diff options
Diffstat (limited to '41104-8.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 41104-8.txt | 8504 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 8504 deletions
diff --git a/41104-8.txt b/41104-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 5a11021..0000000 --- a/41104-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8504 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Amazing Argentine, by John Foster Fraser - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The Amazing Argentine - A New Land of Enterprise - -Author: John Foster Fraser - -Release Date: October 18, 2012 [EBook #41104] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE AMAZING ARGENTINE *** - - - - -Produced by Adrian Mastronardi, Matthias Grammel and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net -(This file was produced from images generously made -available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - - - - - THE AMAZING ARGENTINE - - JOHN FOSTER FRASER - - [Illustration] - - - - - THE AMAZING ARGENTINE - - [Illustration: THE MAYO AVENUE, BUENOS AIRES.] - - - - - THE AMAZING - ARGENTINE - - A NEW LAND OF ENTERPRISE - - BY - JOHN FOSTER FRASER - - WITH FORTY-EIGHT PLATES - FROM PHOTOGRAPHS - - NEW YORK - FUNK AND WAGNALLS COMPANY - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - 1. THE INVADERS 1 - - 2. SOME ASPECTS OF BUENOS AIRES 21 - - 3. ROUND AND ABOUT THE CAPITAL 31 - - 4. RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT IN THE REPUBLIC 43 - - 5. SETTLEMENT ON THE LAND 52 - - 6. ARGENTINA'S PART IN FEEDING THE WORLD 63 - - 7. THE CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT 72 - - 8. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COUNTRY 89 - - 9. "CABBAGES AND KINGS" 101 - - 10. LIVE STOCK IN THE REPUBLIC 116 - - 11. THE STORY OF THE RAILWAYS 134 - - 12. ROSARIO 154 - - 13. CORDOBA AND ITS ATTRACTIONS 158 - - 14. BAHIA BLANCA AND THE COUNTRY BEYOND 176 - - 15. THE FUTURE OF AGRICULTURE 186 - - 16. MENDOZA 199 - - 17. A TRIP INTO THE ANDES 212 - - 18. THE CAMP 223 - - 19. A MIXED GRILL 235 - - 20. TUCUMAN AND THE SUGAR INDUSTRY 248 - - 21. THE INDUSTRIAL SIDE OF THE REPUBLIC 257 - - 22. THE NORTH-EAST COUNTRY 265 - - 23. PROSPECTS AND PROBLEMS 270 - - INDEX 281 - - -LIST OF PLATES - - The Mayo Avenue, Buenos Aires _Frontispiece_ - - FACING PAGE - - Plaza Del Congreso, Buenos Aires 20 - - The Plaza Hotel, Buenos Aires 22 - - The Tigre, Buenos Aires Rowing Club 26 - - Lola Mora Fountain, Buenos Aires 32 - - La Recoleta 36 - - The Government Building, La Plata 38 - - The Southern Station at La Plata 40 - - In the Great Square at La Plata 40 - - Statue presented to Argentina by the French Community on - the occasion of the Centenary of Independence 42 - - Central Argentine Railway Company's Grain Elevators at - Buenos Aires 46 - - Latest Type of Passenger Locomotive 50 - - Latest Type of Dining Car 50 - - View of Grazing Lands 54 - - A Drinking Place on an _Estancia_ 54 - - Branding Calves on an _Estancia_ 60 - - A Group of Gauchos 64 - - The Chamber of Deputies 74 - - The Kindergarten at Mendoza 78 - - Ox-Carts in the Argentine 90 - - A Typical Argentine Public Park 100 - - A Regatta near Buenos Aires 110 - - A Fine Argentine Bridge 114 - - Breaking-in Horses in the Argentine 120 - - Interior of Dining Car, Central Argentine Railway 134 - - The Statue of Christ on the Argentina-Chili Frontier 148 - - Plaza Constitution Station at Buenos Aires 150 - - The Rosario Express, Central Argentine Railway 156 - - On the Way to Market in Cordoba 162 - - The Ninth Green at Alta Gracia 166 - - In the Courtyard of the Monastery at Alta Gracia 166 - - The Hotel at Alta Gracia 170 - - A Typical House in Cordoba Province 174 - - A Street in Bahia Blanca 176 - - The Elevators at Ingeniero White 180 - - Plaza Riverdavia, Bahia Blanca 182 - - A Bahia Blanca Bank 184 - - The Town Hall at Bahia Blanca 184 - - Conveying Alfalfa to a Railway Station 194 - - The Entrance to the Park at Mendoza 200 - - The Promenade in Mendoza Park 202 - - The Grape Harvest in the Suburbs of Mendoza 204 - - In a Mendoza Bodega 208 - - "Chico" in Charge 212 - - A Corner of the English Club at Mendoza 212 - - The Hotel at Inca 218 - - The Inca Bridge in the Andes 220 - - General View of an _Estancia_ 224 - - A Gaucho and his Family 226 - - La Rambla, Mar Del Plata 234 - - The Esplanade, Mar Del Plata 238 - - A Historic Building: "Casa Independencia," at Tucuman 250 - - The Statue of San Martin at Tucuman 256 - - The Longest Girder Bridge in the Republic, near Santa Fé 266 - - - - -THE AMAZING ARGENTINE - - - - -CHAPTER I - -THE INVADERS - - -It was on a boat which was laden with bananas and running from Colon, on -the Isthmus of Panama, to New York. - -The steward called me at dawn. He thought I was mad because I stood in -pyjamas without apparent heed of the mirky drizzle. Beyond the sad -waters there was little to see but a low-lying and dreary island with a -melancholy lighthouse. No vegetation brightened the scene. There was no -gorgeous sunrise. There was nothing but a lump of barrenness heaving out -of the sea. But this was the island of San Salvador, the western land -which Columbus first touched when he sailed to find the Indies. - -There are now near one hundred and fifty millions of people of European -descent in the Americas. And a little glow came into my imagination that -rain-swept morning when I felt I was the only traveller on the boat who -had crawled forth to gaze at San Salvador. I tried to picture what -thoughts must have crowded the mind of Columbus when he sighted this -shore. He never knew what he had discovered for Spain. He could never -have dreamt he was the first in the greatest invasion the world has ever -witnessed. - -A year later I was on an Atlantic liner. The fo'c'sle was thronged with -poor Spaniards from Vigo and poor Portuguese from Lisbon. In the voyage -across the Atlantic I had watched them in the steerage--tawny-visaged, -easygoing men, and broad-set, figureless women, sprawling, gossiping, -drowsing. To the accompaniment of an accordion they lifted their voices -in song on the balmy, starlit evenings whilst the ship churned through -the tropical seas. - -Another misty morning and I climbed on deck. Saloon passengers were -tucked in their bunks. But all the steerage had turned out and were -crowding the foredecks, and were gazing at a dim strip of land and -watching a blinking light. The land was the coast of Brazil, and the -light was the harbour of Pernambuco, which means "the Door of Hell." - -The immigrants raised a long-drawn shout of joy. They hailed Latin -America. There was the country of which they had heard so much. They had -broken with the Old World. Four hundred years ago their ancestors came -across these seas with eyes greedy for gold. Now they came, not to -snatch gold from temples or to terrorise the natives into showing where -the metal could be found, but to work on sugar plantations, to nurture -the coffee plant, to rear bananas, to do the humble work in the building -of towns and the construction of railways, to toil in the jungles, to -sit in the saddle and round up cattle on the prairies. They had come to -the New World to get gold by industry. - -How much we talk and write about the enterprise and colonising power of -the Teutonic races, and how prone we are to dismiss the Latin races as -effete and played out! But our generalisations will not bear -examination. The spirit of adventure cannot have left Italy and Spain -and Portugal. Every year hundreds of thousands of people sail from those -countries across the Atlantic. - -We speak of North America as Teutonic--made prosperous by the stock of -northern Europe--and South America as Spanish. Latin America, however, -does not all lie south of the Panama Canal. We must begin to reckon it -from the territory line which separates the United States from Mexico. -Southwards from the banks of the Rio Grande the Latin tongue is spoken, -chiefly Spanish, but with much Portuguese in Brazil, and Italian in -places right down, through the Torrid Zone, the heavy tropics, reeking -with luxuriant vegetation, to the bleak and rocky, inhospitable Tierra -del Fuego. - -There are millions of Latins. They have set up half a score of -Republican governments. The wealthy world slowly and then impetuously -realised the possibilities of this strangely diversified region. Untold -gold has been poured forth to develop it and get quick return. - -It is not stories of treasure which bring a glint into the eye of -modern men. It is enterprise and development which appeal. There are -cattle to be reared on the ranches of Mexico; there is rubber in Peru; -there are nitrates and fabulous mineral wealth in Chili and the -neighbouring lands; there are cotton and sugar and coffee in the mighty -sweep of Brazil; there are the illimitable wheat areas of Argentina, and -cattle rearing and the giant possibilities in supplying Europe with -frozen meat; there is the opening up of immense areas by networks of -railroads. - -"The stuff is there; it has only to be got," says the man who knows and -talks with the fire of enthusiasm. - -South America is not the land of the future. It is the land of to-day. -Nowhere in the world is the speculator, the investor, more busy than in -Latin America. The tales told by the first Spaniards are baby talk to -the stories told to-day by those who have been and seen and are -fascinated. Of course it is overdone. Of course there is exaggeration. -Of course some of the jewels in El Dorado are useless stones. Of course -some of the caves of Aladdin are found empty. But what the modern world -ranks as precious is in abundance. - -I like to conjure a contrast between the little barques of a few hundred -tonnage bobbing on unknown seas with the big fifteen-thousand tonners -which make their ports of call according to time-table. The early -invaders went into the unknown, crept along unmapped coasts, battled -with savages, and died like flies before the scourge of fever. The -whole story of the conquest and settlement of the Americas is one of -slow victory through a mist of tragedy. The invaders of other days left -their native lands with little hope to return. The invaders of to-day -set forth waving an au revoir to their friends on the dock side. - -The man with the flimsiest imagination can think of the tiny craft, -ill-lit, ill-furnished, with scurvy-providing food, running before the -trade winds, lolling with idle sails in the doldrums, and with -uncertainty as constant companion. To-day the huge vessels scorn the -tides. Aflame with electric light they press through the dusk, and the -ship's orchestra plays ragtime music. You cross the Equator to the tune -of a Gaiety light opera. Sultry afternoons are relieved with -exhilarating deck sports. The warmth of the dinner hour is softened by -the whirl of electric fans. In the evening a space on deck is enclosed -and hung with the flags of all the nations, and dancers in fancy dress -whirl blithely on the powdered floor. These are the circumstances of the -modern invasion. The journey is a holiday with nothing of grim adventure -about it. - -What Latin America means to-day is told in the personalities of the -passengers. There are the rich Argentines, after six months in Europe, -returning to Buenos Aires, occupying the cabins de luxe. They offer you -the information how much they are paying, contribute largely to the -sports fund, and their ladies dress with frank display. Whether Spanish -or English they are proud of the name of Argentine, and never weary -telling of the progress of their country. They have open contempt for -their Portuguese neighbours in Brazil. The wealthy Brazilian men, -swarthy and fat and bejewelled, do not join the deck games, but, with -cigar between lips, saunter the decks, leering at every woman with a -passable countenance. The Argentines thank God there is no nigger blood -in their veins. The Brazilians retaliate they could buy the Argentines -up. Care must be taken not to mix the two nationalities at the ship's -tables. Each nation sports its own flag. Sometimes rivalry threatens -tragedy. - -There is the Englishman "with interests in Argentina" going out to look -after his property, frequently an _estancia_, or ranch, purchased when -land was cheap, and before the boom came. Now a railway cuts through his -property, and it has increased seventy-fold in value. Sometimes he -mentions drought; occasionally he shudders at the mention of locusts. -But he recalls the state of things when he went out thirty or forty -years ago "with not much more than a bob," and now he has a fortune made -out of meat shipped to Europe, and his only regret seems to be the -iniquitous amount of death duties which will have to be paid by his -heirs. - -"Argentina is not what it was," he tells you. That means the winning of -a fortune is going to be increasingly harder to this and subsequent -generations. But he is a fine type of Englishman, for he went forth -before South America had grown beyond its monthly revolution, when the -continent chiefly bred restlessness amongst the Spanish settlers, and -when life and prosperity was a gamble. He has come through the fire. -Foresight, daring, and good luck have swung him, as they have swung -thousands of others, into affluence. He has "retired." He lives at home -in Belgravia, and gives fine dinner parties. But he keeps an eye on -Argentine stock, and when you encounter him in the club he repeats that -"Argentina is not what it was, but still----" and then he makes you wish -you could place your hand on some of the plums that remain. - -There is the rich Argentine who shows what he is made of by insisting -upon everybody in the smoking-room drinking champagne at his -expense--and he is uncomplimentary if anybody deliberately refuses his -hospitality. There is the man who hires a band to play to him during the -voyage. There is the delicate lady who has a special cow on board so -that she may be sure of fresh milk. The boat carries a cow so that the -children may have milk. The charge per pint for the milk is high. "Why," -said one passenger when he heard what the price was, "I think I will -give my children champagne; it will be cheaper." - -British gold has flowed like water into South America to make the -dormant region fruitful. British interests are colossal. The United -States has not taken much of a hand in development, partly because the -Latins do not love their northern neighbours, and partly because the -financiers of the States have been sufficiently occupied in their own -country. Three hundred million British pounds sterling has been invested -in Argentine railway and tramway companies, and there are on board men -who manage the lines--tall, stalwart, clear-skinned Englishmen, with -cool nerve and steady eye. - -There are the big _estancia_ men, proud and ambitious, who pay enormous -prices for famous race-horses and get the best breeding stock from home -in cattle and sheep, no matter what competition forces the price up to. -There are shrewd men going out on behalf of syndicates to throw their -eyes round the country and scent out possibilities for money-making on -the grand scale. In the free talk of the smoking-room they speak with -vagueness of what their special mission is. There are the men who have -been charged to take control of city development schemes--for all ports, -towns, and cities in South America are crazy for development, and are -piling their backs with debt to achieve their desires. There are the men -who represent English firms who are intent on extending their -connections or in establishing branches. There are engineers, with jobs -in the far interior, proceeding to fill five-year contracts. There are -young bank clerks, flushed with increased salary, exchanging London for -a pampa town and scarcely realising they will find living three times as -expensive as at Bromley. There are the men who laughingly acknowledge -they have no direct mission except that they intend to see what they -can pick up. But they are mostly a good brand of Briton, well set, and -with courage in the veins. And when one remembers the growing Latin -population, and listens to captivating explanations about potentialities -and hears what has been accomplished--more wonderful in the making of -cities than a tale out of the Thousand and One Nights--there is the fact -in the background that all this continent must long have continued to -lie undeveloped if it had not been for the constant and confident inflow -of British money. - -Beyond the rails are the second-class passengers, folk of humbler aim, -but going to play their part in the land of adventure. But, above all, -are the third class, the steerage--few British here--travelling to South -America with little but hope and muscle to do the labourer's part. It is -labour the country needs to-day more than capital. In the spring of the -southern hemisphere the Atlantic is trailed with ships packed with -Italians, Spaniards, and Portuguese. The continent swallows them. They -are men of courage, or they would never have gone forth. They take with -them their fiery Latin temperament and fierce political, frequently -anarchist views. The native Indians are mostly too cow-like to be of -much use in industry. The millions of negroes in tropical Brazil are too -lazy to be relied upon. Labour is the need, the ever-pressing need. -Emissaries are busy in southern Europe booming South America and filling -the boats which sail from Lisbon and Vigo and Genoa--chiefly from Genoa, -for the Italian is the ideal immigrant for a warm clime. He is -industrious, sober, frugal. - -All the towns along the South American coastline have futures. They talk -about the future, always the future, and are preparing for it. Swung in -a basket from the deck of the liner, I boarded a tug and went ashore at -Pernambuco. The buildings which stood were decrepit, as though erected -by the original Portuguese, like their ramshackle homes on the other -side of the ocean, and they had done nothing to them since except an -occasional smear of pink, blue or yellow colour-wash. Most of the place -was in ruins; whole streets were literally choked with débris, -suggesting there had been a frightful earthquake, or that a -revolutionary episode had perpetrated dire havoc. In fact, Pernambuco -was in the throes of improvement. The first necessity of all these South -American towns is not a system of drainage but an Avenida--a wide main -thoroughfare with bedizened buildings on either side, and cafés and -bands and electric lights and motor-cars and a theatre. They have begun -with a theatre. But the ways of Western civilisation have travelled so -far because, instead of drama and opera being presented, the theatre is -devoted to kinema entertainments. - -As though cleared with a hundred cannon, there is a way right through -the town; this is where the Avenida is to be. Open matchbox tramcars, -drawn by weedy mules, rumble over uneven metals. The next time, however, -I visit Pernambuco electric cars will whiz along the roads. There are -no cabs or carriages, even of ancient pattern, to be hired; but there -are plenty of motor-cars. There is a breakwater built on a coral reef; -yet huge harbour works are in progress, and before long liners instead -of lying