Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-19
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had driven a truck all the way from
Seattle to Oaxaca, a route that Is theo-
retically impossible. Yes, they like the
States. No. they do not want TO stay
there indefinitely.
The migration Of Americans into Mex
leo is on a much more restricted scale,
compounded OF business men, conces-
sionaries, Adventures. oil men. miners
prospectors and sprinkling of ranchers
in the border states, It Is estimated
that about 10000 American citizens now
live in Mexico, half Of them in the cap
ital. Few become Mexican citizens ex-
cept for strictly business reasons, al
though they live out their lives in the
Southern republic. We shall return to
them presently; they constitute
strange phenomenon.
Today we are exporting words, habits
technical methods and our peculiar type
Of modern goods to the urban areas Of
Mexico.
Contrast in Methods.
In the States we acquire merit by
giving our cigarettes British names
Pail Mall, Herbert Tareyton. English
Ovals, Three Kings. Philip Morris. In
Mexico distinction Is achieved by facing
North. We note the Country Club
packet, and Jazz" Out of 4,196 inches
of display advertising in the two leading
daily papers of Mexico City for a Sun
day In December 1880. 2,509 inches
dealt with American products. 1855
inches with Mexican products, 63l
inches with European-or unidentified
products. America outranked Mexico
two and a half to one, and Europe at
least Ave to one.
The American things advertised were,
in order: Equipment for the household,
primarily radios and electric devices;
other machinery. primarily automobiles,
cameras. typewriters. firearms; Holly
wood movies" and "talkies': cosmetics
and soaps; drugs and patent medicines;
clothing and textiles-silk stockings,
shirts and collars, hats: travel by air,
rail and water: watches and jewelry;
schools and instruction.; hotel equip
ment, chiefly plumbing
Does It all not make one feel at home /?
Headline in Mexico City paper in
January. 1881:
'Neuve Chicos, Emulos del Famoso
Capone de Chicago" c'Nine Riddles Go
Capone'D. Headline writer's, you will
note, still have something to learn from
America. Spanish is, however. devilish
language to compress) Nine boys, &C
cording to the story, averaging II years
Of age, formed themselves into an armed
gang They began forcing their way
into houses under pretext of retaining
a base ball from the patio, and stealing
what they could. They advanced to
cutting squares of glass out of shop
windows and lifting soap and trinkets.
They planned to steal a car as soon as
the leader learned how to drive. All
came from well-to-do families, and all
were devoted movie" fans.
notLt,,k~ Nal. n~o.~ns~
Bathtubs and showers are making
phenomenal progress. A Little Theater
movement is under way. "Neustra
Ciudad" is obviously patterned after
Vanity Fair" while newsboys chant in
singsong "Graf-i-co. Graf-i-co," the
capitals new picture weekly. American
shoes of woven leather strips; Indian
artists skilled in silver filigree jewelry
are making earrings fashioned like au-
tomobile wheels, with tires spokeS and
hubcaps The "talkies" are all over
town; the lapperG have their fine black
eyes unswervingly on Fifth avenue.
Mexican butter -and-egg men are
building homes in the new subdivisions,
copies from the Los Angeles copy of the
Spanish vtlla-a case of cultural diff
fusion to excite the anthropologist and
boomerang in all senses of the word.
Installment selling has long applied to
sewing machines. even In the villages,
and now moves on to brass beds,
chromos, monographs and radios. The
traf1c, however, is not entirely one way.
Mexico ships annually some 1000 tons
Of chicle Into North American Jaws,
hacked from jungle trees in Yucatan.
We note the Ritz, the Regis and the
Geneve, all in the throes of endeavoring
to superimpose United States hotel
standards upon the slippery foundations
of normal Mexican inn keeping. The
two systems have nothing in common
save boarding and bedding. When the
stream of American motorists arrive
over the Laredo road prophesy piteous
outcries from Americanos deprived of
their usual quota of steam heat, hot
water and snappy service.
If may be permitted to digress for
a moment should like to lay a small
garland upon the hosiery Of the old
regime. It takes time to become used
to it, but once acclimatized, one cannot
deny the charm. In Mexico City
lodged at one of the antiques in prefer
ence to one suffering from the United
States inflltration.
Scene of Breakfast.
We are breakfasting. let us say, at 9
am. in Puebla's leading hosiery. It
has giant tiled patio with three tiers
Of bed rooms and a glass roof. The
linen is clean, the waiter is attentive,
the food Is good. Directly in the center
Of the rear patio wall Is a large sign,
wv. c. Caballeros." A gentleman at
the next table has beaten up three eggs
in huge glass beaker, the waiter has
poured in about a quart each Of hot
coffee and hot milk, and the gentleman
is now dipping his roll into the foam
ing mixture and sucking it into his
mouth with enthusiasm.
A boy with q wicker crate of beauti-
fully arranged onions, cabbages, beets
and other vegetables upon his head
makes his way straight across the mid
die Of the dining room from front door
to kitchen. He Is followed by another
boy with a great basket of flowers, also
on his head: an Indian woman
with q tremendous bundle of dirty
sheets; q man with raw meat in a tray;
woman with q skinned pig held ten
derby in her arms; a ragged old gentle
man in pajamas with two live white
hens, the price of which Is q matter of
lengthy bargaining between himself and
the proprietor: assorted citizens in SOM
breros and rebosoS, obviously the staff
reporting for duty: boy with a hatful
of eggs; a mestizo woman with a load
of Beautiful inlaid boxes, which she
carries from table to table.
Down each side OF the patio sweep
ing brigade Is hard at work, aust flying
In clouds. -Four cats are jumping upon
chairs and occasionally upon a table
top. They are reproved tenderly by q
porter, whose life work seems to be iust
this and as tenderly borne away In the