Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-11
BY REX COLLIER.


of the sky and sea to greet the Ameri.
can pilgrimage of good will.
Across mountains which once were
the rugged empire of the semi-civilizec
Incas, the enterprising republic sent ar
airplane with letter of welcome from
her distinguished President, and from
waters which long ago harbored ship!
| of the Spanish invaders. she sent the
flagship of her navy to salute her hon.
ored guests and be their escort.
The plane, in performing its PROUD
mission, blazed a trail from Peru tt
Ecuador for new airmail service, ano
the letter of salutation from President
Augusta Leguia to Presidents Hoo
yer was the first to be delivered over
new route, linking Lima and Guaya-
quill.
AS the Maryland emerged from the
Gulf of Guayaquil she was met by the
| trim Peruvian cruiser, Almirante Grau
which paid her respects with a 21-gun
salute and then swung in to the rear
and to the starboard of the American
battleship. The Maryland did not fire
| her guns, as the salute was personal
| tribute to President.elect Hoover, re-
| quiring. no reply.
American Officer on Peruvian Warship.
| An American naval officer was on
board the Peruvian warship, the party
| learned. He was member of naval
mission sent by the United States to
serve in an advisory capacity with the
Peruvian navy. The mission has been
! on duty in Peru for number of years,
at the extended invitation of that gov
eminent.
Peru's navy, 1t was explained, en-
braced two cruisers, number OF gun
boats and three submarines. The men
were trained in American methods OF
naval warfare and were dressed in uni
forms closely resembling those of Uncle
SANS Navy. The members of the naval
mission hold commissions in both the
American and Peruvian naNes and
slowed upon the Americans invariably
were several grades higher than that
of their American service.
A 700-mile stretch of sea separated
Guayaquil and Callao, the port of Lima.
The voyage was a pleasant one, as the
ocean was tranquil and the air was
tempered by the Humboldt current,
whose chilly waters come from the
bleak Antarctic regions. 1t was getting
SO cool of nights that overcoats and
sweaters were necessary to enjoy the
open-air movies In comfort.
Mountain Treasures Still Hold Lure.
The Maryland followed the coastline
faithfully, but at such respectful dis
trance that the distant mountains
scarcely were visible to the naked eye.
These Sierras, running longitudinally
through Peru, divide the country into
distinct geographical areas. From the
IN hn q
barren coast, perhaps 40 miles wide,
now being opened to cultivation under
a program of irrigation sponsored by
President Leguia. The mountain region
has balmy plateaus where crops abound
and the mountains themselves still offer
the lure of gold and silver, as they
did in the days of PiZarro. Beyond, on
the eastern slope, are tropical jungles,
drained by the headwaters of the great
Amazon and inhabited by savage tribes
of Indians.
The good will battleship put into
Callao Harbor early on the morning OF
December S and dropped anchor of
| the mouth of the Rimac River, up
! which Francisco PiZarro had sailed in
| 1885 to found the City Of Lima, eight
| miles from Callao. That was following
his bloody invasion of the Inca Empire
"a conquest climaxed by the murder
| of the Inca chieftain, Atahualpa, after
| he had filled room with gold In hope
| of ransom.
AS shore batteries roared their salutes
| and seaplanes in military formation
| dipped overhead, the PreSident-elect
received on the Maryland a Peruvian
reception committee, headed by the
| president of the cabinet, DR.. Pedro Jose
| Rada v Gannio, minister of foreign
At o'clock, the Hoover barge set
out for the shore through a lane OF
Peruvian naval vessels and merchant
craft decorated with rainboW-hued pen
nants. Even the trio of submarines
had pennants f1uttering from their
| periscopes.
Path Through Crowds Cleared.
The stern-looking troops and gen.
| darnes had cleared path through the
immense crowds gathered at the con-
| crete dock where the party was to
| debark. The pathway led straight ahead
| for several hundred feet to the public
square. known as the Plaza Grau, where
| the mayor and council of the City OF
| Callao waited to extend a formal
| welcome.
| Mr.. and Mrs. Hoover walked down
| the line of saluting troops to a colon
made in the heart of the plaza, where a
| band in naval uniform brought the
throng to attention with the national
airs of the United States and Peru
| Then the frock-coated mayor, DR.
| Carlos Roe, stepped forward and voiced
cordial sentiments OF greeting on behalf
| of the town council and the citizens OF
the port. Alexander P. Moore, the
| I,oc ole 1aoy -
| with the party, and number of mem
bers of the American naval mission
were introduced, along with theil
| thoroughly enthuSed families.
AS though Peru had not already made
her welcome emphatic enough, a com.
mittea from the Chamber of Deputie.
handed to Mr.. Hoover an official scroll
announcing the action of the Peruvian
Congress in voting the American Presi.
dent-elect the status of guest of thu
nation" and declaring national holi.
day in his honor.
The port ceremonies were brief, ant
Immediately on their conclusion, Mr.
/ and Mrs. Hoover were assisted into &
new American automobile and driver
at breakneck speed to Lima. They
must have covered those miles in
minutes or less. The entire length
of fine concrete highway was lined with
copper faced cavalrymen, who snapped
to attention as the caravan whizzee
past.
Tollgate Causes Tangle.
Midway there was tollgate, but tn,
presidential automobile never slackenes
speed. That iollgate, however, playee
havoc with the plans of other member.
of the party, in automobiles to the rear
Lima had sent her American traffic ex.
pert to Callao to arrange the right-of.
way for the score of official cars which
were to carry the members of the mis-
sion TO the capital. but even an Ameri
can traffic expert could not untangle tn,
jam that resulted when adamant Off
Gals at the gate closed it before all O
the official cars were through. A mum