Weekly journal-miner., 1917-01-31

some extent Ignorance, however, of the countries of our Spanish-speaking customers, of their means of transit, of their coinage, of their weights and measures, and of their business cour- tesies, and above all, and least par donable of all, stubborn ignorance of their language, characterized the av- craze American in dealing with the Spanish-speaking world. But not every ono was an average American. Years ago James Blaine had conceiv- ed the possibilities of Pan-America and of the position of the United States therein. James Gillespie Blaine, secretary of State, under Garfield and Harrison, distinguished himself for his Pan-Amcrican policy. He had successors who did not work at ran dom. The work of the Bureau of American Republics organized at the Pan-American Congress, held at Washington in 1889, pointed the way clearly enough to those who had eyes to see. The bureaus function is the diffusion of all sorts of exact knowl- edge concerning the American re- publics.
 By this time, Spanish began to ap- pear as an elective modern language in the schools. The inception of the Panama canal added impetus to the movement The demand for civil and educational officers in the Philippines caused a still wider tendency in the same direction. Yet, with all this down to the very eve of the present European war the interest of Amer jeans in the trade of Spanish-speaking countries was at best, hardly better than languid. Awakened long since by the guns of 1898, we arc at last aroused to active interest by the guns of the present war. A new steam ship line for commerce has been cs- tablishcd between Spain and the Unit ed States, which Spanish papers tell us-is doing thriving business. You may guess the value of the Spanish trade by the plea which the Teutons have recently made for it. We read in the Journal-Mincr, German offic- ials, reports say, arc flooding Spain with circulars advising traders indus tries and factories that Germany is in- tact and that immediately after the war will be ready to carry out Span ish orders as of old. Spanish plants were requested not to give orders to the Allies or neutrals.'
 From South America, not to men, ton Central America, Cuba, the Phil ippincs, or prostrate Mexico. is not a country, but world. It offers to our commercial activity markets and re- sources not to be cqualled by the more populous lands eastward or westward. The charm of its people lis provcrbial. The splendor of its cities offers us model for study and imitation. The grandeur and strange ness of its natural features lend to what might be the blcakcst of com mcrcial traycl-a charm that is akin to romantic adventure. From this all turing world WIG arc separated by no vast space of water, but by diversity of language.
 The inference is plain. The study of Spanish as far as is necessary for commercial purposes is essential to any scheme of education intended to ft men for commerce. The enter prising merchants of Germany have by their knowledge of Spanish, reap cd harvest which was disgracefully neglected. A similar class in Japan made such efforts to equip themselves for this field, that the Spanish lan- guagc holds one of the leading places in the Imperial Modern Language school.
 Spanish. the actual language of all cultured families in our island posses sions. the language of the vastcst and nearest field open to our commercial enterprise: the speech of millions of our next-door ncighbors, is surely worth our serious attention. We arc doing wonders for commerce and civilization in this country. Let us widen our horizon and make our selves useful to our southern neigh bors. They are people of energy, wishing to extend the hand of sincere fellowship 10 all who approach them, courtcously and intclligcntly."