Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-04-09


genuinely popular in Latin America
probably than in the United States.
Most cities or towns of any size have
open-air concerts, and the great OPP
cratic stars have been received with
proper acclaim and rewarded with
large remunerations. State and m1-
nicipality foster the drama ard erect
fine buildings in which to produce It.
The Soils, of Montevideo the Ma
tional theater of Mexico, and the
Colon of Buenos Aires surpass most
of our theaters in the United States
in size, cost, and beauty. The best
theatrical companies in Europe are
retained, and much native talent is
being developed.
Latin America has it's share of scien-
lists, to which number are being adj
ded each year many graduates of the
the names of DR.. Oswaldo Cruz, mu-
nicipal sanitation expert; Rodrigues,
the botanist, and Lacerda, the biolo-
gist, all Brazilians; DR.. Alexandra AL
varez, of Chile, widely known through
out the world as an authority on
international law, and DR.. Luis Drago,
of Argentina, who enunciated the
Drago doctrine. That many in the
United States may not have heard of
these eminent men, simply indicates a
lack of information on our part
While popular education was not
developed in Latin America so soon
as in the territory originally compris-
ing the English colonies, it has made
rapid strides there since 1880. The
development of normal schools has
been marked. "They are proving in
particular" one of our writer's says,
1.-THE educational and economic saliva
tion of Latin America womanhood. :"
Our women who take part in public
affairs might learn a great deal by
studying the history of the Sociedad
de Beneficencia, composed of about so
prominent women of Buenos Aires. For
many years this organization has con-
Quoted most of the public philanthro-
pies of that city, collecting and dis
tributing benevolences on a large
scale. The income of the society, I
understand, amounts to- more than
$4,OO0,0O0 a year.
In recent years has come pro-
found realization that the commercial,
interests of Latin America and the
United States have strong natural
bond. Since the World war we have
enlarged that interest by vastly in
creasing our shipping facilities be-
tween here and various Latin Ameri-
can ports, by establishing branches of
our banks, and by the investment of
, great amounts of capital. 1t is esti-
mated that in 1923 United States cap
ital invested in Latin America amount
ed to $3,760, 100000; in 1924, trifle
over $4,000,00O,000, and in 1925 was
4,21O,OOO,00O. In 1925 banks in the
United States had some 40 branches
in various Latin American cities. Fig
ures compiled by our department of
commerce show that in 1910 our ex-
ports to Latin America, including the
Guianas and the West Indies except
Porto Rico, amounted to $279, ,663, 900
and our imports from there amounted
to Si08, 900. Last year the exports
were $882,315,000 and the imports ST.
O41,122,OOO. Our exports to the four
republics of Argentina, Brazil, Chile
and Mexico increased from $141, 1,615,OOO
in 1910 to $42O,211,OOO in 1925. Our
imports from these countries increased
in this 15-year period from $217,240,-
900 to $569,771, 900. 1t may be inter
esting to compare these 1925 figures
with those for our total foreign trade
in that year, which were: exports,
$4,000, ,396,00O; imports, $4,227, ,995,000.
Thus we see nearly one-fifth of all
our exports went to Latin America
and practically onefourth of our i'm
ports came from there. While they
have our mining and printing machin-
cry, locomotives, sewing machines,
7 cash registers, monographs radio,
typewriters, and other implements, we
need and have their very valuable raw
products.
Their cities are developing as rapid
ly as our own and some seem to have
surpassed ours in the magnificence of
their buildings and in the extent of
their city planning activities. If all
our citizens here do not yet realize
fully that Latin America is as pro-
gressive as the United States; and if
some Latin Americans, as 1 have been
told is the case, are prone to feel that
this country is interested in material
things alone, 1 am sure it may be ex-
planned by the lack of that knowledge
which comes from personal contact
through travel and by the mutual in
adequacy of news reports of the sig
nificant facts and developments in the
respective countries. With the increase
of transportation facilities between
our republics travel will increase And
there can be no doubt you publishers
and editors are constantly striving to
enlarge and improve your dissemina-
tion of vital news concerning the diff
ferent people of the western hemi-
sphere.
No newspapers in the world have a
higher rank than some of those in
Latin America. I understand the
amount of cable matter contained in
our press for a good many years did
not begin to compare with what was
to be found in the leading dailies of
the southern republics Several of
these newspapers have buildings equal,
If not superior, to those in our coun-