Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-05-20

SIGNIFICANCE OF
"SOUTH OF PANAMA"

From the Century,

! "SOUTH OF PANAMA" !
From the Century.
The phrase. South of Panama." has
a mighty Significance. 1t means lot
merely geographical location. 1t signi-
tie vast virgin areas Of lowland and
upland contrasted with fallow valleys
and lofty plateaus populated and cult
barren and burned mountains and
dreary deserts mingled with forested
and watered slopes, grassy llanos and
palnpas, n Towering savannas. 1t
means the mixing of almost forgotten
aboriginal races n surviving Indian
types with the intellectual and refined
descendants of early S~paniards and
Portuguese n the later sprinkling Of
adventuresome Germans, Italians, Eng
lish and Americans. 1t mean an
ancient civilization, fascinating Incan
ruins, oldfashioned Moorish and Span
Ash architecture IN the sleeping cities
and towns, with strange peoples and
conditions barking back to far centur-
les, hard by a new civilization. modern
Skyscrapers and b~oulevards 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-
tests opportunity. 1t stands for gov
e~ru1nenCs, peoples. commerce, re-
sources, progress, and possibilities
mat deserve the study n interest
OF the world. 1t presents a field OF
new activity and fascinating achieve
ment that should attract the capital,
trade n travel of both North Amer
cans n ~uropea 1t holds IL a
need of increased population that
should pc studied and met by the pro-
moters or legitimate and worthy i'm
1T calls for money and men
10 pulid rallroads. harness water pow
ers' construct dams and dig bitches for
irrigation, open mines, promote agrl-
culture and fell forests.
While backward, disappointing and
discouraging in some regions. in many
others the country south of Panama
IS progressive. gratifying and encour-
aging. The worst of it Is so much less
IN quantity and permanent influences
than the best of 1t, 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 it has it's
shortcomings. it's peculiarities Of form
sr isolation and the unhappy local con-
hltlons OF government, society and
Wade. that sometimes give an unfav-
erable impression to the traveller and
Nudent; but these are SO counterbal-
lnced by Its progressive potentialities
parts, It's enormous latent riches. and
aE evidences OF intellectually. high
lVlil2ation and stable government that.
LleWed IN It's entirety. 1t gives from
Se OF a polltlcal and social develop
Hsnt n economic evolution that
VIA astonish the world.
Aithough realizing that south of Pan
Una may include the continent OF
SCUM America, we are hardly able to
wasp It's greatness OF area, population
tnd We OF the north have
teen spending so much time travelling
ylong eastern and western roads Of
' and neglecting southern fields
!snorant OF lat south OF Panam
,eally Ten wonderful coun-
iries-one Of them. Brazil, larger than
me United States proper-occupy the
s0utnern continent, but how many
Mortn Americans stop to think that
Iney cover an area OF 7,00o,00o,0 900
iauare miles. that they possess q popu-
conduct an annual foreign m
valueu Of $2.000.00o, 900?
one of them Argentina has the largest
Cer capita foreign OF n
important country on the face OF the
earth. Tbs average North American
sna who thinks himself
Wel INFORMED on the general features
ment. 9 vague ideas OF the big and
tavorabie things Of South America:
y ne mas little actual knowledge OF
tne real Facts. and too OFTEN has ms
judgment been wrapped and pre1udtced
by exaggerated IDEAS OF the less. fa-
n nHssc. soc deasur c',n 2, government .nd ceqnr,I Pee,
stories OF the heat OF low living trOpl-