outside will be fastened to the dock side. There are big shops -where you can buy most things, including the inevitable picture post -cards, though you pay twopence each for post cards of a kind which you -can buy for two a penny at home. I paid 1s. 8d. for a drink for which no -hotel at home would have charged me more than 6d. The neighbourhood is -rich in vegetation, but potatoes and fruits are imported from Portugal. -The people are town proud. They are proud of Brazil. The Brazilian flag, -with its yellow ground and star-spangled blue globe in the centre, waves -everywhere. - -The next day we were at Bahia, picturesquely reclining on a wooded hill. -It used to be the great port in the slave trade, and most of the -inhabitants are negroes. Indeed, it must not be forgotten that most of -the population are negroes, or negro Indians, or negro Portuguese, or a -mixture of all three. However, it is only the Portuguese, a mere handful -in the total, who exercise political influence in the country. On the -boat came many Bahians. All down the coast, whilst we were losing the -European invaders, we were taking on board and losing Brazilians. Most -of them were podgy, and an inky tinge on their skins indicated there was -mixture in their blood. - -The healthy sports which had entertained the English travellers on the -Equator were things of the past. There was a new sport, and it was -played in the smoking-room all day long and far into the night, when -most of us had gone to bed. The rattle of the dice-box never ceased. -Gambling was in the veins, and the English sovereign was constantly -shuffled from hand to hand on the green baize tables. There was -baccarat, first for low stakes and then for high. There were two glib -Yankee-Negro-Spaniards who had such luck that spectators shrugged -shoulders and exchanged glances. In a single game they netted £150, and -one young Englishman was a loser by £80. - -From gambling at the tables one turned to talking about gambling in the -country. The enormous liabilities to foreign countries are all incurred -in a great gamble that the hinterlands will yield produce which will pay -for all and leave massive surpluses. The coffee trade of Brazil is -immense. But all merchants do not make their incomes by watching and -nursing the market. That is too slow. Transactions are decided quite as -often by the throw of the dice as by negotiation and bargaining. -Reckless, far removed from business principles, all this is; but it -bespeaks a buoyancy of belief that, notwithstanding the lapse of luck, -there is a bottomless well of prosperity to be dipped into in the -natural productions of the country. It is scarcity which breeds -timidity; it is the confidence of affluence which occasions waste. - -Of course there was much talk about Rio de Janeiro, the city with the -most gorgeous setting in the southern hemisphere. - -"Rio harbour is the most beautiful in the world," said the Brazilian. - -"It cannot be a patch on Sydney harbour," said the Australian, who had -never seen Rio. - -"Tut!" said the Brazilian, who had never seen Sydney. - -It was in the fall of an exquisite Sunday afternoon that our glasses -caught sight of the hills around Rio. As we approached and ran past -picturesque islands a wonderful panorama was unfolded. The scenery was -unlike any other scenery in the world. The hills, radiant with -equatorial vegetation, rose like strange humps out of the sea. In the -background giant mountains reared their heads in the crimson-grey clouds -of approaching evening. The picture was not like real scenery. It was -like the realisation of a disordered imagination. I would say it was -like an imitation of Turner, were the illustration not so trite. Then I -thought there was something Chinese about the outreness of the -landscape. Then the sun went down in a hurry, and the background was a -weird purple. The ship dropped anchor, and the front part of Rio town, a -tumble of fantastic red and yellow washed houses, was for all the world -like a drop curtain to a stage. I felt we had slipped into another -world--and I am not given to rhapsody. - -A thousand lamps began to blink along the esplanade which curves to the -bend of the bay. A thousand lights pricked the hill sides. There were -two big black Brazilian warships, and somebody had to tell the old story -how two battleships were sent out to visit the Brazilian convict island -in the Atlantic, and how one returned with the awful story that the -island had disappeared, for they sailed straight for it and it had gone, -whilst later on it was learnt that the other vessel had certainly found -the island, for it got piled up on the rocks. Gaily illuminated launches -scurried about whilst our liner was slowly being berthed alongside the -quay. - -"Ah!" cried the Brazilian to me, whilst his eyes glowed brightly, "say -that Rio is the most lovely harbour in the world!" - -"There's nothing to shout about," interrupted the Australian, "alongside -Sydney harbour; and you've seen Sydney harbour," he added, turning to -me. - -As a sort of amateur Solomon, I was turned to for judgment. My first -comment was to laugh. I had seen the two harbours which are each claimed -by their champions to be the grandest thing Nature has ever -accomplished. It was amusing to witness the fervour of the two men, as -though they had a hand in the making of these famous harbours. They were -both of the stuff which leads men to believe that for any other country -to have pretensions to beauty is just dull-witted boastfulness. - -"Well," I remarked, "I think Vigo harbour is charming." - -"Oh, Vigo!" they both exclaimed in disgust. - -"And there is something to be said for the Golden Gate leading to San -Francisco," I added. - -"But the Golden Gate and any other place is not in the same street with -Sydney harbour," blurted the Australian rather angrily, though he had -never seen the Golden Gate. "It cannot be," he said decisively. - -"But what do you really think of Rio compared with Sydney?" asked the -Brazilian, who saw I was attempting to be funny at the expense of them -both. - -"I'll tell you," I said, actually throwing half a cigar overboard, for I -was called upon to give a verdict on one of the most debatable subjects -in the world. "It is like passing judgment on two lovely women. For -grand, impressive spectacular effect, being hit right between the eyes -with stupendous gorgeousness, seeing Rio harbour at the hour of sunset -is the most wonderful sight in the world." - -The Brazilian smiled, and the Australian made a contemptuous noise with -his lips. - -"But hold," I added. "You see all the beauty of Rio harbour at one view. -It is like suddenly coming face to face with an imperial lady of -dazzling attractions. When you have seen her you have seen everything. -Sydney harbour does not knock you over with bewilderment of beauty like -Rio does. It is more calm, less turbulent; it impresses you. The more -you know it the more it impresses you. And it has lovely arms, -stretching up between soft woodlands, as peaceful as the best bits of -the Thames. Rio has nothing like that. No, no; I'm not competent to pass -judgment. You two gentlemen can go on fighting over the matter, as I -dare say the people of your two countries will continue to do, till the -crack of doom. I admit the unrivalled grandeur of Rio, but personally I -have more affection for the grace and the delights of Sydney." - -The Brazilian bowed politely. The Australian wanted to argue I had ceded -too much to Rio. Happily, just then a group of friends came on board to -rush me off to a dinner party on shore. - -Rio will always remind me of Imre Kiralfy, the White City, and Earl's -Court. There are some narrow, old European-like streets that recall -places on the other side of the Atlantic: the houses high and sombre and -with a little mystery behind the shutters. But most of Rio is rampantly -new and garish. The people have driven a magnificent Avenida right -through the heart of the city, and hang the expense! The piles of -buildings, hotels, public offices, great stores along this Avenida are -generally eccentric in architecture--and there comes the feeling that -here these transplanted Latins, with a strain of negro in their veins, -are struggling to express themselves as a new people. The wonderful -thing is that five years ago this Avenida was not. - -Nothing that the Riviera has can outvie the esplanade, broad, well made, -with miles of bright gardens and statues--and the motor-cars whiz along -at the maddest, breakneck pace. There is one exquisite avenue lined with -nothing but palm trees. Many of the houses, designed surely by someone -who has built palaces for pantomimes, are half buried behind splashes of -prodigal tropical vegetation. Everything is ornate, showy. From the -standpoint of British comfort the buildings are gaudy palaces, lacking -real ease. But always one has to remember one is in the tropics. - -I know no place so dazzling as Rio. Behind all the glitter, however, -there is gold. There is commerce, abounding speculation, the -devil-may-care assurance of the gambler. Broad ways, electric car -services, hundreds of expensive motor-cars, extravagant restaurants, -ladies laden with jewels, the men eager, all tell the opening chapter in -the story of Brazil's future. In the cool Strangers' Club I met men of -the Saxon breed, quiet Englishmen, quiet Americans, representatives of -syndicates with millions of money at their backs, negotiating, -wire-pulling, securing concessions for railroads, for developing -stretches of that great back country of Brazil, as little explored as -Central Africa, but the possibilities of which the world is realising -and will scramble hungrily to turn into profit. What Brazil has -accomplished so far is but the turning of the key in the door. - -The morning comes with a gasp, and a flavour of old oil is in the air. -The heavy stillness makes one recite the agony of the Ancient Mariner. -We are leaving the ocean, and the steamer is churning a way up an -ochreish river, banked on one side, but with a stretch of malarious -jungle on the other. We are making for Santos, and an old German who -rests his elbows on the rail tells how he has known this coast for -thirty years, and how, in the old days, it reeked with yellow fever; -how whole ships' crews went down before the scourge, and how no -passenger boats dared lie at Santos for the night, but always slipped -down to the mouth of the river in the evening so that fresh air could be -obtained. - -Now drainage has done wonders, and Santos, a great export town for -Brazilian coffee, is improving itself. I get into conversation with the -man who has been engaged to settle in Santos and see that the place is -improved. The river is deep, serviceable, and runs far inland. Casting -my eye over the flat lands, matted with vegetation, and dotted with many -a wretched nigger shanty, I have a vision of the time when docks will be -delved and many of the riches of Brazil will find their outlet to the -world by this gateway. Great wharves are on the river front at Santos. - -The town, however, is in a hugger-mugger of change. The Brazilians seem -to lounge round, but they are forging for the future. Men who have been -with us for a fortnight hasten ashore. They have eagerness. They are off -by the quaint hill-climbing railway to San Paulo, high perched, healthy, -throbbing with trade. Others are bent for the interior, away from their -kind, to seek their fortunes. - -"And that's the end of my six months' leave," says a red-faced -Englishman with a sorrowful smile. "I lived away back there for three -years, and never saw or talked to another Englishman. I've been home for -my holiday, and now it will be another three years before I come back -from the plantations. Good-bye. I'll hunt you up when I'm in London -again." Off he goes--one of the brave men of the world. - -A peep at Monte Video, the neat capital of the miniature Republic of -Uruguay, and then the black-green of the ocean we have been travelling -for three weeks is left behind, and we are forcing a way up the yellow -waters of the River Plate. A river; but for hours there is no land in -sight, so wide is the mouth of this great stream. And shallow, for at -intervals the steamer shivers as she bumps on the bottom. - -"That is all right," says the captain, "for we do not mind a couple of -feet of mud." - -The journey of the new adventurers is nearing its end. Shipboard -friendships are sworn to be eternal. The ship's sports are long over, -and the prizes have been distributed. The fancy dress ball on deck is a -memory. There is the distribution of largesse amongst those who have -made things pleasant. Cabin passengers are light-hearted. The throng of -Spaniards and Italians in the steerage are silent and strangely -impressed. They were sad when they left the old lands; they were happy -during the voyage; now the mystery of the unknown is laying hold of -them. We pass a crowded emigrant ship from Italy, and cheers are -exchanged. - -Out of the haze of the hot day rises the low land, Argentina. We see the -buildings of La Plata, once intended to be the capital of the country. -The ship makes strange zigzags, for it is following a channel known -only to the pilot. There rises a bank of smoke. As we get nearer we run -into shipping. From the background emerge tall buildings, white mostly, -and recalling the skyscrapers of the United States. So slowly, -laboriously, the good ship _Avon_, which has behaved so well, is brought -to rest in front of Buenos Aires. It is night, but the wharves are all -commotion. There is the shrieking of tugs. There is the shout of excited -Argentines, but their garb is south European. Beyond the Custom House -can be seen hastening motor-cars and whizzing electric tramcars. And -here is a newspaper man, wanting an interview. We are entering "the -amazing Argentine." - -[Illustration: - _Photograph by H. G. Olds, Buenos Aires._ - PLAZA DEL CONGRESO, BUENOS AIRES.] - - - - -CHAPTER II - -SOME ASPECTS OF BUENOS AIRES - - -The Argentines call their city of Buenos Aires the Paris of the southern -hemisphere. It has a population nearing a million and a half, which is -greater than that of any other town below the line of the Equator. The -people promise that in time it will overtake London. - -You insult an Argentine if you mix him up with Chilians, Brazilians, and -other South Americans. He does not thank you for being reminded his -father sailed from Italy, or his grandfather from Spain. He has no -affection for any old land from which his sires came. The beginning of -the world for Argentina was in May, 1810, when the Republic was set up. - -He has no pride of historic race. When he makes money and visits Europe -it is not to find the ancestral home in Spain or Italy. It is to have a -good time in Paris. When he takes his family to Paris it is not to spend -three, five, or six months. It is to spend three, five, or six hundred -thousand pesos--and the value of a peso is one shilling and eightpence. -When the pesos have flown he returns to Argentina and makes more. - -The Argentines are a dignified people. They accept the English because -in round figures five hundred millions of British capital in gold have -aided in developing the country. They dislike the citizen of the United -States because the big brother Republic of the north patronises them, -and they need nobody's help. They have a contempt for all other Latins -beneath the Isthmus of Panama, particularly the Brazilians. They are -conscious of their own qualities. - -And the visitor blinks, and rubs his eyes, and admits the wonders of -Argentina. If his acquaintance with geography is casual he has shrugged -his shoulders at South American Republics, where they have revolutions -every six weeks, and where tawny Spaniards in quaint costumes drive -mules and die from difference of opinion with other Spaniards. - -Then he goes to "B.A."--the familiar description of Buenos Aires--and he -finds he has landed in a rampantly modern American-cum-European city. -There is none of the sloth of the Southern, no checking of business -between noon and three to pass in siestas. - -It is a busy city. The port is thronged with shipping, mostly British. -High-shouldered elevators stick out long tongues, and streams of wheat, -grown on the plains of the interior, pour food for Europe into the -holds. Trucks of cattle grunt through the noisy railway yards. There are -huge killing establishments, and animals go to their death by the many -thousand every day with a celerity which would awaken a Chicagoan. There -are mighty avenues of chilled and frozen meat. Labour-saving machinery -carries it on board the steamers which hasten across the Atlantic, -carrying cheap beef to the London and Liverpool markets. Commerce is -conducted on the latest scientific lines. The North Americans have -nobbled the meat trade, and the Jews have control of the wheat market. - -[Illustration: - _Photograph by H. G. Olds, Buenos Aires._ - THE PLAZA HOTEL, BUENOS AIRES.] - -Buenos Aires is the mart where the produce of the rich back-lands is -bartered. It levies a heavy toll. The most imposing business buildings -are the banks--national banks, British, German, French, Spanish, and -Italian banks. In and about Reconquista are these banks, ever busy. Near -by are the rival shipping offices, a glut of them. The offices of the -great railway companies are enormous. Wide-spreading premises exhibit -the latest and best agricultural machinery that Lincolnshire and -Illinois can produce. There is the hustle of commerce. The streets are -as narrow and as crowded and as vital as within the City of London. -There is earnestness about the men. - -The Argentine is sombre in manner. He dresses in conventional black. A -light waistcoat, a gay tie or fancy socks, is bad form. You cannot tell -the difference between a millionaire and one of his clerks, except that -the former has an expensive motor-car and the latter hires a taxi or a -victoria, or travels by electric tramcar. At every corner you see -evidence of prosperity, of successful money-making. And money speaks in -"B.A." as loudly as it does in New York. - -Folk of the Saxon breed tend to scoff at the decadence of the Latin -race. But there is something revivifying in the transplanting of a -people. We have evidence in our own colonies. The man of Spanish descent -in the Argentine is not always the spry fellow he thinks himself; but he -has dropped the cloak of sluggishness which enwraps Spain. He is often -rich; he lives in a gorgeous residence; his extravagances are beyond -those of a Russian archduke. He is polite and hospitable. - -But the wealthy Spanish Argentine is not the creator of his own wealth. -I heard of only one case of a Spanish Argentine owing his great fortune -to commercial enterprise. The fortunes of most of these Argentines come -from land. Their grandfathers got immense areas by the easiest means. -Properties were so enormous that extent was not reckoned in acres, or -even square miles, but by leagues. But a hundred leagues, however good -for cattle or sheep, or wheat growing--what was its value a couple of -hundred miles from a port? Then came British railways. They pierced the -prairies. The land bounded in value, tenfold, a thousandfold. Other -people came in; first shrewd Scotsmen; then industrious Italians; then -Englishmen bent on becoming _estancieros_. Their children are -Argentines. But the mighty fortunes are mostly in the possession of the -early Argentines--those who were settled fifty and more years ago. They -have sat still and seen their land blossom in value. They pay no income -tax; there is no tax on unearned increment. Mr. Lloyd George was once -in the Argentine, associated with a land development company. That, -however, is another story. - -Hundreds of thousands of immigrants pour into the Republic every year. -They come from every land on earth. Mostly do they come from Spain and -Italy. Italy provides the greatest number, and splendid colonists they -are. Though the language will always be Spanish, the race is rapidly -becoming Italianised. There is a commingling of the sterner stuff from -Europe. So in this rich land--rivalling Canada and Australia in -productiveness--there is being blended a new people, keen, alert, -successful, ostentatious, pagan--a people that has a destiny and knows -it. - -The Argentines are town proud. You are not in Buenos Aires a couple of -days before you are bombarded with the inquiry, "Don't you think this is -a beautiful city?" It is not that; but it is an interesting city. - -In the oldest quarters the streets are narrow, after the Spanish style. -So narrow are they that, with electric cars jingling along them, -vehicles are allowed to journey only one way. To reach a shop by -carriage it is sometimes necessary to drive along three and a half sides -of a block of buildings. Funny little policemen, brown faced, blue clad, -and with white gaiters and white wands, direct the traffic. In the -Florida--the Bond Street of "B.A."