The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-19

only the ignorant viii sad lie t,c I'or-
tuguese people with the words and
deeds OF u political party with which
il has no connection Whatever, no:
even that of the vote" Politically
Il, gland has everything TO gain from n
knowledge Of the people.
The census of 1911 gave tie popu-
lation of Portugal as 5.?6O.o5G. Tho
population has Increased 10y nearly
o%nc-third in the last half century.
The density is sixty-iive persons to
the square kilomcter. This. as COM
pared to forty-four for tho average of
nll Europe. brings Portugal eleventh
in density of all European countries,
spain having only thirty-ninc persons
to the square kilOm.tcr. Other points
of interest are the increase Of cry
population at the rate of Is per cent.
that i, onc-third more than the rate
Of increase for country population:
n steady decrease in the number OF
foreigners of Spanish. French. Italian
and Belgian extraction, while there Is
an increase of English. Germans and
Brazilians.
Emigration from Portugal has
greatly Increased in recent years. The
wages are low but have remained sta
tionary. while the prices of food and
rent have steadily risen. Many faini-
lies live from day to day and from
hand to mouth 10y odd Jobs. II the
tendency To live ~precariously has been
increased 10y the recent unrest. There
IN a deficiency OF irrigation. hence
damage to agriculture in the long
summer %droughts. Woods cover %
per cent. Of the total area OF Portugal,
but there is great need Of afforcsta-
ton. Since 1901 the woods have been
placed under the Department Of Pub
lie Works and some 1000 acres have
been afforested 10y the state. For
sixty years now the roads have been
the constant care Of the Ministers III
Public Works. About 10000 miles IT
roads have been projected by tho
state. but only about half Of them
have been constructed.
The railroads are very deficient.
When those now In construction have
been completed the total will amount
To- "A little over 200 miles. The whole
Of the south Of Portugal Is served but
by one Dad running from Lisbon To
Faro and branching off midway to
Evora, Villa Nicosa and 10 Munra. tn"
postal service from Lisbon to foreign
countries is good. hut IN the provinces
the receip, Of "A letter is rs hazardous
as the winning of u prize in a lottery.
Portugal is known 10 he very rich
in minerals. but the number of mines
IL small. Mann Of nc mines are in
the hands of foreigners and the min
erals are uf'cu exported in h condi-
ton in which they Lave the mine.
About 10000 people. or ! per cent.
Of the entire population, are engaged
in fishing industries. Sardinos are
plentiful and donkcys laden with them
are driven far inland About 5000
men are employed IN the cutting and
preparation of cork. The cotton fac
tories employ about 3n.o"0 and the
wuollrn factories lo."o0 workmcn.
There are also factories for paper,
glass ana glazed tiles. The main busi-
ness of the country is, OF course. agri-
culture. and agriculture means largely
vineyards IN tins country. Onc-hi-
teenth uf the cultivated area ot purtl-
gal Is given over Ia olives. The an
nual export Of olive oil IS considerable.
though IN quality Il cannot compare
with the oil OF Italy.
As "a the people the author says:
Those vino know the IRISH peasant
know the Portuguese Indeed. the
Irish ~p,dstu'ry with "a hot sun added.
a spice uf the Fast. the ncgio's vanity
and Sigh. hold on life. gives you the
Portuguese. The dreamy climate. mist,
blue skies and wide sea horizons havc
exercised their influence pon the in
habitau'S. ENoIywherc in Portugal
thHe is lack Of precision. a fondness
for distractions and unsubs,antia
grandeur. a perpetual tendency To eX-
aseerate. insNhaustihle and Vacue
good natur and that facile criticism
which encourages too many poets,
politicians and other noucntitl"s"
None hut a nation with a beautiful
land and delightful climate. says this
traveller. could no 81 sad. The put-
tuc,ese live in "a land where ii is pos
sible to support life on almost nothing
andthere is little incentive to effort,
The Portuguese turns his imagination
10 the IDEAL and comparing it with the
real Is saddened. His pcSsimiSm is
the pessimism of the idealist. As !;
nation IN" Portuguese have no love
Of hloodshed or violence. TIL" "\pul-
sion of the Jews came TO Portugal
from Spain. The position If w,lnrr
in Portugal is another iustanc" oi
vague Ideals. Theoretically woman is
placed on n pedesta, ana practically
they are little more than slaves. Til,
peasant women do twice the work al
the men NJ ha.f the wages. They
carry most Of h heavy outdoor work
In business the Portuguese is in
curably lazy and careless. In religion
the same vaEucncss prevails, q vague
panthcism ana mystic love Of nature
together With .lo ostcntatious art 81
Roman Catholic ceremonies prcVa,
SIDE by side. They are too essentially
lyric and !dylilc for the Roman re-
ligion 20 exercise over them tho inilu.
encc il has over the Spaniards. MOI
Yet does the Portuguese show any en-
'thusiasm for Professionalism. The POrtu-
gUeSe is too vague 10 take account ri
any clear CIt doctr.nal religion. As n
people they are fatalistic. a~pathet,c
dent, pessimistic,
The alliance between Portugal and
Great Britain has extended over sever
centuries. The two people are 81
Fundamentally different that m.sundcr-
standings have been inevitable. hu,