The Washington herald., 1921-02-03
SOUTH AMERICANS RESENT
TERM "LATIN-AMERICANs.

TERM "LATIN-AMERICA
There are few things which
South Americans resent more than
our habit OF grouping them indis-
criminately under the head of
Latin-Americans,'" Calvin Apple
garth, of New York City, said at the
willard yesterday.
Applegarth, who spent six months
studying trade conditions in South
America last year, says that this
mistake on the part of the people of
the United States has been largely
responsible for our failure to win
either South American hearts or
markets.
by merely looking at a map of
South America it is dificult to rea-
lize the climatic. geographical and
racial differences which separate
the people OF the various republics.
and Americans have failed to realize
how great these differences really
are" Applegarth explained.
Although we have many things
in common with the Canadians and
admire our Norther cousins for their
enterprise and thrift. we should not
care to be confused with them in
the same sense that we persist in
ignoring far greater differences of
rare and language which exist In
South America" said Applegarth.
Much has been said in recent
years Of the great trade possibili-
ties between this country and South
America, but North Americans con-
tinue to ignore the very important
fact that until we succeed in gain
ing the confidence Of these people
we can never hope to realize these
possibilities to their fullest capac-
ity. according to Applegarth.
The Chileans are almost pure
Spanish" said Applegarth. "and are
very proud of their blood. The Ar
gentinians originally were a mixture
of Spanish or italian on one side
with Portuguese, Indian or negro
blood on the other. Today Argen-
tina resembles the United states In
the fact that it is a great melting
not for all the nations Of the world
The ArEentinians have become sepa-
rate and distinct from all other
South Americans for this reason
They can no longer be called Span
ish. as are the Peruvians and Chill
cans, hut are proud of the differ
ence between the Spanish language
and what they are pleased to call
the national language Of Argentina
PERUYIANs SPEAK
PURE SPANISH.
The Peruvians speak better Span
ish than any other of the South
American people. The reason for
this is that Peru was settled by the
Spaniards long before any OF the
other countries were settled. 1t will
be remembered that Lima became
the city Of the viceroys who robbed
the InCaS after the conquest by Pi-
zarrO in the sixteenth century. The
Peruvians OF today are not wholly
! Spanish, but have mixture of In
din or other blood in their veins.
This accounts for the marked diff
ference between them and other
South Americans"
American business men and others
interested in Brazil often faA to
realize that Brazilians do not speak
Spanish, but Portuguese, and, ac-
cOrding to Applegarth. persist in
flooding that country with all man
ner of trade circulars and other
commercial literature written in
Spanish. But Brazil is Portuguese
both in blood and language, having
been settled by the Portuguese.
Brazil. which lies almost wholly
in the torrid zone. has a coast line
Of $3.50 miles, an area of S.524.777
square kilometers and a population
of 100000 1t is larger than the
United States, excluding Alaska" ="
AppIegarth pointed out.
"Argentina. separated from Brazil
by only a river, is entirely different
from Brazil in race, traditions and
language. Chile stretches along
1850 miles of coast line, from the
glaciers at Cape Horn to point
well within the tropics. and Peru.
with an area Of a million and a half
square kilOmeters, seacoast OF
100 miles and a population Of T.
100000, lies almost entirely in the
tOrrid zone