The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-03-30

distinctive feature of new world na-
 tional life.
 Latin America is rich in art. In its love of music it is truly Latin, with
 strange softening touch lent to it by
 the imaginative mind of the Indian. From one end of the land to the other one meets with interesting customs and life that is very different from our own hustling, ambitious existence. This makes it, by contract, of great interest; and this interest never decreases as one
 comes more and more to understand
 the Latin American point of view. For
 this reason these great Indian coun- tries to the south of us possess a fas- cination and an interest never to be found in the time-worn, more or less
 similar countries of Europe.
 The scenery is more varied and grander in Latin America than in Eu-
 rope; and the primitive condition of the great mountain country lends it pe
 culiar interest and attraction. For this reason these south countries are bound,
 in the very near future, to be over run with tourists, just as Mexico was
 before the outbreak of the revolution
 in 1910. This is certain to be encour- aged by the excellent steamship com
 munications that we are promised to all the great Central and South Ameri- can ports. Our rapidly increasing com mercial and other relations with the southern republics are bound to call into this great tourist movement south ward, just as similar commercial re- lations called it into being in Mexico. The key to the Latin American coun- tries is Spanish, which is one of the most beautiful of modern tongues and one of the most easily mastered. For this reason it is undoubtedly destined to occupy, in the very near future, first place on the list of language studies in our universities and colleges.
 Our future is most intimately bound
 up with the republics of Central and South America. From. day to day our government is coming into closer and closer contact with the various Latin- American governments and are beginning to mutually understand one another bet ter, and consequently to further trust one !. another. These closer relationships can only be properly cemented by more ex- tended knowledge of the good qualities of
 one another; and this, in it's turn, is | largely dependent upon an extensive
 study of Spanish through out the United | States, and of Latin-American institu- tions, life and history.
 | The volume of possible business for us | in Latin-Amerca is very great. Not only | is it our best prospective market for our
 surplus manufactured goods, but it Is an |
 trained engineers, financiers, promoters
 railway and harbor builders and ambi | tious and far seeing men in almost every ! avenue of life among us For Latin America is indeed on vast scale, of al l that contributes to the upbuilding of 2
 nation and the development of Its indus 1 trial and other activities.
 | Already the demand for stenographers private secretary, bank clerks, expor
 managers and travellers with thorough knowledge of Spanish, for the Latin American trade, is far in excess of tho
 supply, with no immediate prospect o
 having the supply in any way nearly
 meet the demand. Employees of the kint
 mentioned are paid at least 50 per cent
 more than those of the same kind without
 a working knowledge of Spanish. Man agers with a thorough knowledge oi Spanish and Latin-America easily obtain | twice as much as those in similar ca.
 pacity without that knowledge. The Lat l in-American field is the most promising now in sight for the young man who wishes to enter some field where business l life offers prospect of rapid advance
 ment and liberal remuneration from thf start.
 l Latin-America also offers premium upon men with brains, initiative and cap I ital As the industrial life there is but 'very poorly developed, the different re-