Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-01-20

The logical thing would be fol
American capital to have dominan
influence in all the countries Ii
South America. But this is not so
Before the war, in the countrie,
south of the Panama canal the i'm,
portance of American investment!
was in inverse ratio to national de
Ivelopment.
Take Chill and Argentine, fol
instance the two most advanced
countries of South Ameriea-tC
/ August, 1914, American capital oc.
cupied a position in those two re.
publics inferior to English, Bel.
gian and French capital
Why?
Because the Chilean and Argen.
tine business men had the feeling
that behind American capital there
IstQod the menace of the United
! States government. Therefore, il
there was a railway to be built
effort was made to give preference
to English Belgian, French or Ital-
ian backing. In parentheses it is
well to say that what the South
American republics most need are
loans on longtime credit. You will
find that only the most feeble OF
the Latin republics. after they have
FAILED to raise a loan in other coun-
tries, then turn to the United
states as a last resort.
There is one thing YOU must in
stantly obliterate from your mind.
the inferiority of South America.
First of all, the term South Amer
lea is merely a geographical one.
There are no such people as South
Americans, You in the United
United States speak Of yourselves
as the American type. That is
wrong. 1t is RELOCATING to your
selves the right to stamp both
Americas wholly as either of your
stock or unfortunately outside your
stock
Before the war everyone realized
that the contact between the United
states and Europe was slight.
There was much closer associa-
ton between Europe and South
America, And by contact ! mean
intellectual sympathy. / insist that
your Ignorance of your southern
neighbors is due to your being
blinded by the presence Of Mexico.
DO you realize-if you are of those
who believe that the South Ameri-
can republics have no stability of
government-that Chill, since the
day of her independence, has had
but one revolution? 1t is less than
this country has had.
You persist in recalling the an
archie period in the history of the
Argentine. and you fail to appre-
eiate the stability of her present
government
Once you have been to South
America, you will smile at the pre-
conceived notions of inferiority YOU
mad in your mind. You will find
the women brilliant in person and
IN development. You will find them
highly individualistic, not given to
combining for social reforms
they are liberal but faithful Their
idea Is to marry and establish a
nome. In some republics divorce
Is unknown. This is partly due to
the fact that the South American
woman is Catholic; it is also due
to her being of the old domestic
type, How many Chilean ladies
have I met in London and Paris So
ciety who have had their social
triumphsi Like all women they
have their intellectual curiosity
they have their style, trey know
how ito fix man" But their con
teption of life Is different from that
of the women in the United States
| won't say which is the better Of
the two. New York probably
laughs at the rural philosophers
without thinking that maybe they
are right!
The South American woman has
no political conviction; she doesn't
mix in politics Therefore she has
no interest in the militant expires
sions of her sisters elsewhere. If
however, there is any free thinking
movement apparent. this highly in
dividualistic being will combine
like the herd in common danger
Tor the defense of the church. In
this concerted action | am of
course referring to the higher
classes.
Given, therefore, a social fabric
based on Spanish tradition, one
Immediately infers, with correct
ness, that the South American fam
lily retains its Spanish flavor. Your
spanish man is a fighter; the do
mesticities are not for him. / have
been amused, since arriving in the
United States. to hear how many
men wash dishes when the servant
problem strikes home! There is a
tacit understanding in a Spanish
marriage that the man is a bread
winner and has no other duties to
perform. He is proud to hold the
baby on his arm, but he'll be damn
ed II he rolls the carriage in the
street.
1t would be well for the sake Of
future relationship, If you became
familiar with the charm of South
American social life. You find
literature Furnishing. and while
there are but few native novelists,
you find the intellectual classes
keeping abreast of literature else
where. There are as many theaters
in Buenos Ayres as there are in
New York. The importations of
plays are many and OF continental
efterVescence. In the sphere of
poetry, the South American shows
his own individuality; he thrills to
ms natural background, his emo
ton overflows in verse.
There used to be forty eight dis
Einet diseases to which thu human