--all wheeled traffic is prohibited -between the hours of four and seven in the afternoon, so that shoppers -may have an easier way. - -Most of the streets are called after Argentine provinces, or -neighbouring republics, or national heroes, or some politician or rich -man who can influence the authorities. When a popular man has lost his -popularity the remnant of his fame is obliterated by the street called -after him being named after someone else. It is as though the Government -at home decided to change Victoria Street, Westminster, into the Avenida -Asquith, with the prospect of its being altered later on to the Calle -Bonar Law. - -Wide plazas decorate the city. Vegetation is luxuriant, and statues are -numerous. The Plaza Mayo is not called after an Irish peer, but after -the month of May, 1810. The shops are as big as those in London. -Argentina manufactures practically nothing, and all the lovely things -have to be imported from Europe. The hotels are imitations of those in -Paris. The restaurants are on a par with the best we have in London. A -Viennese band plays whilst you have Russian caviare and the waiter is -asking your choice in champagne. But everything is expensive. A man -needs three times the salary in Buenos Aires to live the same way he -would live in London. If you calculate exchange rates you go mad. It is -best to count the peso (1s. 8d.) as a shilling, and then remember that -you are spending your shilling in South America, where things are dear. -You can get a modest luncheon for 10s.; but you will pay 2s. for a -bottle of beer, and 3s. 6d. for a cigar worth smoking. - -[Illustration: - _Photograph by A. W. Boote & Co., Buenos Aires._ - THE TIGRE, BUENOS AIRES ROWING CLUB.] - -Yet nobody minds. Immense sums are being spent on improving -the city. It is built on the American T-square plan. But it is to be -subjected to the plan of Haussmann, with great tree-girt avenues -radiating diagonally from the Plaza Mayo. An underground railway, -honeycombing beneath the town, is in rapid construction. The railways -have a great suburban traffic, and are being electrified. There are -British colonies at Belgrano and Hurlingham, and you have a choice of -three golf courses. In the summer months--December, January, and -February--there is river life on the Tigre, the Thames of the Argentine. -A charming spot is Palermo, a combination of Hyde Park and the Bois de -Boulogne--open sweeps and charming trees, a double boulevard with -statues and commemorative marbles in the middle, well-cared-for gardens, -radiant flowers and the band playing. - -A drive through Palermo at the fashionable hour causes one to gasp at -the thought that one is six thousand miles from Europe. Nowhere in the -world have I seen such a display of expensive motor-cars, thousands of -them. Ostentation is one of the stars of life in the Argentine. -Appearances count for everything. You must have a motor-car, even though -you have not the money to pay for it, and you owe the landlord of your -flat a year's rent. The ladies are exquisitely gowned, but they have not -the vivacity of the French women nor their daring in dress. There is a -demureness, a restraint which reminds one that the atmosphere of -far-away Castile is still upon them. - -On Sundays and Thursdays there are races at Palermo. The price -Argentines pay for horseflesh has become a proverb. It is a good -race-course. We have nothing in England, neither at Epsom, Ascot, nor -Goodwood, so magnificent as the grand stand. It is a glorified royal -box. The restaurant is like the Ritz dining-room. Everybody dresses as -they would at Ascot. There are no bookmakers. The totalisator is used. -Betting is officially conducted by the Jockey Club, and there is -constant announcement of the amount of money put on the horses. Those -who have backed the winners share the spoil, less ten per cent. As this -ten per cent. is deducted from the total amount put on each race, the -income of the Jockey Club runs into hundreds of thousands of pounds. So -the Club maintains a good race-course, offers capital prizes, has a -house in "B.A."--undoubtedly the most palatial club-house in the -southern world--and distributes the remainder amongst the hospitals. -The income of the Jockey Club is so large it is really embarrassing. -The members are proceeding to build an Aladdin's palace of -super-gorgeousness. - -But at the races at Palermo I noticed that no ladies attended, except in -the members' enclosure. Even there they did not mingle with the -men-folk. There was no mirth, such as we are used to in Europe. They -kept themselves to little groups. Moving from wonder to wonder, I was -present at a gala performance at the Colon Theatre. I have seen all the -great theatres in the world, and this is the loveliest--a harmony of -rose and gold. The audience was as fashionably dressed as at the opera -in London, though I missed the dazzling display of diamonds which had -been promised. Most of the audience were ladies; there were boxes of -them, and most of the men were in the stalls. There was one gallery -reserved for women. - -I began to discern a strange Orientalism in the relations between the -sexes. The Argentine women are amongst the best mothers in the world. -But there is practically none of the good fellowship between young -fellows and young girls which is so happy a feature of our English life. -For a man and a woman to take a walk together would shock the -proprieties. There are brilliant receptions, but dinner parties, as we -know them, are rare. An Argentine seldom introduces a friend to his -wife. Except amongst the poorest a woman scarcely ever goes into the -streets alone. If she does she runs risk of being insulted. There are -Argentines, who would be offended if refused the name of gentlemen, who -think it excellent sport to walk in the Florida in the evening and -mutter obscenities to every unprotected woman who passes. Buenos Aires -is the most immoral city in the world. So the Argentine guards his -women-folk from contact with other men. His attitude is a relic of the -days when the Moors had possession of Spain. - -I have called Buenos Aires a pagan city. So it is. The men are frankly -irreligious. In conversation I have been told of the tolerance to all -religions. What is really meant is indifference to any religion. - -Money-making and flamboyant display--these are the gods which are -worshipped. The houses in the wealthier districts are exotic in -architecture. I remember driving along the Avenida Alvear, a street of -palaces, reminiscent of the Grand Canal at Venice if it were a roadway. -But the fine stone blocks are nothing but stucco. The ornamentation, the -floral decorations, are not carved stone; they are stucco. Imitation, -pretence, showiness, the flaunting of wealth, are everywhere. - -Yet this city, which has grown in a generation on the muddy flats by the -side of the muddy Parana River, has something that is weird in its -fascination. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -ROUND AND ABOUT THE CAPITAL - - -The way not to see a city is to be trotted round and shown all the -"sights." I have an idea I may have missed some of the "sights" of -Buenos Aires. I did not "do" the churches. Acquaintances who knew I went -to South America to pursue my trade of writer sometimes asked me what I -was going to write about, and the reply was, "I do not know." But I was -not believed. - -Anyway, I may say that I drifted about "B.A." I presented my letters of -introduction, made friends, lunched out and dined out, had motor trips, -went here and there as suggestion provided the inclination; maybe to a -theatre, or to smoke a cigar in one of the clubs with men who are of -account in Argentina or no account at all, or to spend a Sunday with an -Argentine family; maybe to idle an hour in one of the cafés; maybe to -have a serious talk with a Minister; maybe do nothing but idle round. -That is no scientific way to study a city. But it just happens to be my -way. - -The conclusions I draw may be wrong, for I may have met the wrong people -and seen the wrong things, especially as I had no system. Yet out of the -confused jumble of impressions and experiences something coherent -evolves, and that is the substance of my remarks when I am asked, "Well, -what do you think about Buenos Aires?" - -It is not my wish to accentuate the point, but open-handed extravagance -is one of the traits of the people. It is a fault of democratic -countries that, having no aristocracy of birth, they proceed to create -one of wealth. Argentina has fine old Spanish families; but, though -esteemed, they are in the background. In the wrangle-jangle of frenzied -progress they are not to be counted amongst the moderns. So garish is -the display of money that the idea left is that you have had your -attention called to it by the constant blaring of a bugle. - -But I would shrink from saying the display is vulgar. Keeping in mind -that the people are Latins, and are fonder of colour than we of the cold -and moral north, I would write there is a sort of ostentatious -restraint. Argentines glory in spending money, but amongst the older -settled people other things besides money have their place. They are -fond of music, and pride themselves that they discovered Tetrazzini and -Kubelik long before London. Here, as in Paris, London, and New York, -there is the mob which goes to the opera because it is "the thing" to -have an expensive box, and to wear lovely gowns and loads of diamonds. -The prices paid make the charges for a gala night at Covent Garden seem -like those of a twopenny show. It may be said that a well-known artiste -is sure of a kindly reception. Yet Buenos Aires has its moods; it has -its vagaries, and is petulant. For some undefinable reason it will take -a dislike to some performer who arrives with a European reputation. -Perhaps half a dozen ladies who lead the fashionable world will say the -artiste is overrated. "She may be all right for Paris, but she does not -come up to Buenos Aires standard"--that is the attitude. For anybody to -praise the poor singer after that is to advertise their inartistic -taste. There is a boycott. So a European singer or instrumentalist who -goes to the Argentine aglow with the prospect of a dazzling success -sometimes returns with the saddest of experiences--neglect. - -[Illustration: LOLA MORA FOUNTAIN, BUENOS AIRES.] - -With such a people, Latin in race and living in the sunshine, life is -something of a holiday. One hears stories of the looseness of life -amongst the men--on the boats running between France and Argentina can -be seen the girls going out to meet the requirements of the hundreds of -houses of ill-fame--but the Argentine women themselves are beyond -reproach. Indeed, their regard for correctness is often amusingly -prudish. Public opinion is so strong that no lady, if she wants the -esteem of her neighbours, dare show the slightest originality in costume -or conduct. Plays with the faintest hint of suggestiveness about them -are barred. Performances which would pass muster in a London West-end -theatre are shunned; plays to which the most innocent of girls cannot go -are taboo. The consequence of this is that there are other places of -amusement especially catering for men, which no respectable woman can -enter. Just outside the boundaries there are cinematograph shows "for -men only," which for indecency cannot be outdone in Port Said or Havana. - -I have mentioned how the visitor to Argentina soon begins to be aware of -the low position of women in the minds of men, the way in which there is -no real friendship between the sexes outside the family circle, and how -no Argentine will trust another Argentine in regard to his ladies. With -all their finery and jewellery and expensive motor-cars and boxes at the -Colon Theatre, you are prone to remark, "How un-European!" when you see -the segregation of the women. - -Yet with all their frivolity, dress, bridge, amusements, you make a -mistake if you fancy the Argentine lady a guarded, slothful doll--though -the description applies in thousands of cases. I had the opportunity of -seeing the other side of the picture. On two days, under the guidance of -ladies themselves, I visited the establishments of Las Damas da -Beneficencia and several Government hospitals. A noble work is being -done. I saw how the poor are cared for. There was the nurturing of the -old. There was tending the sick in buildings worthy of any city in the -world. There were the homes where the wives of poor folk could come to -bring their babies into the world. There is much illegitimacy, and -formerly there was much infanticide. So there was a kind of casement -where, at dusk, mothers could bring their unwanted offspring and deliver -them. No questions were asked, but the infant, because it was a -helpless little child, was cared for. The same work is done to-day, but -without the mystery of the casement. Foster-mothers are engaged to nurse -the children. As one went through the rooms, and saw the tiny morsels of -humanity, many of them feeble, with a shape of head which roused wonder -as to the future, it was hard to keep the tears away. - -Poverty, as we understand it in Europe, does not exist in Argentina. But -there are men who are stricken down in early manhood, unable to earn -anything, and who need help. There are widows and the fatherless to be -cared for. There are poor folk, but their trouble is due to misfortune -and not to economic causes. Charity, however, is great, and funds are -numerous and the Government provides handsomely, and there is no -distress such as we know it. But all this good work, hospitals, looking -after the aged, providing for the fatherless, is carried on by the women -of Argentina. Except to serve as doctors, no men have any voice in the -control or management. Ladies, with their presidents and boards of -management and committees, have the work placed entirely in their hands. -It is set apart for them, and no man interferes. Yet the suffrage -question has not extended to Argentina. - -Life is taken lightly and showily by this new nation. But when anybody -dies all the relatives go into mourning, to the fourteenth cousin. And -in death the display is just as rampant as in life. The Recoleta is a -strange cemetery, bizarre, ghoulish, tawdry. To own a tomb in Recoleta -is one of the necessities if a family wants to be in the swim. These -tombs are like chalets, occasionally of Italian marble, generally of the -Buenos Aires stucco--the capital surpasses all other cities in the world -in the amount of stucco--and they are ornate. There are streets upon -streets of them, and you take a walk through a town of the dead. The -doors are open, and you can step in and see half a dozen coffins ranged -round the shelves. Occasionally there are photographs of the dear -departed. On All Saints' Day it is usual for the living family to gather -in the tomb, have tea, and munch cakes. After a number of years the -coffins have to be removed, or a heavy sum paid, and the tomb is "to -let." The whole thing is repulsive to the Englishman, but the Argentine -loves it. - -The capital of Buenos Aires province is La Plata, about fifty miles -away. I went down one day by the luncheon train, which runs out of the -Plaza Constitution just after midday and does the journey in an hour. It -was a fine train, and the luncheon car was bigger, and the food better -than we have on English lines. The car was crowded with a -sallow-skinned, black-moustached, black-garbed lot of gentlemen, and I -gathered they were all Government officials. Nobody in Government employ -thinks of doing any work in the morning. The men go to the office late -and leave early. It was almost like home. - -La Plata is a town that has missed its way. Full of grandiose ideas, and -taking the United States as a model, it was decided to build La Plata -as the federal capital on the Washington plan. Gorgeous buildings were -erected; magnificent avenues were constructed; the loveliest of public -gardens were laid out; a fine museum was founded; a great municipal -theatre was piled up. In the public square bandstands were provided and -statues to national heroes hoisted. It was to be the flower of Argentine -towns. And every Argentine town, when it sets out to beautify itself, -must have an avenida and a plaza and an equestrian statue of San Martin; -the matters of water supply and drainage come later. - -[Illustration: LA RECOLETA.] - -But the federal capital absolutely refused to settle at La Plata. It was -too near Buenos Aires, where society lived, and where there was a whirl -of excitement. So, perforce, the capital had to be at Buenos Aires, and -a Government House for the residence of the President of the Republic -was built, and is known as the "Palace o Gold," because of the money -consumed in its construction. - -Argentina is ever willing to vote vast sums for town adornment; but the -money has a habit of evaporating before half the work is done, and then -more is needed. - -However, La Plata is the capital of the province of Buenos Aires; but -the majority of officials refuse to live there. They prefer to come down -from Buenos Aires at a quarter past one, and catch the quarter to five -train back. The Governor has made appeals; he has even threatened what -he will do if the officials do not live in La Plata. They take no -notice. The consequence is that this beautiful city--and without doubt -it is majestic in its spaciousness--is deserted, and a saunter through -it is like a walk