The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-08-26
IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY
OF SPANISH.

OF SPANISH.
The inadequate provision made
for the study of Spanish in the
schools Of the United States is
strangely out of keeping with the
paramount Importance which that
language is rapidly acquiring in
the world of commerce. Not quite
eight hundred secondary schools
have given it a place on their pro-
grammes, while higher institutions
Of learning have been looking at
it askance. Happily, recent
events have done much to dissi-
pate our indifference towards our
Southern neighbors, and to stimu-
late a keen interest in the Ian
guage which is spoken in every
country Of Latin-America with the
exception Of Brazil. Only two
years ago a freight and passenger
steamer floating the Stars and
Stripes made the first ocean to
ocean voyage through the Panama
Canal. It was then borne in on lis
that Ecuador, Peru and Chile,
which in days gone by could be
reached more easily from points
in Continental Europe than from
our Eastern ports, were suddenly
brought within easy reach Of our
harbors. When the Canal opened
the door of South America it
opened up a new world of COM
merce to our manufacturers. 1t
was just at that moment that the
European war broke out and
brought about a change of far
reaching Importance in the trade
relations of the South American
republics. The annual imports of
those States amount to one billion
dollars. Of this enormous sum up
wards of seven hundred millions
had been passing into the pockets
Of European merchants. England
and Germany, especially, had been
sedulously cultivating commercial
relations with our Southern
neighbors. Their banks were COM
mercial agencies; their consulates
were business bureaus; their
steamship lines monopolized the
carrying trade; all three gave
them such a lead in the rivalry for
trade that our merchants were
hopelessly outdistanced. Our leth-
argy and our Indifference towards
Latin-America placed us in posi-
ton of commercial inferiority, de-
spite the fact that we could supply
the needs of South America quite
as well as European countries
could do. The interruption of
European trade with South Ameri-
ca, due to the war, has given our
merchants a golden opportunity
which they have not been slow to
seize. While our statesmen and
fnanciers are busy devising ways
and means to secure our just share
Of the vast commerce which more
enterprising and aggressive ma
tons had so largely appropriated,
our schools are awaking to the
necessity Of promoting the study
Of the language in which business
is carried on between the United
States and the republics Of the
South. And not only our schools
are answering the national need
for the spread Of Spanish, but our
great banking and mercantile es-
Establishments also, by giving en-
couragement to the study Of the
language among their employees.
Between the South American
States, with their vast resources,
and the United States the bonds
are destined inevitably to become
closer as the years pass. We are
on the eve of a vast and far
reaching development of com
merce with our neighbors below
the equator, and to do business
with them we must be able to
speak their language.
1t is pleasing to note that our
local diocesan colleges, st. Thomas
and st. Catherine, are keeping
pace with the times. They have
secured the services of a distin-
guished Spanish scholar, and are
affording an opportunity for the
study of Spanish of which many