Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1926-03-14
| N OUR
VALLEY

ANS NAAtII VII Ait gun AOANAf ~
least from n publicity standpoint.
Eastern writers are rapidly taking
cogniZance Of the similarity between
the Texas gulf coast and the Florida
coast, and are continuing to forecast
a repetition of history
area.
One writer, Frank Bohn. in the
magazine section of the New York
Times of February 2s, discusses
historic movements Of population
from cold TO warm cimes, the des-
cent of the German tribesmen upon
the Romans and other similar events
of history. and declares that the pres
ent trend southwark IL nothing but
a repetition Of history.
He speaks of the gulf coast from
Brownsville TO Key West as the
Mediterranean Of America"
Bohn said in part:
In South Carolina recently n Mid
dle-Western group purchased 5000
acres of shore land and began TO plan
a colony. No doubt there will be
many such aquatic developments
along the coast Of the CarJlinas and
Georgia. But 5or the greater future
developments % this sort we must
watch the Gulf Coast.
From Key West % Brownsville,
Texas, is just thousand miles. This
is as far as from Gibraltar to ST.
ely. Who can doubt that here we
are to have, in all its gaiety and
charm, the social evolution Of our
American Mediterranean How fas-
cinating to imagine the future beside
these bluest of blue waters! OF
course, there will be here, as else
where, a stupendous economic de-
velopment. The vast hinterland of
factories and farms will pour their
products into these coastal cities.
New Orleans will continue, no
doubt, as the economic and social cap
ital When Louisiana was purchased
il was prophesied that New Orleans,
at the mouth Of the Mississippi, con-
trolling the commerce OF that river
system, would become one Of the
largest cities in the country. Two
factors served to prevent her logical
development; one, the abnormal so
cial and political life of the South,
the other the building of the western
railways. But ut last these Gulf
cities are coming into their own. New
Orleans Is at the foot of the delta
country-our American Nile. OF ali
the fruitful soils which are ours.
this delta region is easily first. CThe
writer evidently knows nothing Of
the Lower Rio Grande Valley). From
Memphis to New Orleans. eventu-
ally. on both sides Of the river. there
\ will be one unbroken vista Of garden
I, lands.
1T will be illuminating to con
tinue our European analogy n bit
further. The elder Mediterranean
| would not be itself without happy
peoples. In very literal sense their
|. laughter and song are but the echoes
of Mediterranean waves. Upon never
Vending miles of these sea beaches her
Nsun and air have made glad. through
tages OF evolution. the hearts Of all
her children. Let US be grateful,
then, that New Orleans Is half
French blood
Across the waters. only eighty
miles fiom Key West. Is the resplen-
dent Latin capital Of Havana. We
are just now beginning to take note
of it's university. its literature and
its art. The ancient peonle of Yuca-
tan may be compared with the Egyp-
tions.
at is this large variety of our Am
erican Mediterranean which will give
peculiar color and interest 20 its life
and culture. Eventually il must be
all bi-lingual. The Flordaian and
the Texan will speak Spanish just
as every educated Cuban or Mexican
now speaks English. And this
neighboring aLtin culture will have
deeper influence. Our Southern
mentality will nowhere else be so
balmy. so generous, so sweetened
by its whole environment as on these
shores.
Eventually our Nordc type must
be as changed here as were the
Longoboards and the Normans in
Italy. New England will probably re-
main as our Scotland. But our Italy
and Spain will evolve and mellow
with the passing centuries. Indeed.
in all our Southland our race is des-
tined to 20 on in this refining pro
cess. 1t is to be one OF the major
evolutions Of Western civilizat on.
"The coast Of Southern Texas will
eventually be second Florida. lie
among us who has not yet stood upon
the seawall of Galveston and seer
the sunrise on 4 bright day IN
autumn or winter has an extraordin-
ary experience yet 20 come. Ii is
the long. long autumn and includes
the HOLIDAYS; il is the charm of a
Maytime that begins at the end OF
February. that makes all this Gulf
region like Northern Florida. One
can conceive, in the rot too distant
future. q Southern American liter
ature. regional form Of artistic ex-
preston in every field. springing m
and ripening beside these waters.
As late as three years ago. visit
ers from the ncrth to-the Lower Rio
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