Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-17

becoming lost In the clouds which had
come down to meet them.
The cloudy conditions prevented the
Americans from obtaining satisfactory
view of that tallest of American moun-
tains. the gigantic Aconcagua, whose
perpetually snow covered top rises to a
| height of $1,000 feet The Puente del
Inca, or Inca bridge. a remarkable
example of Natures architecture, was
glimpsed. however, as were also THE
Penitentes," another handiwork of
Nature, giving the illusion of sculpture
of cowled Monks ascending the noun
tains.
The descent was through a never
ending succession of changing vistaS Of
unequaled beauty AS the grade lessened
the racks were dispensed with and at 7
o'clock in the evening the train pulled
into the up-to-date station at Mendoza.
Argentine terminus of the TranSandine
Railway.
officials Of the province and the
mayor of Mendoza greeted Mr.. Hoover
and his party at the station, where
thousands of men, women and chill
dren had collected. The crowds were
kept back by troops. 1t was learned
that meeting of Communists had been
held in the city the day before and
that the agitators had urged the peo-
pie to give the Americans the silent
contempt" treatment Evidently the
Argentinians were not taken with the
proposal, however. for they shouted
loudly their "vivas" and waved Ameri-
can flags in honor of the visitors.
Luxurious Train Across Pampas.
Changing back to broad gauge track
again, the party rode all that night
across the salty, deSert-like Western
reaches of the PampaS. The Argentine
train was a sumptuous one, with not
ably large compartments for the men,
bers Of the party, and two luxurious
dining cars.
BY morning, the party was speeding
across the fertile portion of the Pam
pas, vast area Of rich farming land
strikingly like the prairies of Americas
Middle. West. There were r-flung
fields OF grain, with farmhouses visible
In the distance; cattle ranches where
thousands OF steers were fattening
themselves for Argentine packing
houses; threshing machines and trac-
tors OF American characteristics;
'gauchos," or Argentine cowboys, with
broad black Sombreros and sashes or
belts around their waists: groups of
farmhands at work in freshly plowed
fields.
The party was advised that every
tree to be seen on the Pampas had
been planted there by hand. Most of
the trees were Lombardy poplars, chosen
because OF their fast-growing qualities.
1t was explained that these plains had
been lifted out of the sea at some
ancient time, and that trees had never
had the chance to invade the great
inland areas.
Store Of Wealth Barely Tapped.
The vastness of the Pampas gave one
the comforting thought that here could
be raised the worlds food supply should
the time ever come when other sources
of supply proved inadequate to meet
the demand In those vast plains of
alluvial soil Argentina has a storehouse
of wealth that the present generation
has barely tapped and that many future
generations will not exhaust.
AS dusk of the second evening on the
train was but an hour or so away, the
party found itself passing through q
section of country quite closely built
up with numerous progressive looking
towns Spotting the landscape.
Crowds waved to the train from grade
crossings and stations, and before long
soldiers were seen pacing sentry beats
along the track.
The military touch brought forcibly
to the party's attention the fact that
there had been a bomb plot against the
goodwill mission. Reports had been
received previously about the arrest of
a gang OF alleged conspirators in the
Argentine capital, but little anxiety had
been caused on the train. The pres
ence OF SO many guards long the
right of way induced some uneasiness,
however.
1t was with nerves drawn somewhat
tense. therefore, that members OF the
American mission Of friendship looked
from the windows Of the train and
caught their initial skyline view OF the
Paris Of South America"