The Monticellonian., 1916-05-11
. ORTUGAL, the most recent na-
 O tion to be drawn into the mael- strom of the European war, was once a part of the ancient

' Oh OdAlI, luc u1OSI 1cCtHJ hu D tion to be drawn into the mael-
 strom of the European war,
 was once part of the ancient Roman province of Lusitania, says bulletin issued by the National Geo. graphic society.
 With population scarcely exceed ing the combined population of New York city. Jersey City, and Newark, and an area in Europe less than the state of Indiana. Portugal has not played a major role in the politics of continental Europe in many years. not, in fact. since Wellesley, after ward the r ike of Wellington, land ed his English forces and, with the aid of native troops. defeated Soult and Massena, Napoleon marshals, in the two peninsular campaigns
 But the colonial empire of Portugal is out of all proportion to the i'm portance of the home country. In fact there were, at the beginning of the war, only three other countries in Europe-Great Britain, France, and Germany-whose flags fioated over more territory beyond the boundaries of the home country. The combined area of the New England and North Atlantic states would equal less than -one-fourth of the territory under the dominion of the tiny republic occupy ing the western edge of the Iberian peninsula, whose navigators in the fif- teenth and sixteenth century were the wonders of the world. Yet all this vast territory is held by 5000 colo nial troops, supplemented by native armies.
 Peasants Are Poets.
 curious anomaly Is to be found among the peasants of Portugal, who are classified as among the most H. literate of Western Europe, yet among the most intelligent. Many of the farmers-three-fifth of the population is devoted to agricultural pursuits have a remarkable gift for versifica- tion, and many of the poems of the country are handed down from gen eration to generation without being recorded. The peasants also are noted for their sobriety, and yet the annual production of wine exceeds 25 gallons for each inhabitant. So great. in fact, is the product of the vineyards that in the cities the various qualities of water are discussed with keener in- terest than the grades of wine.
 While Portugals maritime glory is , ~ a of Portuguese still follow the sea for a livelihood, and the fishing industry is important The Portuguese sar- dimes, however, are preserved in Ital- ian olive oil, although one-ffteenth of the cultivated area of the nation is given over to olive groves. for the pro duction of oils of cheap grade.
 The Portuguese peasant woman is an important bread winner, but she receives for her days labor of 16 hours in the field only shilling or less. while the men get two shillings.
 One of the profitable and extremely popular industries of the rural pop ulation is a placid laying in wait for tourists who attempt to motor through the country on the less-frequented and often impossible public roads. With an ox-team the peasant waits at a favorable spot until a motorist, travelling on an automobile on which an import tax of s120 has been col lected by the Portuguese government, sticks in the mud. To haul out such an unfortunate is often more profit