through an old cathedral town on a drowsy afternoon. - -As a companion and a host no one could be more charming than the -Argentine. He loves his country, but is willing to hear praise about -other countries without thinking you wish to depreciate Argentina. He -will go to infinite trouble to secure some particular information you -are anxious to possess. Men on whom I had no personal claim whatever -laid aside their work and devoted a couple of days in my behalf. As the -men are courteous so the women are graceful, until lack of exercise and -over-eating makes them stout. The girls are modest, but, I am afraid, -centre their thoughts on dress. It rather shocked one to see that it is -a habit for quite young girls of thirteen or fourteen years to daub -their faces with powder. As for the young gentleman, he begins when -twelve years of age to smoke and to tell lewd stories. He is impudent to -the servants and to his parents, and I have known fathers smile when -told their sons of fifteen have taken to visiting houses of ill-fame. -Some Argentines are taking to healthy sport; but it would be better if -all of them took to outdoor exercises, cricket, football, baseball, -tennis, and golf. The Argentine young gentleman is bright but -superficial, and is too fond of the clothes of the dandy -and jewellery and perfumes to excite any admiration amongst men who -dislike effeminacy in their own sex. - -[Illustration: THE GOVERNMENT BUILDING, LA PLATA.] - -It was my good fortune to receive nothing but kindness from every class -of Argentine that I met. But I am not going to hide I met Englishmen, -who knew more about the Argentines and who had few generous things to -say. "There is no morality, unless the young women are guarded; the -Argentine is egotistic beyond words; domestic habits are dirty, and -taking a bath is rare; the men chatter, and, whilst voluble with -friendship, are suspicious; they are bombastic about patriotism, but are -not above receiving bribes; all the advantages the Argentine has he owes -to foreigners; he produces nothing himself; he is shallow and shiftless; -the only business instinct he has is cunning, and the old Spanish -_mañana_ spirit--always putting off till to-morrow the performance of a -business duty--is deep seated." All of which shows how impossible it is -to draw a composite picture of an individual to represent a nation. Just -as there are nice Englishmen and vulgar fellows, cultured Americans and -bounders, delightful Germans and hoggish sots, so in Argentina it takes -all sorts to make a people. The growing practice of well-to-do -Argentines of sending their children to be educated in Europe has its -advantages, though there is another side of the picture. They certainly -acquire better manners than they pick up at home; they learn that -Argentina is not the centre of the world. When they return to Argentina -and display the consequences of foreign travel they are not popular. - -As far as I could discern the Argentine, though still infused with Latin -traits, still showy and talkative, more inclined to gamble than to do -hard work, is breaking through and away from the old Spanish habits. -European business men told me they were keen witted, but incompetent in -practical affairs. But there is too much business now going on in -Argentina, too much development of industries in which foreigners have -little hand, too thorough a grasp of some of the problems which face all -new lands, for the Argentines to be dismissed with a phrase. - -I could see they were inexact, that they were fond of showing off, that -knowledge of the world was thin; but I did understand their genuine -ambition to lift Argentina into the first rank among nations; that where -they lacked technical and mechanical knowledge themselves they were -willing to let others come in; that they were quite alive to what -progress means in the modern sense. The conservatism of the old Spaniard -has completely disappeared. The Argentine wants the latest and the best. -If one goes forth to gather faults it is easy enough to get a basketful. -What drew me, however, was not so much listening to a catalogue of -things he is not, but to mark down what he is, what he has done and is -doing, and what he intends to do. As a small instance, in Buenos Aires -the habit of the Spanish siesta is abandoned. There is no pulling down -of business shutters between noon and three o'clock. The climate is -enervating, but be the day never so steamy, with hot gusts panting from -the north, the city is early alive with commerce, the suburban trains -are packed, the Stock Exchange is a babble of excitement--and there -never seems to be any drawing of rein till five or six in the afternoon. -There is hustle. - -[Illustration: THE SOUTHERN STATION AT LA PLATA.] - -[Illustration: IN THE GREAT SQUARE AT LA PLATA.] - -The way the population jumps up is phenomenal. It signifies much that an -eighth of a million is added to the population of a capital in a single -year. Skyscrapers now tower over the buildings which were thought -enormous a dozen years ago. Notwithstanding the services of the -policemen directing the traffic, there is often a tangle of motor-cars, -electric tramcars, private carriages and carts. New broadways are -being driven through the city, and up go palatial stores. Most English -newspapers are modest in _locale_. But the Argentine newspapers keep in -the sun. _La Prensa_ is one of the best-informed journals in the world. -It has a noble exterior to its offices. Inside are luxurious suites of -rooms, lecture halls, libraries, and the public are invited to enter. -Every public building, all the clubs, even the churches, seem to be tied -up with long ropes of different coloured electric lamps, so that on -nights of festival the switch is jerked and the whole place is radiantly -illuminated. - -It is all very wonderful. The confusion, the barbarism, the love of -beauty and the display of dollars, the inflow of invested gold, the -coming of the immigrant, the whirl of business, the big deals, the -gambling, the making of fortunes and the losing of fortunes, dazzle the -mind. But you feel the fascination of Buenos Aires. It has grown so -astonishingly in so short a time that you gasp when you contemplate how -much more it is likely to grow. - -[Illustration: STATUE PRESENTED TO ARGENTINA BY THE FRENCH COMMUNITY ON -THE OCCASION OF THE CENTENARY OF INDEPENDENCE.] - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT IN THE REPUBLIC - - -The place Argentina holds in the world is due to the meat and wheat it -sends to other lands. But having recognised its fecundity as a good -food-producing area, it is well to start at the beginning. Argentina may -have had fine grazing tracks capable of rearing untold millions of -cattle and arable land that had only to be scratched to yield excellent -crops of cereals; but without transport values are at a minimum. -Accordingly, the development and prosperity of the Argentine is mainly -due to railways. The sum of £300,000,000 British capital is invested in -Argentine railways and electric tramways. - -I travelled a good deal in the Republic, from Buenos Aires to Inca in -the Andes, and from Tucuman in the north to Bahia Blanca in the south. I -journeyed over hundreds of miles of flat, featureless, dreary country -that grew nothing but wild grasses until a few years ago. And there are -plenty of sandy, bush-studded, alkali-stricken acres--just as you find -barren patches in the United States, Canada, Siberia, and Australia--but -there are thousands of leagues awakened into life, _estancias_ with -great herds of cattle munching at the alfalfa, stretches of wheat and -maize, on and on, as though without end, the only break on the horizon -being the colonist's mud hut, a clump of trees--and it always seems the -same clump of trees--which indicates a ranch, and the ever-whirring -American water-wheel. As you travel through England it is the spires of -churches that pierce the sky. The only thing that ever pierces the sky -on the Argentine pampas is the zinc American water-wheel. The Argentine -_estanciero_ thinks a water-wheel is of more use to him than a church. - -All over this land, zigzagging, curving, intersecting, sometimes running -in an absolutely straight line for a hundred and fifty miles, is the -greatest length of railway lines in the world for a population of seven -millions. The towns are far apart; villages are few. You journey half a -day, and, except at the little wayside stations, do not see more than -half a dozen folk on the land. Yet it is a smiling land, and greets the -sunshine with abundance. The railways in the Argentine are to garner -this wealth. Freight trains, with cars of the colossal American pattern, -trundle their long length across the plains. - -I recall one night when, at a forgotten siding, the engine drew out to -get water, taking a saunter along the train side. It was brilliantly lit -with electricity, and the restaurant car, with the usual little -red-shaded lamps on the tables, was busy; crowds of passengers were -dining, and the usual waiters were scurrying, and there was the usual -Continental fare, and champagne and Moselle wines, and the usual mineral -waters you get on the Nord express. That gleaming train in central -South America was the symbol of what railway enterprise has done in -Argentina. - -There are 20,000 miles of railroads in the Republic. The British showed -the way in the initial building, and their lines pass through some of -the fattest territory. The French have been tardy followers, but have -constructed useful minor lines. The Argentine Government has built State -lines through country that was suitable for colonisation, but which did -not appeal to the outside investor. These State railways are financially -a failure. One reason is that the territory through which they run is -not of the best. The principal reason is that they are the prey of the -politicians. Constituencies have to be considered, and innumerable jobs -found for the hangers-on of political parties. Business conditions are -the last to be thought of, and, though the Government has done well in -throwing these lines into distant regions needing development, they are -not likely to succeed until placed under different control. - -Not only have the Argentines themselves not started railway companies, -but they have no money invested in the foreign companies. One cause is -that, though the Government insists on a local board of directors, the -real board of directors is abroad, chiefly in London. Another cause is -that dividends are limited by law to 7 per cent., and that is not a -sufficient return for the Argentine. He does not care to touch -investments that do not yield 12 per cent., and when he gets 30 per -cent. he thinks that about fair--and the country is so prosperous it can -afford it. - -Although within the last fifteen years millions of British money have -poured into Argentina for railway construction, the investor in the old -days cast a hesitating eye on South America as a place to sink his -capital. In the 'fifties a railway a few miles long was all that -Argentina could boast, and ten years later, when 7 per cent. was -guaranteed, money was not forthcoming. As an inducement to construct a -line between Rosario and Cordoba the absolute ownership of three miles -on either side of the line was offered. Even with such an attraction the -British investor was shy. - -Gradually, however, money was forthcoming, and lines were laid. In the -'eighties there came a spurt. It was not till the years following 1900 -that money could be had for the asking. Lines cobwebbed the profitable -country; distant points were linked up; land which previously had little -beyond prairie value bounced up in price. - -[Illustration: CENTRAL ARGENTINE RAILWAY COMPANY'S GRAIN ELEVATORS AT -BUENOS AIRES.] - -Though to-day there is a thought in the public mind that a little too -much money has been thrown into Argentina, that land prices are too -inflated--which they are--I have traversed districts which three years -ago were wilderness; but a spur of railway has been driven into them, -and instantly farming has been started. I saw hundreds of freshly-built -homesteads--crude, and the life harsh, but it was the beginning of -great things--and alfalfa had been laid down, and cattle were feeding, -and wide spaces which previously were sandy and apparently inhospitable -were carpeted with the bright green of new wheat. Just as in Canada -there is a belief that the breaking up of the land had decreased the -severity of the frost, so there is a belief in Argentina that rains -follow the plough. Places which formerly had little rainfall, and which -had a doubtful agricultural future, are proving successful. Yet without -the advance of railways the country would have been as forlorn as when -the Indians roved the pampas. - -Railway companies in England have had to fight landowners to make -headway. In Argentina landowners welcome the coming of a railway, for -obvious reasons. Most of the wealthy Argentines owe their fortunes to -their land being benefited by the railways. As a rule, out in the far -districts, a railway company can get the necessary land for nothing. -Owners are willing to make financial contributions. The general managers -of the big British railways in Argentina get large salaries--£7,000 a -year. This is partly to remove them from the range of temptation of -being bribed by owners, syndicates, or land companies to authorise the -making of railways where they would not be economically advisable. Of -course, extensions near the big towns cost the railways as much as they -would in England. I know a man who thirty years ago bought a piece of -land for £1,600. He sold it to a railway company for over £200,000. - -Though foreign capital is having so extensive a run in networking the -country with railways, the Argentine Government has a much closer grip -on the working of the lines than the Board of Trade has on English -companies. It is therefore no misrepresentation to say that, whilst -private owners are glad to have their property enhanced in value by the -juxtaposition of a railway, the Government puts obstacles in the way for -what are ostensibly public reasons. Accordingly, expensive "diplomacy" -has sometimes to be used. The Government is sufficiently aware of the -return the foreign investor gets--and when fresh extensions are sought -it invariably withholds its consent until some concession has been wrung -out of the company, such as an undertaking to construct a line through a -district that cannot, for some time at any rate, be a success. There is -never any guarantee that another company will not be formed to work the -same district. The Government smiles at the fight between the two lines -for traffic--to the public benefit. When companies propose to amalgamate -the Government either makes such demands in regard to uneconomic lines -that the thing falls through or a veto is put upon the amalgamation -altogether. - -Perhaps it is due to the excellence of the railways that the Argentine -high roads are so bad. And frankly, though I know most of the new lands -of the world, I know of no region where the country roads are so -villainous as in this Republic. Rarely are they anything beyond mother -earth. In wet weather they are quagmires, and I have seen vehicles -stranded, unable to be hauled by a team of five horses. In summer, when -rain is absent, they are foot-deep furrows of dust. I shall never forget -a motor excursion through the sugar plantations round about Tucuman. The -way was like a magnified ploughed field, and all the ridges were of -dust. We drove through it as an engine drives through snow. - -All railway material comes in duty free, but one of the conditions is -that 3 per cent. of the profits shall be used for the making of roads -leading to railway stations. The companies do not object, because the -call is not large, and it is to their interest that agriculturists -should be able to get their produce to the railway station to be -transported over the lines. - -The Direccion-General de Ferrocarriles is the authority over the -railways in Argentina. It decides the number of trains which shall be -run, and it insists on the number of coaches. There must be a certain -number of dormitory cars on all-night trains, and restaurant cars are -obligatory over certain distances. Every train carries a letter-box, and -recently the companies have been squeezed into carrying the mails for -nothing. A medicine chest, a stretcher, a bicycle--so that quick -communication can be made with the nearest station in case of -accident--and all sorts of necessities in case of a breakdown are -compulsory. Every carriage is thoroughly disinfected every month, and -there is always a card to be initialled by an inspector. All bedding and -mattresses are subject to scientific disinfection such as I have seen -nowhere in Europe. - -No time-tables can be altered without the sanction of the National -Railway Board at least two months before coming into operation. If -trains stop at stations for which they are not scheduled a heavy fine is -imposed; and all late trains, and the reason, have to be reported to the -Government authority. No alteration, however small, to a station -building or to the design of rolling stock is permissible without the -sanction of the Government representatives. A complaint book is at every -station, open to anyone to complain on any subject. Guards also keep a -book. Many of the complaints are amusing. I heard of one man who -insisted on writing in the complaint book that "everything was in -perfect order and the staff faultless." Occasionally passengers will -have a dispute, and whilst one will find fault in the complaint book -with the manners of the train attendants, another will write beneath -that the attendants are all right, and it is the complainant's manners -which are at fault. - -There are the usual buffers in front of an engine; but they are all -hinged, and have to be hoisted backwards when a train is travelling, -because if an animal were run into, the cow-catcher might not be able to -throw the beast aside, for it could be caught between the catcher and -the protruding buffer. Though, on the face of it, the Government -subjects the companies to innumerable restrictions, and frequently -imposes vexatious regulations, it must be recognised that public safety -is the thought behind them all. - -[Illustration: LATEST TYPE OF PASSENGER LOCOMOTIVE.] - -[Illustration: LATEST TYPE OF DINING CAR.] - -The Republic lives by its exports of meat and agricultural produce. -Ninety-five per cent. of this trade is carried to the ports by the -railways. From the railroad cars one beholds productiveness; yet fifteen -or twenty miles away lies land just as productive but as yet untouched -by the plough, because there is neither sufficient population to -cultivate nor railways to carry. Within the next dozen years there must -inevitably be a further spurt in the making of feeding or auxiliary -lines. Something like £20,000,000 a year is crossing the ocean for fresh -railway enterprises in Argentina. Nearly 40,000,000 tons of goods are -carried over the lines each year, and the receipts are something like -£25,000,000 annually. And yet but a fragment of the harvest of this new -land is being garnered. Its untrodden millions of acres await new -railways to open up the country. