Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-05-26
BY CASTOR NERvAL.

RGENTINA, the largest Span
n ish-speaking republic, cele-
II brated yesterday her national
4 L anniversary.
OF all the countries Of Lat
in America, the one which most re-
sembles the United States geograph-
ically as we'll as economically, is Ar
gentina. Its extension from north TO
south takes In practically all climatic
zones, from the subtropical of the
north to the cold-temperate Of the
south. It's principal port, Buenos
Aires, is situated on the east coast
and like New York in the United
States, is the most important gate
way to the interior Of the country.
Buenos Aires has still other charac-
teristics which make it resemble in
many ways its gigantic neighbor of
the north. 1t is not only the principal
port, but also the largest and most
important city Of Argentina, and OF
the whole South American continent.
1t is the commercial and financial
center of the Rio de Ia Plata region
and its cosmopolitan character-a
laboratory for the fusion of many
races-makes 1t comparable only to
that other melting pot of nations. the
skyscraper city Of the United States.
Streets Wide and Bright.
On the one side the architecture Of
BuenoS Aires, its wide avenues, its
boulevards, its sidewalk cafes, its art
exhibits, remind one of Paris; on the
other. the industrial and commercial
activities that one feels in its atmos-
phere, its modernity. its cosmopoli-
tsnism, remind one of New York. And
this process Of amalgamation OF two
different civilizations. which one notes
in BuenoS Aires, is distinctive of the
general development Of the country.
The Latin culture, inherited from Eu-
rope, is being transformed by the vital
energy and progressive attitude of its
people, made necessary by the new
ness of the country and the vastness
of its undeveloped natural resources.
Just as in Buenos Aires Argentina
has her New York, in Rosario, the
second largest city, she has her Chi
cago. the center of the wheat and corn
trade. And in Cordoba 1.-The learned"
dedicated for centuries to letters and
art and tradition, with a university
older than Harvard, she has her
Boston.
The likeness goes even further. A
great plain, like that Of the Middle
West of the United States, forms the
central region of Argentina. A con-
siderable part of this plain Is we'll
watered and is devoted, with great
success, to agriculture, which con-
stitutes the principal source of pro-
duction and wealth. In this sense
Argentina, q country essentially agri-
cultural and pastoral, resembles the
United States of two generations ago,
when agriculture still predominated
over industry and the construction of
roads and railways were the most
serious and pressing problems.
Fought Long for Independence.
The history of Argentina also re-
sembles. in certain aspects, that OF
the United States. After the indie
nendence of the country had been
achieved, there followed long and
bitter struggle between Unionists and
Federalists; between those who favored
a centralized government like that OF
France, and those who believed in a
federal form, giving more liberty to
the several states or provinces. In the
end the latter won and the federal
Renublic of Argentina was finally
established with form Of government
similar to that of the United States.
The IA provinces which make up
the renublic have their own governors
and legislatures. very much as do the
states here. There /. also Z federal