The Washington herald., 1916-04-12
SEEN AND HEARD
BY GEORGE MINER
tcevrs'a. iss. by the Mcclure ss~s1p~
Special Cerrespesdenf of The w.sk-
fRHton Herald.
Hyn6ienfsI

n
Mexico City. April L-Dr. Manuel
Gamio, the head OF the Mexican depart
fpent OF antiquity and the chief inspector
OF ruins, recently returned TO Mexico
from the United States, where he had
been at the head Of the Mexican dele
cation 10 the Pan-American Congress.
DR.. Gamio was also officially received
by President Wilson. the first official Of
the Carrsnza government TO be accorded
that honor.
Naturally. DR.. Gannio speaks English
f'uently, as he Il a graduate Of Columbia
University, where he was given the de-
gree of doctor Of philosophy. When
started for Queretsro. the present capital
Of Mexico, he asked me TO take 70 Car
rama the report Of his visit 10 Wash
ington and talk with President Wilson as
ne was unayoidsbly detained IN Mexico
City for week or so. This, Of course. I
gladly consented TO do. as ] was visiting
me capital for the express purpose OF
having an interview with the first chief.
Neglected Indiana
In discussing Mexican conditions with
me, DR.. Gamio brought forth q. new train
OF thought He asserted that for almost
go years the aboriginal inhabitants OF
the American continent. and especially
! those OF that part OF It where the In
oian element predOminates, have been
heslecteo in every scheme Of legislation.
The laws Of the Latin-Americsn re-
publics, DR.. Gamio maintained, have been
made for the small percentage Of whites
Who In these republics govern the coun-
| uy IN their own interests and that for
this reason the only way 70 settle the
various questions Of more or less burn
ing interest in the various republics OF
Central and South America Is 70 study
the Indian and the mestizo with a view
70 knowing their material needs To fnd
out how they live and how they think
and what are their social necessities and
their political and religious points OF
/ view.
Let Scientists Make Laws.
This work, he claims. should be done
/ by the best scientists In the country. men
| capable Of going to the bottom Of the
matter. When this is done, laws should
be made in harmony with the ethnoIuEi-
cal. social, political and religious de-
velopment Of the masses OF each country.
The laws Of most Of the republics Of
Latin America" said Dr. Gamio. have
been derived from those Of the United
States and France; that Is 10 say. from
] those OF people who have gone far along
| the path Of ethnic and social progress
They read well on paper and they have
| a ring that recommends them TO those
/ who do not understand the real condi-
/ tions eNistih; In Lstin-American coun-
tries. But the fitting Of them to the
| necessities Of the people for whom they
are supposed to have been made is like
the hitting Of garment OF a grown man
upon a boy.
/ The growth of cFy-fITz. tJor g., -,,o.. -
the Latin-American countries has been
/ along different lines from those OF Eu-
! ropean countries and from those Of the
| United States. Therefore their adoption
| by the countries OF Central and South
America has helped to disintegrate those
\ countries. Before the coming OF the
white man to the shores Of the western
continent, each Indian tribe and nation
had its own peculiar individuality and its
own distinctly national note, correspond
ing 70 the extent and Importance Of its
nationality. 1t was homogeneous.
But the laws imposed upon the con-
Quered indigenous peoples Of America
| by the Spanish Conquerors and from the
point Of view OF their peculiar nationality
and civic development, tended TO cause
the denstionslizing Of the Indigenous ma
/ tons OF America.
This process has been going on ever
due the fact that the Indian and the
mestizo have no interest in the govern
ments under which they live and IN
which they take no part, for they feel
/ themselves T. be a thing apart from the
! civilization. customs and government rep
resented by these, 10 them, exotic laws
Remove the Cause.
Study the Indian and mesti1o and
make laws to suit them Then you will
I do away with the causes for revolutions
and Uprisings in the various republics OF
Latin America. for they are the result
OF conditions which enEender abuse.
such laws could easily at the same
time be made 20 suit the necessities OF
the whites Of those republics whose in
terests are bound up with the interests
Of the country as a whole.
! NO other country can really prosper
its laws TO the necessities OF the people
as a whole.
Solve the question Of natiunalizinE
the spirit and point Of view OF the masses
Of the people OF the various Latin-AmeTi-
can countries by making them feel that
they are a part OF the nation istelf.
| Raise them 10 the level Of good useful
citizens, and give them laws that unite
their ethniC growth and their national
institutions and racial development and
experiences and you will add immensely
to the pOtenuslity Of each Of these re
pUblics I'm wealth, in intelligence and in
. industrial and civic activity"
DR.. Gamio, although a high oficial Of
/ the present government whose ofscials
largely come from the working class Is
a member Of an old and distinguished
/ Mexican family at one time possessed OF
great wealth. suspect DR.. Gsmio knows
little and cares less about Mexican poll
tics. His real interests lie IN buried
cities.