The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-09
Argentina Has Made Great Progress In It's
 Century of Existence

/ Five years ago the republic of Ar 'gentine celebrated the centennial of the beginning of it's war for inde- pendence from Spanish rule. One year from today, on July g, 1916. the prosperous and progressive South American power will round out a, cen tury of free governmen Now a na- ton of nearly 100. 0.0OO, 900 people. with a stable government, and vast natural resources still untouhed capable of supporting at least five times its present population, Argentina may look forward with confidence to what the future holds in store for her. About one-fifth, of the people of the republic now live in the capital city. Buenos Ayres, which ranks third among the cities of the New World with population of nearly two mil lions, and more than any other city, is entitled to the proud title of tsthe Paris of America
 It was four centuries ago, in 1515, that Juan de Soils. the Spanish navi- gator, explored the Rio de la Plata, and laid the foundation for the long Spanish sovereignty in that. part of |sthe world. In 1536 a Spanish gov ernor was appointed, and laid the foundation for the future city of Buenos Ayres. It was then called the Province of Uruguay, and was under the Jurisdiction of the viceroy of Peru, until in 1776 it was made a separate yiceroyalty, under the name
 of Rio de Ia Plata Provinces. Under Spanish doEnination the country made little progress, and when the British attempted to capture Buenos Ayres in 1895 the town was little
 more than a collection of huts.
 In 1910 General San Martin, Ad- l miral Guf11ermo Brown, Don Manuel Belgrano and other patriots raised the banner of revolution, and defeat ed the Spanards both by land and
 sea. On Julyt9, 1916. a constitution clared the independence of the United Provinces of the La Plata river, and made Don Juan Martin de Pueyrredon the first supreme direc- tor. It was not until 1924 that the supreme executive power was vested
 david being the first holder of this of-
 flee. In the meantime the attempt to l incorporate the territory now consti- tuting the republic of Uruguay into l the Argentine Confed eration had brought on a war with Brazil. which l also claimed Uruguay, but in 1927 a peace was made by which Uruguay 1 became independent.
 Originally known as the Provincias Unidas del Rio de la Plata, the name of the country was later changed stc
 Argentine Republic. then to Argen- 2 1880, to Argentine Nation. As al
 present constituted it is a federal re- public of fourteen provinces, ten ter
 ritories. and one federal district Tn the event of war Argentine could l give a good account of herself. While l the standing army numbers only 22,- 900 men, there is reserve force o1
 15o, 900 we'll trained and adequately equipped men. who could go to the
 front on short notice. The navy in
 cludes about sixty vessels, of whict
 the dreadnougfnts Moreno and Riva.
 david, compare favorably with the best Of any nation. Argentina also i has four armored cruisers and three protected cruisers.
 Spain and Italy have supplied tht
 larger part of Argentane's imnzigra l ton. For North Americans Argen. l the is 8 rich mans country for ths cost of living in Buenos Ayres il greater. for those accustomed to the T comforts and many of the 1uxuries o1
 life, than in any other great capita 1 in the world.