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -SETTLEMENT ON THE LAND - - -Prolific though Argentina is, and though its agricultural wealth has -only been scratched, it cannot be described as an ideal country for the -poor immigrant. The eyes of the land have been well picked, and there -are rich personal estates covering one hundred and fifty square miles. - -There is little disposition to voluntary splitting up of estates, but -rather to hold whilst annually the value increases with the coming of -people and the advancement of railways. The Government is doing -something to assist the small man with limited capital to settle on -distant Government lands. But the poor immigrant, with nothing but his -muscle and his industry, has a long and rough road to travel before he -reaches independence as a landed proprietor. It is a hard land in which -to start making a fortune; but the man of money who can step into the -Republic, say, with £25,000 to play with, and who invests judiciously, -can double his capital in three years. - -Whilst the old Argentines, those of Spanish descent, have waxed wealthy -simply by sitting still and letting the foreigner develop their -property, there are British Argentine families whose estates, if -realised, would produce double-figured millions, and whose proprietors -landed as labourers less than fifty years ago. Money has come to lots of -these people, shrewd and lucky, as though they held the key to a cave of -jewels. Some have remained modest in spite of possessions; others look -upon gold as the only god, and their blatant display at Mar del Plata, -and on the steamers of the Royal Mail Company, is something which would -make the conduct of the new rich of Chicago Quakerish by comparison. - -The cry of Argentina, like that of all new lands, is for population. -Over 300,000 fresh arrivals land annually from all corners of the earth, -Russia, Syria, France, Germany, and England, but mainly from Spain and -Italy. Whilst the Spaniard comes to stay, there is a considerable ebb -and flow amongst the Italians, thousands coming out for the harvest when -wages are high, and making sufficient to return for the rest of the -year; then they return for the next harvest. Allowing for the ebb, -Argentina gets a solid increase in population by immigration of over -250,000 persons a year, and there are no assisted passages and no offers -of free land. - -At each of the ports are Government hotels for immigrants. That at -Buenos Aires accommodates a thousand people. The new arrival, instead of -being distraught at landing in a strange country, or possibly falling a -prey to its sharks, is housed and fed for five days as the guest of his -new country. Careful inquiry is made as to capabilities, and, as there -is a never-satisfied demand from the interior for labourers, work is -certain, and officials see him and his baggage on the train, and an -official meets him at his destination and sees him firmly settled in his -fresh life. As work is assured, Argentina is a land where there are no -unemployed--except amongst the dissolute, who are to be found in all -countries. I saw these immigrants on the _Avon_ gathered at Vigo, and I -saw them in distant provinces, and I was struck with their sturdiness -and health. I place on record that I never saw a drunken man during all -my wanderings in the Republic. Blessed with a fine climate, and the -winter so temperate that fires are not necessary, life is easy, and -there is no crushing into towns for work, as is usual in Canada during -the frozen months. - -[Illustration: VIEW OF GRAZING LANDS.] - -[Illustration: A DRINKING PLACE ON AN ESTANCIA.] - -Owing to such immense tracts being held by individual owners--many of -whom prefer the pleasures of Paris and Buenos Aires to living on the -land where the cereals are grown--most of the cultivation is done by -"colonists." The system varies in different parts of the country, but -the general procedure is much on these lines. In a little centre of -population, maybe a village, but important because those who live many -miles round are dependent upon it for supplies, is to be found a store -where most things can be bought, from a plough to a tin kettle. The -storekeeper enters into a contract with the owner of vast lands to -cultivate it, either on rent or on shares of the value of the produce. -This storekeeper is a middleman, often a sweater. Though I have no -doubt there are honourable exceptions, he is often a thief into the -bargain. He gets a "colonist" to take over a certain area and to -cultivate it on shares. The "colonist" has to build a mud house, and -sink a well, and he has to buy his plough and hire his horses, and -obtain all necessaries from the middleman, who can fix his own price. -When the wheat or the maize is gathered the only man to whom the -"colonist" can sell is the middleman, who has it very much in his own -hands to say what the price shall be, and he frequently furnishes the -ignorant "colonist" with false returns as to quantity. But even then he -keeps back what is owing on agricultural implements and loaned horses, -with the consequence that the poor fellow has very little--if -any--margin. It is not too much to say that the "colonists" are in the -grip of the middlemen, and it is with difficulty they are ever able to -break free. - -Of course, the middleman runs risk of little return if there is drought -and a bad harvest, and, on the other hand, when he proceeds to sell the -wheat he finds himself encompassed by a ring of four Jewish firms, who -control the wheat market of the Argentine. The whole practice is -vicious, and I cannot but think that before long the Government will -have to take the matter in hand. - -Admitting the exquisite climate, and the fertility of the soil, and -Nature's quick response to light work, the lives of these "colonists" in -the distant camp is sad. Men of the Basque country, the north of Spain, -the north of Italy, they come from the homeland, where means of -livelihood were sparse, to this new land, where, although the chances -are rather against them to secure independence, their material -well-being is certainly better than in the Old Country. But they are -ignorant people; they know nothing of, and so care nothing for, the -refinements of life; their houses are not much better than kraals. They -are removed by long distances from neighbours; they live on a -featureless plain, and have no communication with the outer world; they -cannot read, and books and newspapers are foreign to them. Their world -is fringed by the horizon. A visit to the wayside station, where, maybe, -one train a day passes, is their excitement. There are no schools and no -religious instruction. Their moral standard is low. - -Many of these "colonists" take to farming with a minimum of practical -knowledge. Yet, though I have just drawn a rueful picture, I would not -have it thought there are no illuminating spots. A valuable work is -being carried on in agricultural instruction. On several occasions I -came across specially-built railway cars in which lecturers travel all -over the Republic and freely give advice to the peons how to get most -out of the soil. During the last seven years (since 1907) the Government -has zealously appreciated the need for organising the agricultural -and live-stock instruction. The work is not to be compared with the -splendid agricultural colleges to be found all over the United -States. The significant thing, however, is that the people of the -Argentine--perfectly conscious of all the advantages of science, and -with most of its best sons educated in Europe--have taken hold of this -problem of how to train its population to get the best out of the soil. -So schools are being formed over the country where information can be -obtained about the special productivity of particular districts, about -the growing of grasses, the feeding and care of beasts, milk production, -sugar-growing, cheese-making, market-gardening, fruit-rearing, and in -far western Mendoza I came across a college that is making instructive -experiments in viticulture. - -Besides agricultural courses at the Universities, there is much done by -way of University extension lectures; but instead of lectures about -sea-power in the sixteenth century, or the relationship of Henry VIII. -to Rome, the lectures are on the breeding of cattle, the raising of -maize, the sowing of alfalfa. - -It was my fortune to meet many cultured and travelled Argentines, but, -summing the people in a lump, and excluding the viciousness which trails -behind the wealth of Buenos Aires, and also making allowance for the -lack of that virility and perseverance of those strong men who are -fighting the big battle in Canada, the thing which constantly confronted -me was the fact that here in South America was a nation, born yesterday, -thoroughly alive to the worth of its possessions, brusquely modern, -content with nothing but the latest appliances and machinery and -thoroughly determined that, in the contest amongst the widespread -agricultural lands to supply food to the millions in crowded Europe, -Argentina will not be satisfied with an inferior position. - -In a subsequent chapter I will deal with what has already been -accomplished in this field. Here, however, I limit myself to pointing -out that Argentina is increasing her capabilities with a purely -practical education. Men who can neither read nor write, but have come -under the influence of these itinerant schools, can talk with scientific -knowledge about their trade of food producing, be it meat or cereals. - -Now another step is being made, and I trust with happy results in view -of the unfortunate position of the "colonists." So successful has been -the agricultural instruction during the past half dozen years, that the -next thing is to develop the commercial spirit so that the farmer may -have some chance of getting a fair return for his labour. Free lectures -are given on the business side of agriculture. Then, attached to the -schools are special buildings for experiments; and boarded pupils, the -sons of men who understand the money value of knowledge, are given a -thorough training. So that all may benefit there are free scholarships, -and I found that preference is given to competitors who come from -districts, suitable for a special industry, where schools have not yet -been established. - -Anyone who visits the school for viticulture in Mendoza, for agriculture -and live stock in Cordoba, and for arboriculture and sugar-making in -Tucuman--and I saw all three--comes away nothing less than amazed at the -way these transplanted Latins, away south of the Equator and across six -thousand miles of ocean, are making headway--and the start only begun a -few years ago. There is the real spirit of enthusiasm combined with an -optimism which to a man from a staid old country seems exaggerated -until, seeing what has been done, imagination is allowed to jump freely -into the future. At Mendoza, nestling at the foot of the Andes and -reminiscent of a town in Tuscany, where the whole countryside is covered -with vineyards and wine is being made to supply millions of wine -drinkers in the country--for the Argentine peasant takes wine with his -breakfast--experiments are made with the best known vines from Europe on -a farm of sixty-seven acres, so that grapes suitable to the soil may be -matured. At Cordoba the school has 445 acres, and investigation is made -to secure earlier and higher yields, and with special attention to -obtaining varieties which have powers of resisting drought. The same -sort of thing goes on at Tucuman. The sugar industry is increasing at -astonishing speed. Many men with scant practical knowledge are attracted -to it. The school gives them instruction and will send members of the -technical staff to the sugar factories and distilleries to give -assistance. Facts like these argue that Argentina is a country really to -be reckoned with, and is not to be dismissed--as I have heard it -dismissed in England, even amongst those who consider themselves -educated--as a rubbishy South American Republic, whose only crop is -revolutions. - -All over the Republic "regional schools" are being set up to provide -instruction, not in general agricultural subjects, but in regard to the -special requirements of the locality--for Argentina varies in climate -from tropical in the north to stern cold in the south; dairying, with a -model dairy, at Belle Ville; fruit culture at San Juan; forestry in the -Benitz colony. A scheme has been devised to equip Argentina with -agricultural knowledge by means of courses for children and adults, -travelling lecturers, information bureaus, co-operative experiments, -regional shows, encouragement of agricultural societies, organisation of -regional agricultural experts and military farms. Further, the National -Government have done an enormous service in providing irrigation works -in regions where the rainfall is uncertain. - -It has to be admitted that some areas are subject to drought, and this -and other evils have to be taken into consideration when reviewing the -agricultural growth of a country like Argentina, which lives by its -produce, and which in 1912 exported £36,000,000 worth of live-stock -products and £53,000,000 worth of agricultural products. Given good -years, the _estanciero_ in average country makes 30 per cent. on the -year. He can afford to have one bad year in three and yet be prosperous. -But although districts suffer, the area of the country is so vast that -losses are swamped in general prosperity. - -[Illustration: The irons are heated by fire made of bones of dead -cattle.] - -[Illustration: - Putting cattle through the chute. - BRANDING CALVES ON AN ESTANCIA.] - -As the older countries of the world concern themselves with national -defence, Argentina has established a Department of Agricultural Defence, -chiefly to fight the plague of locusts, which can eat out a whole -district in a single night. I recall in Cordoba Province seeing in the -distance what looked like a cloud of smoke. It was a storm of locusts, -so dense as it passed that midday was reduced to twilight. The locust -blights the land--it is the enemy. The locust is the thing which makes -the farmer shudder. When it comes it not only devours every blade of -grass within miles, but it lays its eggs in untold millions. The pest -has to be destroyed. The Government readily assists localities to -destroy the ova. The route of the swarms from the tropical north is -known. The telegraph tells of the progress. When they land, the -countryside turns out and catches them by the cartload. Sometimes the -district in which they have settled is fired. The whole zone where eggs -have been planted is ploughed. Animals are driven forth to trample the -pest. The Government has in its possession over 20,000,000 yards of -metallic barriers to make a line of defence, and when a swarm is penned -it is suffocated, burnt, or trampled. The Government not only has its -inspectors out, is ever ready to meet and repel the locust invasion from -Brazil and Bolivia with suitable appliances, but gives financial -assistance to those who help in the extermination. The Argentines are -determined to stop this pest. The way they are setting about the work -is evidence of their earnestness. - -The point I specially desire to make, however, is that farming in -Argentina is not all casual, but is becoming a developed national -industry. There are many things to criticise about the Government; there -is maladministration and there is peculation. But that so much has been -accomplished, notwithstanding these drawbacks, accentuates the wonders -of progress. - - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -ARGENTINA'S PART IN FEEDING THE WORLD - - -It is well to mark that of the British food supply from overseas -Argentina provides one quarter. Each person in the Republic, after -providing enough food to supply himself, sends at least £8 worth of food -to other countries. - -Argentina covers 776 million acres. Eighty million acres are suitable -for wheat, but only one-fourth of this area is cultivated. The -population is growing rapidly; it is now over seven millions, and is -being increased by about a quarter of a million immigrants every year; -but still the cry is for more inhabitants. - -At present there are six persons to the square mile; but when you -remember that the province of Buenos Aires has a population of two and a -half millions, you find the population for the outside areas is just -under two per square mile. - -Three-quarters of the population are Argentines; everyone born in the -country, no matter from what land the parents come, is reckoned an -Argentine. Of the new-comers half a million are Italian, a quarter -million Spanish, a tenth of a million French; then come the British, -numbering 25,000; Germans 18,000; Swiss 15,000; Austrians 13,000, and -so on, decreasingly. North Americans are few, though within recent -years much United States capital has quietly taken hold of certain -industries. Argentina is capable of carrying a population of fifty -millions, and it will secure them within the next half-century. In race, -language, customs, religion, it is especially favourable to folk from -the thronged Latin countries of Europe. - -Every settler becomes a violent Argentine. The emphatic patriotism of -the American is tepid alongside the hot-blooded nationality of -Argentina. It is daily inculcated in the schools. The blue and white -striped flag is honoured on every occasion. You are poetically reminded -it is of the blue of the sky. When the Argentines were in revolution -against Spain in 1810, and needed a banner to flaunt against the red and -orange of the enemy, they got pieces of blue and white cloth (intended -for garments) from an English warship lying at Montevideo, and made a -flag of it. So the Argentine flag, like much of Argentine prosperity, is -due to Britain. - -In proportion to the population there are as many millionaires in -Argentina as in the United States. There are sturdy old fellows, who can -hardly write their names, who scarcely know the extent of their wealth. -Fifty years ago an Irish labourer landed in the country. He died the -other day worth over £4,000,000. - -[Illustration: - _Photograph by A. W. Boote & Co., Buenos Aires._ - A GROUP OF GAUCHOS. ] - -It is none of my business to boom land values in Argentina. Though the -tendency of late has been a little too buoyant, I know of no land where -there have been such enormous heaves in values, not fictitiously -hoisted, but legitimate on development of commerce, as in this Republic. -In 1885 you could buy land in the centre of Buenos Aires at 2s. 6d. a -square yard. Now you must pay £200 a yard. A suburban plot of 60 by 20 -yards, which you could have got twelve years ago for £5, will cost £150. -Fine camp land--the "camp" is the Argentine name for farming -districts--which could be got for a song a quarter of a century ago will -now fetch £100,000 the square league (three miles). I know a plot of -land at Rosario which has jumped in value from £2,000 to £40,000 in -twenty years. - -It