The Colorado statesman., 1921-03-26
BUENOS AIRES: CITY OF
SUPERLATIVES AND
CONTRASTS

Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina,
which recently attracted world atten-
ton by withdrawing its representa-
tives from the League of Nations as
sembly. is not merely the capital and
chief port of a South American repub-
lie. 1t is world center-a city of su-
perlatives, contrasts and paradoXes.
Its population of close to 2,OOO,Ooo
makes it, by wide margin, the me-
tropolis of South America and the
Southern hemisphere. 1t is the great
est of Spanish-speaking cities, having
nearly three times as many Inhabitants
as Madrid. 1t is greater than any
Latin city except Paris. In the New
World it shares third place with Phil
adelphia; only New York and Chicago
surpass it. And now that Petrograd
and Moscow have shrunk, while Berlin
and Vienna are marking time, 1t proDa-
bly, 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 Tokyo In Asia.
This great city is the focus of the
culture, thought, politics. economics
and social life of Argentina, as well as
the funnel through which pour the
millions of pounds of dressed meats
and the millions of bushels of wheat
which make up the contribution OF the
republic to the hungry peoples OF the
Old World In its general aspect IL Is
n combination of New York and Paris.
Its language is the language of Spain'
but many other things Spanish have
been thrust aside. Its inhabitants
would laugh at the idea of midday
siesta-so generally observed In most
Spanish American countries. The op-
session Of "manana" has been discard
ed. the peOple of Buenos Aires live in
the throbblng present, going strenu-
ously about their business in streets
whose hustle and whirl are as balm to
the heart of the homesick New YORK
er who feels that, after all, he cannot
he far from Broad and Wall or torty-
second and Broadway. Subways, com
muters and taller buildings than can
he found in any other city In South
America heighten the illusion.
In progress and the possession OF
vision the people of Buenos Aires are
unsurpassed even by the restless build
ers of North Americas greatest cities.
For centuries after its establishment
Buenos Aires was without port.
Ships anchored miles from the shall
low, sandy shore and all freight was
handled in lighters. Within the last
% years the municipality has con-
structed the largest artificial docks in
the world. These provide adequate
facilities for the thousands of ocean
vessels and coasting craft that put into
its port annually.
The narrow checker-board of streets
in the business center which the COLO
NAL Buenos Aires bequeathed to the
world-city of today has been a con-
stant embarrassment in the face or
the demands of modern business. The
municipality has widened some OF
these narrow ways at cost or many
millions of dollars, into stately ana
handsome avenues. and is carving 9th
er arteries of traffic diagOnally 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 Argentina's null
timillionaires 1t is in this part of the
CITY and in such semi-business avenues
as the tree trimmed 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.