Evening star., 1925-07-12

aud last of series of four articles
by Senator Jones describing his
trip TO and impressions of South
america.
BY SENATOR WESLEY l.. JONES
We left Mendoza about 8 o'clock in
the evening and reached Buenos Aires
the next evening at Z.
We spent two days and a half try
Ing to see as much of Buenos Aires
as possible. 1t is a magnificent city.
Tt is very congested in the business
section. The streets are narrow and
sidewalks on many of the principal
streets are only three or four feet
wide. There are some magnificent
streets and avenues out from the bust
ness section and there are great build
ing activities. This city has about
1900, 900 people now. When large
country holdings begin to be cut up
and the country population begins to
Increase, as it must Buenos Aires Is
going to grow even more rapidly than
now, and what its ultimate population
will he is hard to guess. 1t is the
only business port of a country with
over million square miles of terri
tory. All the railroads of this great
territory converge at Buenos Aires
like ribs of a fan, and all of the in
duStries of that vast territory are tied
up to it. There are no rival cities, and
1t does not look like there is going
to be any. 1t would not be surprising
If in so years from now Buenos Aires
is larger than New York.
| was amazed at the shipping in the
harbor. As we came up to our dock
we passed through a channel $50 or
800 feet wide, with great ocean-going
ships lying two and three abreast
along each side. We went through
the harbor on a launch. There were
at least 40 large ocean-going ships
In the harbor or about million and
a half tons. I do not think you will
see anything like it even in New York
City. They have started a large i'm
provement to increase harbor facil-
Iies, but the work is progressing
rather slowly. Its needs are going
to be SO imperative soon that they
will have to increase these facilities
at any cost. l went aboard a German
ship which had been completed within
the last five months. 1t was a large
ship, over 20, 900 tons capacity, mag
nificently and richly furnished in
every way, and was a striking evi
dence of the comeback of German
shipping. We saw several large Ger
man ships in every port we visited
in South America and there were sew.
eral in BuenoS Aires. l was glad to
see four or five of our ships there, and
could not help but wonder as l saw
these great German ships, if Germany
can build up and operate a great
German fleet so soon after the World
War. and after being deprived OF
nearly all the great fleet she had built
up before that war, shall it be possible
that this great wealthy and powerful
nT .
merchant marine fleet.
Americans Give Reception.
There are two or three thousand
Americans in this city. They gave
Mrs. Jones and me a reception at
the Hotel Plaza. There were three
or four hundred present and we had
a most enjoyable evening. Ambas-
sador Riddle and the government Of
f1cials were just as kind and courteous
as they could be and made our stay
very pleasant indeed.
Ambassador Riddle kindly arranged
for an interview with the President
of the Argentine. Mrs. Jones got
ready. had her hat on and was ready
at the hour named. The Ambassador
came, looked at her, his eyes opened
widely, he threw up his hands and
said, Why, you can't 60" We, of
had not thought TO tell us that the
President does not receive ladies'; in
fact, ladies in Argentina do not go out
very much in public. We were all
the more surprised at this because
of the kindly reception by the Presi-
dent of Chile. There is certainly a
fertile field for woman suffrage in
South America.
The President received Ambassador
Riddle and me very graciously. He
is u strong, able, far-seeing man and
eminently fitted TO lead a great coun-
try like the Argentine.
We drove over the city and went
into the cemetery, which is second
only to that of Santiago in interest
and varied architectural designs.
Buenos Aires parks are large and
very beautiful. On the morning be-
fore we started l got up early and
visited the Y. NJ. c. A. They have a
membership of over 1000 and wait
ing list of two or three hundred.
They are doing splendid work and
need increased accommodations very
badly. Some of our wealthy philan-
thropists could render a very great
service by aiding in increasing the
accommodations there.
Our two and a half days were all
too short, but Buenos Aires is simply
a great, bustling, driving business
city, with it's large department stores,
prosperous banks and active indus
tries and a wonderful future.
The time set for leaving Buenos
Aires was o'clock, and just as the
tower clock rang 3 the gangplank
was lifted and we were off. Our ships
are establishing a reputation every
where in South America for leaving
on the dot and generally arriving
on time.
Population European.
The white population Of South
America is largely from the European
countries. The people, no doubt, fol.
low many of the European customs
and practices of the homeland or the
homeland of their ancestors. Probably
many of the things that seem strange
TO me are common in the country
from which they come.
They do not call out names of sta
tionS on the trains as they do here,
at least this was not done on the
trains l rode on, and l rode in some
of the ordinary coaches to find out.
Men smoked on the cars freely. They
had to do this or smoke not at al,
because there are no smoking cars
on the trains.
+ The men wear gloves much more
than they do here. Our State Depart
ment people wear gloves or have them
in their hands practically all the time.
The women bob their hair and wear
their dresses short just as they do in
the United States, If not more so.
They are more up-to-date with Paris
fashions than we are-so l am told.
They get them before we do.
Manual labor is looked upon as de-
grading by the well-to-do people. This,
] think, is unfortunate. If there is
one truth above another that every
one should learn it is that honest toll
Is ennobling rather than degrading.