontrasted with fallow valleys
and lofty plateaus populated and cult
waited through centuries. 1t means
barren and burned mountains and
dreary deserts mingled with forested
and watered slopes, grassy Llanos N
pampas, n Towering savannas. 1t
means the mixing of almost forgotten
aboriginal races n surviving Indian
types with the intellectual and refined
descendants Of early Spaniards and
Portuguese and h later sprinkling OF
adventuresome Germans, Italians, Eng
lish and Americans. 1t means an
ancient civilization, fascinating Incan
ruins, oldfashioned Moorish n Span
lsh architecture IN the sleeping cities
and towns, with strange peoples and
conditions barking back to far centur-
les, hard by q new civilization, modern
Skyscrapers and ~boulevards in growing
commercial entrepots and ambitious
capitals, with progressive peoples and
conditions which rival the best that
the old east and the new west OF North
America can show.
South Of Panama, above all, sug-
rests opportunity. It stands for gov
~ernrnents, peoples. commerce, re-
sources, progress, and possibilities
that deserve the study and interest
Of the world. 1t presents a field Of
new activity and fascinating achieve
ment that should attract the capital,
trade and travel Of both North Amer
cans and Europeans. 1t holds out a
heed Of increased population that
should be studied and met by the pro-
moters of legitimate and worthy i'm
Rnf0rn ftnr II nnl1o TO- wannny nN1 MAN
to build railroads, harness water pow
ers, construct dams and dig bitches for
irrigation, open mines, promote agri-
culture and fell forests.
While backward, disappointing and
d~iscouraging In some regions, in many
Is progressive, gratifying n encour-
aging. The worst Of it is so much less
n quantity and permanent influences
than the best Of Ii, that the latter is
sure to dominate eventually the en-
tire area from Colombia and Venezuela
on the north to Argentine and Chile on
the south. In a few countries 1t has its
shortcomings, It's peculiarities of form
er isolation and h unhappy local con-
hitions of government, society and
trade, that sometimes give an unfav-
prable impression to the traveller and
student; but these are SO counterbal-
Lnced by Its progressive potentialities
III I III hdpAS O6AS Al AAcAA
parts, its enormous latent riches, and
It's evidences of intellectually, high
civilization and stable government that,
viewed in its entirety, 1t gives prom
BE Of a political and social develop
nent and economic evolution that
will astonish the world.
Although realizing that south Of Pan
lima may include the continent OF
South America, we are hardly able to
grasp its greatness Of area, population
Ind commerce. We OF the north have
teen spending 81 much time travelling
1long eastern and western roads OF
fravel, n neglecting southern fields
Of visit and study, that we are sadly
ignorant OF what south Of Panama
really means. Ten wonderful our
lries-one OF them, Brazil, larger than
The United States proper-occupy the
southern continent, but how many
North Americans stop to think that
square miles, that they possess a popu-
htion Of nearly so, 200, 900. and that they
Gonduct an annual foreign commerce
valued at 1000, 600, 900?
One of them Argentina has the largest
per capita foreign commerce Of any
important country on he a c OF the
earth. The average North American
md European, who thinks himself
we'll informed on the general features
Of the worlds history n achieve
ment, has vague ideas Of the big and
favorable things Of South America;
but he has little actual knowledge Of
the real facts. and too often has his
judgment been wrapped and prejudiced
by exaggerated ideas of the less IA
vorable features of government, peo-
Piles, society, climate and commerce.
Stories OF the hea Of low lying tropi-
cal coasts cloud his appreciation Of the
many cool and invigorating plateaus
Of the interior, and he overlooks the
temperature climate OF southern South
What IL wanted today to promote
true Pan-American solidarity and
ukatil OF purpose in the great family
Of western nations Ia an appreciation
and accurate knowledge by North
America and North Americans of the
history and institutions, the peoples
and governments, and the present
progress and future possibilities Of
South America and South Americans.
citizens, upon whom depends the evo-
luton OF ideal Pan-Americanism,
think and study not alone the terms
of Alexander the Great, Caesar,
Charlemagne. Charles Martel, Crom-
well, Napoleon, Wellington, Wash
ington, Scott. Grant and Lincoln, but
let them gain impressions also from
the names n achievements Of San
Martin. Bolivar. Sucre, ArtIgas, Jose
Bonifacio. O'Higgins, Morazan, Hi
dalgo and Marti, the great Iberators
and leaders Of South American strug-
giles for Mberty, independence and
free people. When our students dis
RUSS educational and intellectual ef-
Tort and progress in Europe and the
United States, let them also take into
D~nsideration the educational ard In