is easy to understand how Argentine millionaires are made. In the -wars with neighbouring Republics Argentine officers were given tracts of -country in lieu of pay: of small value then, but their descendants are -fabulously wealthy. The careful Briton who came out when railways were -beginning to speed through the country, and acted shrewdly, got land for -next to nothing which will bring a better price per acre than land in -the home counties. I am writing this in mid-Atlantic on my way home, and -each morning on deck I exchange a bow with an old lady who owns 180 -square miles of the finest agricultural land in the province of Buenos -Aires. - -In a previous chapter my pen was somewhat free about the ostentation of -the Argentine. But the display of wealth is frequently put to a good -purpose. When a fabulous price is paid for a Derby winner it is an -Argentine who has found the money. Argentina has a fine breed of -horses. As the cattle industry is so important, the best stock is -purchased at home. I went to the agricultural show in September, 1913. -All the judges had been brought out from England, partly because good -judging was needed, but chiefly, I fear, because the Argentines cannot -trust each other to give unbiassed decisions. The show was finer housed -than any royal show in England, and the quality of the exhibits was -quite on a level with anything we can produce. The prize bull, Argentine -bred, was sold by auction for over £7,000. Admitted this was a fancy -price due to the rivalry of breeders to have the best and to boast about -it. A thousand pounds has been paid by a meat company for a Hereford -bull to kill; but this may be ascribed to advertisement. - -The _estancias_--ranches or stations--are frequently enormous in extent, -as wide as an English county, and are managed as well as any great -estates in Australia, Canada, or New Zealand. There are the usual show -places, maintained by Anglo-Argentines, where the immediate grounds are -laid out like an English park, the farm buildings all on the model plan, -and the animals of the best stock, whilst a successful endeavour is made -toward converting the house into something palatial. Though some -_estancias_ are far inland, and distant from a railway line, life is far -more enjoyable than might be thought. The rich _estanciero_, however, -spends little of his time on his land. He is too often an absentee -landlord. He has tasted the joys of Europe; besides, his wife and -daughters are inclined to prefer Buenos Aires to life in the camp, -however healthy. The place is usually run by a manager. Then there are -sub-managers, often young Englishmen who have heard of the fortunes to -be made; next there are the peons, Spaniards and Italians, who do the -meaner work. Life in the camp is arduous. Men are out at dawn, rounding -up cattle, giving an eye to the "colonists," attending to fencing, -driving beasts to the railway station to be transferred to the -"freezers," and it is sundown when the work is over and men go to their -quarters. It is a strenuous life, and the employees have little of the -pleasures of civilisation. - -Within the last ten years the export value of live stock products has -increased from £23,000,000 to £36,000,000, and agricultural products -from £21,000,000 to £53,000,000. Since 1896 the area under cultivation -has grown from 13 million acres to nearly 50 million acres. Of Argentine -cereals the United Kingdom imported 1,654,000 tons. There are 30 million -cattle in the Republic and 80 million sheep. The breeding of sheep is -not what it was, because the Argentine finds he can get a better return -from cattle and cereals. So, whilst the value of exported mutton remains -very much what it was ten years ago (about £1,250,000), the value of the -exported chilled and frozen beef has risen from £1,500,000 to over -£6,000,000 a year. - -At the ports are big slaughtering establishments, some belonging to -Argentine companies, and others to American companies. A bitter feud is -being waged to capture the chilled and frozen meat trade, especially in -the English market. As England is only three weeks' distance, meat that -is only chilled has an enormous advantage over meat from more distant -countries which must be frozen. The fact is denied, but it may be taken -as certain that there is a big combination of Chicago houses -endeavouring to squeeze their competitors out of business--and they seem -in a fair way to succeed. The Argentine public are showing fright, and -there have been frantic appeals to Congress that steps be taken to check -the creation of a trust. Also it is hoped that England may take action. -But the authorities in both countries decline to do anything. The -Chicago firms have a long purse and are damaging their rivals at both -ends, first by paying Argentine cattle breeders unprecedented prices for -beasts, and then by selling the meat below cost price in the Smithfield -market. Of course, in reply to what is happening, one hears the -statement, "Why grumble, when the Argentine cattle dealer gets a high -price for his beasts, the London consumer gets cheap meat, and the -Chicago firms pay the difference?" That is true. But it does not need -much business foresight to understand that when the Anglo-Argentine -companies are bankrupt the Chicago trust, having the game in their own -hands, will pay their own price for cattle and lift the price of meat in -London. Meanwhile, the Argentine _estanciero_ is quite happy, and is -willing to let the future take care of itself. One thing, however, may -safely be prophesied. The Argentine Government has a drastic way of -doing things. If the expected happens, and the Chicago houses secure the -meat industry and begin to force down prices for cattle, there will not -be the slightest hesitation in passing a law which will make things -uncomfortable for the trust. - -With the care taken in breeding, always striving after improving the -strain of the stock, Argentina, with its millions of acres of pasturage, -is determined not to slacken the stride of its improving meat trade. The -best lands are given to wheat, maize, oats; but the use of alfalfa has -meant an amazing expansion of productivity, for this nutritious plant, a -kind of sanfoil, will grow abundantly on land that is little good for -other purposes. Areas at which the agriculturist was inclined to shrug -his shoulders as barren prosper under alfalfa, the best of feeding -stuffs, and several crops can be got in a year. Two acres will carry a -beast. Alfalfa grown for fodder gives a hundred per cent. profit. -Alfalfa, whilst drawing nitrogen from the ground, attracts nitrogen from -the air. One ton of alfalfa contains 50 lb. of nitrogen. Three tons of -alfalfa has as much nitrogen as two tons of wheat. It is easy to grow, -and cattle fatten on it abundantly. The alfalfa of Argentina means more -to the prosperity of the country than rich gold mines. As there is no -winter, as we understand it, the cattle are left out all the year, and -there is no stalling or hand feeding. - -Cattle disease is more prevalent than with us. This is partly due to -carelessness, but chiefly to the herds being so large that the scourge -becomes virulent before it is noticed. Then, as I have indicated, there -is the danger of drought and the dread of locusts. Further, so much of -the cereal growing being in the hands of "colonists," too often anything -but expert farmers, the yield is by no means what it would be if the -farming were in more skilled hands. So, whilst the average yield of -wheat in Great Britain is thirty-one bushels to the acre; in Argentina -it is only eleven bushels. But manuring is unknown in the Republic. - -Yet, keeping one's eyes open to all the disadvantages, one cannot go -through the country and see its fecundity, go into the killing houses at -La Plata and Buenos Aires, watch the ocean liners, with the Union Jack -dangling over their stern, being loaded with many sides of beef, visit -the grain elevators at the ports of Bahia Blanca and Rosario pouring -streams of wheat destined for European consumption into the holds of -liners, without the imagination being stimulated when standing on the -threshold of this new land's possibilities. - -Already Argentina holds first place in the quantity of exported frozen -meat. It was in 1877 that the Republic led the way in exporting such -meat to Europe. It was not till 1885, however, that the business of -freezing was definitely established. To-day £11,000,000 is invested in -"freezing works." And millions of cattle and sheep are slaughtered for -foreign consumption. There seems to be something of a race at present -between live stock products and agricultural products which shall hold -first place in value of exports. The ports of Argentina, with a capacity -for 45 million tons, are ever busy. Yet they are only in infancy. - -Like all new lands, where enterprise and optimism frequently leap beyond -rigid economies, Argentina has its heaves and falls. We know of the -hundreds of millions of foreign capital invested. People do not go to -Argentina for the beauty of the scenery. They go for money-making. Often -when I came across some evidence of Latin sluggishness, saw what had not -been done, what might have been done, and then remembered what, -nevertheless, had been done, I found myself exclaiming: "Oh, that this -land were a British colony!" - - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -THE CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT - - -New countries, in planning their system of government, have advantages -over old lands steeped in tradition and hampered by precedent. They can -profit by the mistakes of the older countries, and can, more or less, -start with a clean slate. As men past middle age are disposed to think -the young fellows of the present day headstrong, lacking in ballast, it -is all in the nature of things that the older countries should look with -a somewhat critical eye upon the experiments in government made by -youngsters amongst the nations. So it is instructive to look at the -system of law and administration in the Republic. - -The head of authority, in which the executive power of the nation is -vested, is the President. He must be an Argentine, a Roman Catholic, and -being elected for six years can never be elected again. This is a -provision to prevent a Dictatorship. The President for the time being is -head of the Army and Navy; he nominates the judges, selects bishops, -appoints diplomatic representatives to other nations, and all the -secretaries of State are chosen by him. There are two Houses, the Senate -and the Chamber of Deputies; but a Minister can be neither a senator -nor a deputy. He can attend debates, speak and defend himself from -criticism, but he is beyond the power of either House. If he likes, he -need appear only once a year in Congress to make an annual report about -the working of his Department. So he is removed from the constant -cross-examination which is the fate of Ministers in the British Houses -of Parliament. - -The Senate consists of thirty members, two from the capital and two from -each province. Those sent from Buenos Aires are elected by certain high -franchised electors, and those from outside are nominated by the -provincial legislatures. A senator must be thirty years of age, must -have been a citizen of the Republic for at least six years, and have a -personal income of £160 a year. A senator is elected for nine years, and -can offer himself for re-election. But every three years ten senators of -the thirty, decided by ballot, must retire, though they can be -re-chosen. No "carpet-bagging" is allowed. A senator must either be a -native of his province or have lived in it for at least two years before -his election. The provinces vary considerably in population, but they -have equal voice in the Senate. Thus it is a body which may be said to -represent localities rather than individuals. - -The Chamber of Deputies, however, is chosen direct by the people. There -is one deputy for every thirty-three thousand inhabitants. No man can -become a candidate unless he is twenty-five years of age, has been a -citizen at least four years, born in the province, or lived in it for -two years. Thus there is never anything in the nature of a general -election, but there is a constant movement going on to secure the proper -representation of the people. - -Both senators and deputies receive a salary of £1,500 a year, so they -are the best-paid legislators in the world. Both Chambers meet on May -1st and adjourn on September 30th. Only the Chamber of Deputies can have -a voice in taxation. As I have shown in the preceding chapter, the -Argentine Government--which, like all Governments, is open to -criticism--has done a great deal in advancing legislation for the solid -benefit of the country. There cannot be said to be government on party -principles, but the Government is maintained by the followers of -particular men. Politicians in Argentina, as elsewhere, have their -enemies, and when a man has been elected to Congress he sometimes dare -not attend, for that would mean leaving the constituency, and there -would always be some rival busy sapping his influence. I was in Buenos -Aires toward the close of the session. Day after day the House met, but -nothing could be done, for no quorum could be obtained. Public business -was at a standstill. It was proposed the President should employ the -police to search Buenos Aires, arrest legislators, haul them along, and -thus "make a House" with locked doors, so that business could be -proceeded with. Everybody was crying out against the scandal of -Congressmen drawing such large salaries and doing nothing to earn them. -But nothing was done. - -[Illustration: - _Photograph by H. G. Olds, Buenos Aires._ - THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES. ] - -Besides the excellent remuneration for not attending to business, the -Argentine politician has the advantage of getting jobs for all his -relatives. The majority of Government employees are the relatives of -politicians. There are true and honourable men in political life, but, -so far as I could gather, most men take to politics in Argentina because -they can do their families a good turn. The only group that is cohesive -is that of the Socialists. Socialist deputies are on the increase. -Nearly all the freshly arrived immigrants, Spanish and Italian, when -they get their naturalisation papers after a residence of two years, -vote Socialist. - -Now, whilst everything which affects the Republic as a whole is decided -upon by the central Government, each province has its local government, -with governor, two Houses, and considerable power, quite independent of -the central executive. This is following the United States plan. The -principle of devolution is a good one, that districts should administer -their own affairs without interference by those who cannot know local -circumstances. But Argentina has frequently the same trouble that the -United States has, and similarly would like to get rid of. There are -differences in the provincial laws, so that what is allowed in one -province is prohibited in another, with the consequence that, though the -process of trade is not hampered, it is often irritated. - -Then the provincial Governments, sovereign in their own realm, sometimes -enact laws which the federal Government declares affect general -conditions in the Republic. They infringe the prerogative of the -central executive. Accordingly, the relationship between the central -Government and the local Governments is frequently strained. It is the -smaller provinces which cause the most trouble. Some of them have a -population that, all told, would not stock a fair-sized town. That, -however, does not diminish their sense of importance. They are -cock-a-hoop. They know what is for their good; they will pass what laws -they like; they are not going to be dictated to by those overpaid -fellows who go to Buenos Aires. The federal Government cannot use force, -and the provincial Governments snap their fingers. For instance, Mendoza -insists on printing her own paper money. It is quite clear, if serious -trouble is to be avoided, that the federal and provincial Governments -must meet in conference and draw up hard-and-fast rules dealing with -their respective powers and limitations. - -So far as the individual is concerned, the theory is liberty and -equality. The stranger has the same rights before the law as the -citizen. The State, however, interferes in the matter of property. A man -is not allowed, as in England, to leave his possessions to whom he -likes. A father must leave his wife and children four-fifths of his -property; a husband, if there are no children, must let half his -belongings go to his wife; an unmarried son is obliged to leave his -parents two-thirds of his property. Only the man without parents, wife, -or children can dispose of his property by testament. - -There is no obligation upon a foreigner resident in the country to -become a citizen before he can start a trade or own estate. Two years' -residence is the qualifying period to become a citizen of the Republic. -If you enter the public service you can become a citizen earlier. If you -marry an Argentine woman you can become a citizen right away. Every -child born in Argentina, even though its parents be British and on a -fortnight's visit, and have no desire to change their nationality, is -counted an Argentine. Thus there are lots of residents with a dual -nationality, Argentine in the Republic, but British in any other part of -the world. - -Though the Roman Catholic faith is that of the State, and other faiths -are not restricted, the average Argentine pays little attention to -religion. He likes his wife to go to church because it does her good. -Education comprises three divisions: primary, secondary, and higher. The -former is free, secular, and compulsory for children between six and -fourteen years. If religious instruction is to be given it is only for -those children who voluntarily remain after school hours on certain -days. Public schools are scattered all over the Republic--though there -are extensive districts where the population is thin where there is no -instruction, and thousands of children grow up illiterate--and are -subsidised by both the national and provincial Governments. Also there -are primary schools for grown-ups, men whose education has been -neglected, and who want to learn reading, writing, arithmetic, and -elementary history and geography. This teaching is given during the day -or evening, and is free. - -Secondary education for pupils over fourteen years is neither compulsory -nor free, though the fees only amount to 8s. 9d. a year. This secondary -instruction, quite as wide in range as elsewhere, is given in national -schools, of which there are five in Buenos Aires and one in each of the -capitals of the provinces, and normal schools, which are twenty-eight in -number, three in Buenos Aires and the remainder in the provinces. Five -years is about the length of tuition at these schools. Then the students -can enter one or other of the faculties which form the university. There -are three universities in Argentina; the oldest is in Cordoba, and the -others are in Buenos