Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-01-09
bUENOS AIRES
GREAT METROPOLIS
May Be World Sixth City.
Next to Paris in Latin
Communities.

Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina,
which recently attracted world atten.
ton by Withdrawing it's representa-
tives from the league of nations as.
! sembly, and which was recently visited
by Secretary Of State Colby in his
trip of courtesy to South America, is
the subject of the following bulletin
| issued by the National Geographic
Society from it's Washington, d. c.,
| headquarters:
"Buenos Aires is not merely the
| capital and chief port of South
American republic. 1t is world
| center-a city of superlatives. con-
| trasts and paradoxes.
Its population of close to 1000. 900
makes 1t, by a wide margin, the
metropolis of South America and the
southern hemisphere. 1t is the great
est of Spanish-speaking cities, having
nearly three times as many inhabi-
tants as Madrid. 1t is greater than
all Latin cities except Paris. In the
new world it shares third place with
Philadelphia; only New York and Chi
cago surpass it. And now that Petro-
grad and Moscow have shrunk, while
Berlin and Vienna are marking time,
1t probably ranks or soon will rank as
the sixth city Of the world. led only
by the two metropolises of Europe,
the two of North America, and Toxic,
in Asia.
New Workers Feel mt Home.
This great city is the focus OF the
culture, thought, politics. economics and
social life OF Argentina, as well as the '
tunnel through which pour the millions
lions of bushels of wheat which make
up the contribution of the republic to
the hungry peoples of the old word.
In its general aspect it is a combi-
nation Of New York and Paris. Its Ian
guage is the language OF Spain, but
many other things Spanish have been
thrust aside. Its inhabitants would
laugh at the idea of a midday siesta-so
generally observed in most Spanish
american countries. The obsession of
'manana' has been discarded: the peo-
pie of Buenos Aires live in the throb-
bling present, going strenuously about
their business in streets whose hustle
and whirl are as balm to the heart of
the homesick New Yorker who feels
that after all he cannot be far from
Broad and Wall or AID and Broadway.
Subways, commuters and taller build
ings than can be found in any other city
in South America heighten the illusion.
THE rapid development of Argentina
has made innumerable fortunes, and the
stream of gold has been poured lavishly
into the lap of Buenos Aires In no
other city, perhaps. can one see so
strikingly displayed the evidences of ex-
IRENE opulence. And while a large pro-
portion of the populace is fairly well to
do. marked contrasts are not lacking.
especially in the case OF many Of the re-
cent immigrants, who live in sQualid
novels on some OF the outskirts Of the
city.
unsurpassed even by the restless
builders of North Americas greatest
cities For centuries after it's estab-
lishment Buenos Aires was without n
H. n1n
shallow. sandy shore and all freight was
handled in lighters. Within the last
twenty-five years the municipality has
constructed the largest artificial Docks
in the world. These provide adequate
facilities for the thousands of ocean ves-
sells and coasting craft that put into its
port annually.
THE narrow checkerboard of streets
in the business center. which the colonial
Buenos Aires bequeathed to the world
city of today. has been a constant en-
barraSSment in the face of the demands
of modern business The municipality
has widened some of these narrow ways
at a cost of many millions OF dollars
into stately and handsome avenues. and
is carving other arteries of traffic dag
onally through the closely packed
squares.
.In the newer parts of the city streets
Of ample width and numerous broad
avenues have been laid out Many Of
the avenues are lined with the costly
palaces of Argentin3s multi-millionaires.
It is in this part of the city and in
such semi-busness avenues as the
tree-rimmed Avenida de Mayo. with its
mile or more of fine hotels. clubs. cafes
and business buildings de luxe that
Buenos Aires reminds the traveller of
Paris.
The comparison is forced on the OBJ
server again when he drives in the aft
ernoon through Palermo Park, the Bois
de Boulogne of Buenos Aires. and be-
comes a part Of the seemingly inter-
minable procession Of smart eQuipages
bearing their throng of well dressed
men and women.
Ahead Of Parisiennes.
."rhe men of Buenos Aires are up
to-date i'm all things, but its women.
arc even ahead of the times. They
wear the latest Paris creations even
before they are donned by the tari-
siennes themselves Climate must be ,
giyen it's rightful place in the explana-
fion of this paradox. Summer models ,
are designed in Paris in December. and =
the ersals Of the seasons south of i
the equator makes these seemingly
nreu,afure creations fitting attire in i
Rnenos Aires in January and February :
when they reach the peaa monoe OF
that distant metropolis.
.Ruenos Aires is in the south lati- o
tude corresponding to that of Charles .
ton. s. c., north of the equator. and has d
q climate somewhat like that of the =
country between Charleston and Nor :
folk. though drier. Something more
than half the population is made up
of Argentinos. The two most impor-
tant remaining factors are italian and
Spanish immigrants. There are rela-
lively small numbers of British, North
French and Germans. and