Aires and La Plata. To qualify in either of these -universities for the practice of medicine, law, or engineering, a -seven-years' course is required for the former and a six-years' course -for the two latter. Minor terms of special study are required for -qualification as a chemist, accoucheur, dental surgeon, surveyor, or -architect. In order to obtain the degree of doctor in physical sciences -further studies are required outside those of the faculties. The -university council cannot grant a qualification for a notary public, -which must be acquired before the Supreme Court of the particular -province in which the applicant seeks permission to practise. - -[Illustration: THE KINDERGARTEN AT MENDOZA.] - -Primary education in the capital and national territories is under the -National Ministry of Education. In the provinces it is under the control -of the Provincial Council of Education, who receive subventions from the -national exchequer as occasion may require. The intuitive method is -employed exclusively, and the whole system is modelled on that of the -United States. As a rule, Spanish children learn Italian from their -classmates, and vice versa. In the elementary higher standards, boys -learn manual labour and French, and girls learn French and domestic -duties. The schools are well built, well ventilated, the rooms are airy, -each child has a separate desk, there is a medical visit every day, and -where schools are within reach they are fairly well attended. But only -42 per cent. of the children in the Republic who ought to go to school -do so. The low attendance may be put down to the great distances which -separate the children's homes from the schools in the country districts. -Very general complaints are heard in the villages of the manner in which -the schools are conducted, and the small amount of knowledge acquired in -spite of the flattering picture presented by the education authorities. - -Considerable attention is paid to technical education, which is largely -encouraged throughout the country by means of schools and training -colleges maintained at the expense of the nation. Prominent among these -institutions stands the National School of Commerce, which trains and -prepares mercantile experts, public accountants, and sworn translators. -There are also commercial schools in Cordoba and Bahia Blanca. These -schools are attended by about a thousand pupils, who receive instruction -in commercial arithmetic, account and book-keeping, French, German, -etc. The schools are open to both sexes, and in them the pupils can -qualify for employment as book-keepers, accountants, clerks, etc. The -Industrial School has its own workshops for the teaching of trades. The -entrance conditions are similar to those for the national schools. -Thorough practical instruction is given to about four hundred pupils in -a number of subjects, including chemistry, mechanics, physics, optics, -electricity, architecture, practical carpentry, mechanical and -electrical engineering. The complete course lasts about six years, and -the school is said to have given very good results. There is a School of -Mines at San Juan, to which was added, by a decree dated April 20th, -1906, a section of chemical industry. There is an important agricultural -college known as the Agrarian and Veterinary School at Santa Catalina in -the immediate neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, and at Mendoza there is a -viticultural training school where the practical cultivation of the vine -is taught. Various other agricultural and horticultural schools are -being established by the Government, which also supports the National -School of Pilots, several conservatories of music, and a drawing school. - -There is a naval and military college, from which officers are chosen -for the navy and army, but they do not come under the Ministry of -Education. By order of the Ministry of War physical drill and rifle -shooting are taught in the two highest classes of all secondary schools, -these exercises being subject to the supervision of a military officer. -The Argentine Government has founded numerous scholarships, and sends -students to England, the United States, Italy, France, and Germany. It -will be seen that the plan of education is very complete; but it would -not appear to give such good results as might be anticipated, for it is -a very general complaint that there are no good schools in the country -districts. - -The attention of the public is frequently called in the newspapers to -the unsatisfactory condition of education, in spite of the large sums of -money spent upon it annually. It is shown how small is the attendance at -the primary schools compared with what it should be if the law was -properly obeyed, as would be the case were the results more -satisfactory. It is also asserted that the education in the secondary -schools is especially defective, and that certificates are issued to -university candidates without previous examination, and after merely -nominal questioning by inspectors. There are numerous foreign private -schools in the country, which all have to submit by law to Government -supervision.[A] - - [A] This information respecting education in Argentina is - extracted from a British Foreign Office memorandum. - -There is compulsory military service. The period of continuous training -does not exceed one year, and this only in the case of a proportion of -the annual contingent. The others are released after three months' -drill. With varying periods of training every Argentine from the age of -twenty to forty-five is liable to be called upon to defend his country. -Though years may pass without any call to attend military drill, every -man in the country must learn to shoot. - -Heavy duties are imposed on most manufactured articles imported, except -in the case of material directly beneficial to the development of the -country, such as machinery. Anything which helps in the progress of the -Republic has easy entry. So, though it means two years' residence to -become a naturalised citizen, anyone who establishes a new industry, or -introduces a useful invention, who has contracted to build railways or -establish a colony, or who is going to be a teacher in any branch of -education or industry, is admitted at once. All these regulations go to -show that, despite the perfectly legitimate criticisms which can be -made, there is sound common-sense and foresight in the minds of the -governing classes. - -Everyone in any business or profession must pay an annual licence, and -these vary from five to sixty thousand dollars. The latter sum is paid -by banks. Money-lenders have to pay from five to seven thousand dollars, -whilst in some provinces the _patente_ varies from three to six hundred -dollars a year. The postal and telegraph services are under the control -of the Ministry of the Interior. Most of the taxation is indirect. -Though the tariffs imposed on manufactured articles coming into the -country are high--except in the case of specified articles, which are -counted as beneficial for the development of the country--and -consequently one is disposed to gasp at the price of things compared -with Europe, it is not to be forgotten that the direct taxation is not -so high as in Europe. I heard it asserted that the reason there are high -tariffs is to stimulate manufacture in Argentina. If so, the result has -not been markedly apparent. The effect might have been so if the mass of -the immigrants into Argentina came from manufacturing countries, like -Germany, Belgium, France, Great Britain, or the United States. That is -not so, and one of the hindering checks has been the language. The crowd -has come from Italy and Spain, mostly unskilled labourers or men whose -knowledge is limited to the land. - -Argentina has no coal--and that will always handicap her if she enters -the field as a manufacturing nation. The climate being what it is, there -is no need of coal for heating purposes. A fire-place is a rare sight. -But the importation of coal is a heavy charge on the working of railways -and on shipping. Syndicates are now endeavouring to introduce oil as -fuel. Oil has been found in the country, but as yet not in sufficient -quantity to make it an important addition to the products of the -Republic. So I see small prospect of Argentina's ever becoming a -manufacturing country in the modern meaning of the phrase. Blest as she -is in innumerable respects, she could not be worse placed if she had any -such desire. She cannot produce cheaper, because most of her raw -material, including coal, must be imported, and heavy freights would -handicap economic production. Take the case of two raw materials -which she has in abundance, leather and wool. There are shoe factories, -but the quality can in no way compete with that of the importations. -Only the rougher kind of boots are made. There is some woollen -manufacturing, but the material produced is crude, except in a few -cases. Besides, the rush of immigrants is to the land, and not into -workshops. The men who are skilled artizans are few. Therefore, although -here and there you get local manufacturers who can hold their own in the -markets, it may be said that in general the articles imported are better -and cheaper, notwithstanding the tariff. However, as I will show in a -later chapter, there is room for industrial development within a defined -range. - -Then there are the constant labour disputes in the towns. Running along -with the prosperity of the country is the trouble of repeated strikes -amongst the workers. It is not my province to go into the merits of the -respective disputes. But they have been so recurrent, and have so much -hampered trade, that the Government has taken the most drastic measures -by laying hands on the chiefs of trade unions when grievances are -fomented and strikes threatened. - -Although the number of the strings of commerce which are in the hands of -Englishmen is gratifying, it would have been strange if I had not heard -the usual complaint that the Germans are edging in, and that, if care is -not taken, the British will be ousted from their pre-eminence. It was -the old story that British merchants are too conservative, and do not -pay sufficient heed to the personal likings of Argentine customers. It -is true I saw lots of German goods. They were cheaper and not of the -same quality as those of British make. Further, German houses give much -longer credit than do their British rivals. Another cause of complaint -is that in business disputes the long-drawn-out law's delay, and the -obstacles in the path of the foreigner seeking redress, mean that -justice is not always secured. - -It is not to be denied that, although the returns are excellent, Britain -does not retain the same proportion of the import trade which she had a -few years ago. There is no disputing the superiority of the British -article; but German and French merchants having a market to secure are -more accommodating to their customers, whilst in regard to agricultural -implements the United States makers are pushing their hardest. Their -machines are more showy than the English. It seems a small point, and -yet I have thought it would be well if our British manufacturers would -not only turn out a serviceable tool, but bear in mind the temperament -of the people who are to be the buyers. Put two threshing machines in a -Buenos Aires warehouse, that from Britain painted grey, and that from -the United States painted red; the Latin Argentine is naturally -attracted to the red, even though its merits be inferior. Hundreds of -millions sterling are to be expended in public works during the ensuing -few years, and British contractors should be awake to the -possibilities. Belgian contractors have already been in the field, but -their work has not always been "up to sample," so that the present -opportunity is considerable. - -Old residents directed my attention to a great change which is taking -place in the import houses of Buenos Aires. Until a few years back it -could be said that the British were first and the rest nowhere. British -capital has flowed abundantly into the country, but toward developing -its natural resources rather than in trade. Now German houses have a -strong footing in "B.A.," and, naturally enough, they are encouraging -the products of their own land. Go into a German house, and it is German -wares that are for sale. Go into a British house, and you find United -States and German wares as well as English being offered. I was -seriously convinced, whilst studying the trend of trade in Argentina, -that it is absolutely necessary that the managing heads of English firms -who have dealings with South America, and find they are not getting that -share of the increased trade which the growth of the country warrants, -should make periodic visits to Argentina to learn for themselves what is -the matter. - -If there is one complaint to be made against the Englishman trading with -a foreign land, it is his lack of adaptability. So long as he had the -manufacturing of the world in his own hands, he could do as he liked. -The thing he made was good, and it was the only thing. Now he has keen -competitors, and the customer has a varied choice. The Englishman -has to consider whether it is worth his while to give the exaggerated -credit which manufacturers elsewhere are prepared to give if they can -secure the orders. The Argentine likes long credit. Then, is he prepared -to make an inferior, showy article at a cheap price? These are two -considerations which count enormously with the Argentine. You can -purchase the best Sheffield cutlery in the best shops, for it is what -the better-to-do people insist on having. But there are millions of -people in the Republic who have never heard of Sheffield, and, -therefore, know nothing about its reputation. What they want is cheap -knives. Sheffield firms do not make these, and the consequence is the -majority of the people have rubbish from elsewhere. I am not advocating -that the British manufacturer should drop making the things which have -won for him and his country a worthy reputation. I am pointing out some -of the things which must be well thought about if Britain is going to -keep its pre-eminence in the financial value of the goods imported into -Argentine. - -Further, an Argentine when he orders anything wants it at once. Quick -delivery is an essential. Finally, all catalogues should be in Spanish, -and all prices in Argentine currency. No man who goes out to "chase up -business" in securing orders should be without a knowledge of Spanish. -Talking through an interpreter is no good. The personal touch is lost. -Spanish is a language much neglected in England. I can think of no more -profitable investment for a young fellow of parts, wanting to enter -commercial life, and without means to go into business as a principal, -than thoroughly to master Spanish. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COUNTRY - - -It is well to get a bold, broad idea of the country. It covers 2,000,000 -square miles. England is just about one-tenth that size. It is double -the size of Mexico. - -In the far north you are in the torrid tropics. In the far south you -need a heavy coat, even in high summer-time. Its conditions may, -therefore, be described as variable. No other country can give you such -change. - -The 20,000 miles of railway run through most of the flat fertile areas, -and the ordinary traveller comes away with the idea it is one of the -most level, featureless countries he has ever been in. The old settlers -had the same idea, for their description _pampa_ applied to a boundless -stretch. You can journey for hundreds of miles and never see a tree. But -up in the north, under the shadow of Brazil, are great forests which -will be made useful to the world one of these days. Then you get the -backbone of the continent in the west, the Andes with Aconcagua rising -to 23,000 feet above sea level. In the middle land is the fruitful -Argentine Mesapotamia. In the far south is the last word of desolation, -the Patagonian wilderness. - -Argentina has several navigable rivers, and two, the Plate and the -Parana, up which it is possible, for light draft steamers, at any rate, -to go hundreds of miles. If one pretends there is no Amazon in existence -the Plate discharges more water into the ocean than any river from -Hudson's Bay to the Magellan Straits. A learned book informs me that the -volume of water rolled into the ocean is 2,150,000 cubic feet per -second, which seems "prodigious." At Monte Video the width of the river -is sixty-two miles; so it is no trifling creek. The Plate is the -muddiest stream I have ever come across. This is not to be wondered at, -considering that it and its tributaries scour many thousands of miles. -As a matter of fact, the estuary is being filled up. Within knowledge, -the depth opposite Monte Video has lessened by fifteen feet, and though -dredgers are constantly at work, big liners moving up to Buenos Aires -have sometimes to force a way through two feet of mud. It is quite -likely that in the fullness of time Buenos Aires will not be a port, but -an inland town. - -Sometimes Argentina has floods which ruin the crops, drown thousands of -cattle, break the railway banks, and reduce strong men, who thought they -were rich, to tears at the prospect of poverty. Or there are droughts -which shrivel everything up. Away back in the 'thirties, Buenos Aires -Province had a drought which lasted for five years. Scientists, who know -all about these things, say that the rainless zones are extending, and -that in the far future the whole Republic will be a rainless zone, and -umbrella sellers will go into the bankruptcy court. The prospect is not -immediate, and if we are wise we shall not worry over a trouble which -may have to be faced five hundred years hence. - -[Illustration: - _Photograph by J. W. Boote & Co., Buenos Aires._ - OX-CARTS IN THE ARGENTINE. - The long pole in the man's hand is an ox-goad.] - -Considering you can get a sweep of level country for 2,000 miles, with -scarcely a hill that would make a decent bunker, when a gale gets on the -rampage it runs away with itself. There is the _zonda_, which so -disturbs the elements that the thermometer jumps fifty degrees in about -as many minutes. Then, although there are those millions of cubic feet -of water emptying itself out of the Plate, there comes the _suestadas_, -which blows so hard that the water cannot get into the ocean, and, as a -result, the upper streams rise and tumble over their banks. Next there -are the _pamperos_ on the plains, which either grill you with their heat -or give you a chill from their rawness. I did not suffer myself; but -these hateful _pamperos_ are so charged with electricity that they give -you a shock which produces a sort of paralysis, "perhaps twisting up a -corner of the mouth, or half closing one eye, or causing a sudden -swelling of the neck," as one authority records. - -Parts of the Republic are yet to be explored. Persistent man is having a -rough time in the Chaco region. When our ancestors invented hell they -had no knowledge of the Chaco. It is all swamp and forest, and mammoth -mosquitoes and fever, and pestiferous Indians who do not like the white -man, and put a spear into his back whenever they get the chance. The -Chaco Indians are amongst the few of their race who have not been -subjugated. There are rivers which come trailing from goodness knows -where; but when they reach the Chaco they are evidently so disgusted -that they burrow underground. When it rains, fish several inches long -drop from the clouds. Under a torrent a dip in the ground will become a -pool, and in it will be found fish a foot long. They do not drop from -the clouds. There are no little streams by which they can have arrived. -Where do they come from? The easiest explanation offered is that they -were formerly much smaller, did arrive on a storm cloud, and have been -lying in the mud since the last storm. - -I heard yarns, vouched for, but which seem like travellers' tales. There -is a little bird which sits on a branch and twitters. Others come round, -and are apparently mesmerised. Then the little bird attacks one, maybe -much bigger than itself, and kills it without any resistance being -offered. There is another bird which lives on friendly terms with the -Indians, hops in and out of their mud huts, and is known as the "watch -bird," because it always raises a peculiar cry when a stranger -approaches. - -In its physical aspects the Chaco is strange, with swamps, arid plains, -and mighty clumps of forest. Here grows the quebracho, which means the -break-axe; so it is a very hard wood. It is to get this wood that -companies have men working in the Chaco, hundreds of miles from even a -vestige of civilisation. Bullocks are employed to drag the trunks, and -the poor beasts have a bad time of it. Then there are light railways to -carry the trunks to the mills. Originally the quebracho was sought -because it made serviceable and long lasting "sleepers" for railroads. -Now it is chiefly wanted for the tannin in it; it is said to contain 50 -per cent. of tannin. - -Mention has been made of singular birds in the Chaco. But there are -others to be found elsewhere in Argentina. W. H. Hudson, in his -instructive book "The Naturalist in La Plata," describes the ypecaha, -which holds public meetings and has dancing performances. "A number of -ypecahas," he says, "have their assembling places on a small area of -smooth, level ground, just above the water and hemmed in by dense rush -beds. First one bird among the rushes emits a powerful cry, thrice -repeated, and this is a note of invitation quickly responded to by other -birds from all sides as they hurriedly repair to the usual place. In a -few moments they appear to the number of a dozen or twenty, bursting -from the rushes and rushing into the open space and instantly beginning -the performance. There is a screaming concert. The screams they utter -have a certain resemblance to the human voice, exerted to its utmost -pitch and expressive of extreme terror, frenzy and despair. A long, -piercing shriek is succeeded by a lower note as if in the first the -creature had wellnigh exhausted itself. Whilst screaming, the birds rush -from side to side, as if possessed by madness, the wings spread and -vibrating, the long beak wide open and raised vertically. This -exhibition lasts three or four minutes, after which the assembly -peaceably breaks up." Quite like a political meeting at home. - -European domestic animals have thrived since their introduction, though -there is a tendency, checked by the constant introduction of breeding -stock, to develop local characteristics. This has been particularly -remarked in sheep which have strayed and have been left to themselves -for several generations. They grow bigger and bonier, and with their -leanness comes the power of rapid movement, so that their flesh is scant -and their wool has an inclination toward growing straight and stiff like -the hair of a goat. In the outlands of Argentina ostriches, jaguars, and -deer may be seen; but you can live for years on the prairies--and that -is where most of the colonisation is going on--and never catch a glimpse -of one of these. - -The thing which lays hold of the seeing man, after he has remembered the -ages during which the country, suitable for maintaining innumerable -millions of men and beasts, lay dormant, is the way the land has been -completely transformed in its inhabitants, human and animal, and how -alien vegetation has found a thriving home. The early Spanish -adventurers, as has already been told, had to start their settlement by -bringing animals from Spain, and it was chance, the extraordinary -reproductiveness of herds which strayed or were abandoned, which taught -them they had come into possession of something more valuable than gold -mines. Books of history chiefly deal with the lust and the cruelty of -the early Spaniards. I have nothing to do here with the story of the way -in which Spain conquered the land. We have not to lose sight of the -fact, however, they began settling in these parts nearly four hundred -years ago, when a voyage to the Americas was like a journey to another -planet, when the ships were small and incommodious and dangers were -great, and the world had no experience in the science of colonisation. -The authorities freely gave tracts of land, but in their wisdom they -always stipulated that European domestic animals should be introduced. A -settler got land for wheat and maize and an orchard, and then more land, -just in proportion to how many horses, cows, sheep, pigs, and goats he -would introduce. The land could be obtained for nothing, but always on -condition that it was put to its full use in the maintenance of stock. -That was a rough and ready, and yet very statesmanlike procedure. The -best incentive was given to the agriculturist and breeder. The more -cattle he introduced the more land he put to the plough, the bigger was -the grant given to him by the authorities. Thus possession and -prosperity advanced hand in hand. Here is a lesson which might be learnt -to-day and copied by such countries as Australia, where there are -millions of acres of undeveloped territory. - -Time came when the wild herds waxed so numerous that the local councils -proclaimed that all such cattle were the public property of their own -people. To prevent those who lived under another local council taking -possession, the system of branding these cattle, when they could be -caught, was introduced. When the cattle thief came on the scene, and he -was got hold of, he was first branded on the shoulder and for subsequent -offences branded in the hand, flogged and hanged. The straying cattle in -a district belonging to the public, the public soon began to appreciate -that here were cheap meat and cheap hides. They were hunted as the -buffalo were subsequently hunted in North America, and it really seemed -as though they were going to be exterminated. Regulations had to be made -limiting the number of animals to be killed every year. Though there was -still great slaughter, the herds continued to multiply amazingly, and, -of course, wandered hundreds of miles away from any settlements. So the -tide rolled on until two hundred years ago the number of cattle had -increased to many millions. Carlos Gervasini, a Jesuit missionary, -writing from Buenos Aires in 1729, says, "So numerous are the cattle in -the neighbouring _campo_ here that any landlord may take from ten to -twelve thousand to breed from, merely for the trouble of lassoing them -and driving them home. In order to take more than this number a special -licence is required from the governor. The ships returning to Spain are -filled with the hides, and none but good specimens of these are troubled -about. As to the flesh, each man takes what he requires and leaves the -rest to the jaguars and dogs." Some years later a visitor to Argentina -said there were so many cattle that the plains were covered; and had it -not been for the number of dogs which devoured the young the country -would have been devastated by them. There were so many cattle that when -the Spaniards were at war, and invading boats appeared, their custom was -to drive vast herds pell-mell down the river bank and so prevent a -landing. - -See the extraordinary whirligig. First no cattle. Then land granted to -settlers who would introduce cattle. Then so many cattle they could be -had by anyone for the asking, and this followed by wholesale slaughter, -the extermination so thorough that a halt had to be called. Then further -amazing multiplication, till the increasing wild dogs played havoc with -the young animals. Then the dogs got so numerous, and their ravages so -extensive, that soldiers were sent out to wage war on the canine pests. -They killed untold thousands, but the people, instead of being grateful, -chaffed the soldiers and dubbed them the "dog killers." The dogs started -to increase again, faster than the cattle, but men refused to go out and -kill the dogs when the only reward was to be nicknamed "dog killer." So -the dogs were left alone, and they kept down the number of cattle. It -was not till fifty years ago that a systematic massacre of the wild dogs -took place, because just then the Argentines were beginning to settle -down to scientific breeding. - -It is astonishing how few dogs there are in Argentina. The dog may be -the friend of man in other parts of the world, but not in Argentina. -The Argentine hates the dog. In Buenos Aires the police have order to -arrest every dog, whether it is with anyone or not. During the time I -was in "B.A." I saw only one dog, and that was the property of Sir -Reginald Tower at the British Legation. - -That is not all the story. Not only did the wild dogs develop a taste -for young calves, but the native Indians began to show a fondness for -horseflesh. For centuries, although he could have had any number of -cattle and nobody would have objected, the Indian maintained a -preference for horseflesh. Then, suddenly, his fancy extended to cattle. -When he started rounding up the cattle of the Spaniards there was -trouble. Sheep were prolific, but mutton was contemptible food. None was -so poor as to be obliged to eat mutton. The Spaniards regarded mutton -much as Englishmen now regard horseflesh. The only use of a sheep was -for its wool and fat. But the prejudice against mutton, after lasting -for nearly three hundred years, finally disappeared. - -Whilst there was an increasing carrying trade from Buenos Aires to Spain -of skins, wool, and tallow--very profitable merchandise--Spain -officially was not enthusiastic over this mean trading. What she wanted -was gold and silver. As these came from Peru and Chili those countries -were favoured whilst Argentina was the Cinderella of the family. What -good was a country that had no mines but only grass to feed horses and -cattle and sheep? - -We think differently in these days, but in those far-off times Spain -scarcely condescended to recognise Argentina. It was darling Peru that -was always favoured. All regulations in regard to trade were made -favourable to Peru. Spain accepted what she fancied from Argentina, and -hampered her in seeking other markets. - -Nothing, however, could stop the advance of Argentina. It was with -reluctance that Argentina was raised to the first rank as a province, -and was given liberty to export where she liked. Her trade jumped ahead. -Then Argentina not only killed to get hides and wool and fat, but she -had to begin breeding in order to supply the European demand. She began -to dream dreams. There was little immigration; the people were the -descendants of the old settlers. They knew nothing of Spain. They had no -recollection of ancestors who did know anything of Spain. Spain meant -nothing to them but a distant country which once lorded them and -presumed to dictate to them. It was resentment at the relationship, -combined with a desire to fulfil an independent destiny, that brought -about the revolution and the declaration of a republic in 1810. - -Since then Argentina has had many internal political troubles. She has -had her set-backs. But the ebb has always been succeeded by a tumbling -flow of fortune. The breed of cattle has been marvellously improved. The -number of animals now runs into hundreds of millions. Vast areas now -wave with wheat and maize. As you journey through Argentina, and see -the land smiling with success, you know that beyond your gaze are -thousands of square miles of soil as virgin as in the days when the -Indians roamed free. - -[Illustration: A TYPICAL ARGENTINE PUBLIC PARK.] - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -"CABBAGES AND KINGS" - - -One of the failings of new countries, like that of youth generally, is -conceit. Yet, on second thought, it is a useful offence, for it carries -a people light-heartedly over rough ground which older nations dare not -face and so turn aside. - -In the new lands the settlers have the constant panorama of achievement -before their eyes. They remember things as they were ten years ago, see -them now, and are convinced that nowhere in the world has such progress -been made as they are making. Anybody who hints a doubt is scowled upon. -And the buoyancy of spirit, a sort of rampant optimism about themselves, -is fostered by a bent of mind to read about what goes on in "rotten old -Europe." A gracious Providence helps them to take notice only of the -good things in their own country, and to have a quick eye for the bad -things in other countries. Further, as all new lands need settlers, the -official flag-waving and trumpet-blowing to attract immigrants is -garish. You can, as a rule, reduce the value of the advertisements by -half, and still be quite sure that more than justice remains. - -I have been induced to write the preceding paragraph because, as I -am not a hired agent to proclaim the wonders of Argentina, but merely a -man who has studied some of its capabilities on the spot, I have no -desire, in my endeavour to give a true portrait, to ignore the warts and -occasional blemishes. Of course, the Argentine thinks his land the most -remarkable in the world. In many respects I am disposed to agree with -him. But it is not without spot. For instance, the first thing he is -enthusiastic about is the climate. The freedom from severe winters, with -the possibility for cattle to remain in the open all the year round, is -an advantage. But in the Argentine winter (our summer) there are cold, -wretched, rainy days which are depressing. In their summer (our winter) -the heat is sometimes intense, especially in the northern region. I know -of the fine, clear, bracing climate of the plains, filling one's veins -with energy and the joy of living. I have enjoyed the charm of Mendoza, -the healthiest of all the towns in the Republic. Where I am inclined to -part company with the Argentine is when he wants to argue that the -climate of the whole country is adorable. - -Take Buenos Aires. The new arrival is not only entranced with the -development and the encircling beauty of the city, but, with continuous -blue skies and glorious sunshine, he is prone to underline the usual -nice things about the climate. Then, one day, he feels uncomfortable, -limp, saggy in body and mind. The slight breeze is from the north, and -it seems to bring heavy inertia from the Brazilian forests. The old -inhabitants have probably got used to the "norther"--they show no -diminution in vigour--but the muscle-slackening and wearying effect on -the new-comer is undoubted. Most of Buenos Aires is built on low-lying -ground, much of it reclaimed from the shallow Plate, and the air is -relaxing. Though the sun is delightful, it is anything but invigorating. -So you reach the conclusion that, whilst Buenos Aires has usually most -delightful weather, it has an indifferent climate. - -There are striking changes in temperature in Argentina. Within half an -hour of being broiled you may feel as though you had passed into a -refrigerator. Hurricanes sometimes sweep vast areas, and -everything--trees, buildings, crops--are mown down by the blasts. In the -sandy stretches the sand is swept up like a thick cloud, and, though -_estancieros_ shut every door and fasten every window, it is not long -before every room has an inch depth of sand. I have travelled all night -in a sleeping car with double windows to resist the sand, but it -filtered through nevertheless, and in the morning I found the only white -spot in the compartment was where my cheek had rested on the pillow. - -Life on a ranch has the glamour of romance about it. The town-bred -Englishman, dissatisfied with his lot, lets his fancy roam to the -prairies of North America or the pampas of South America, and his -imagination glows with the conjured picture of cowboy life--quaintly -dressed, always well-mounted, and with nothing to do but ride over the -plains rounding up wandering cattle. As I have explained in an earlier -chapter, many of the large _estancias_ are not occupied by their owners; -a manager with a salary is put in charge, and he usually has several -young Englishmen as assistants. There are a number of peons. The -manager, usually married, has a decent house. The assistants have a -plain, bachelor establishment, and live in common. The peons rarely have -anything better than ramshackle quarters. Distances are enormous. -Frequently, outside the little clump of trees which is the -distinguishing feature of all _estancias_, there is nothing to be seen -as far as the eye can range but featureless prairie. The railways may be -many miles away. The country has comparatively few towns--really a good -point about an agricultural land--and though they are all attractive, -only Spanish is spoken. Months may elapse between the visits of an -Englishman to a town. He has to rise early; he has to work hard; the -glamour of cowboy life soon goes; he and his mates have told each other -all their stories; visitors are rare; there is practically no women's -society. At first the tendency is to be homesick. But in time the man -gets used to the life; possibly he may be happy. He, however, is far -removed from refining influences. He may have a fondness for reading, -but life in the saddle is so hard that at night, after supper and -receiving instructions from the "boss" for the next day, and having a -chat over work, there is little disposition to do anything except have a -game of cards, and then turn in. - -It is no unusual thing for an _estancia_ to be fifty miles square. If -so, it is divided into three or four sections, with a manager over each. -Even then the property to be looked after is extensive. Though for food -there is plenty of beef and mutton, there is little variety. The men are -out by four in the morning, and breakfast is often no more than -biscuits, washed down with maté (native tea). There is a solid meal -about eleven o'clock, generally boiled meat, by no means always -attractively served. After dark, between seven and eight o'clock, there -is supper: meat, coffee, and biscuits. The surroundings are coarse and -dirty, and sometimes disgusting. Of course, conditions are occasionally -much better than these; but I think I am fairly describing the average -quarters of the young Englishman who goes out to Argentina to be -assistant on an _estancia_. What gave me frequent surprise was not that -the life roughened them, but that so many retained the kindly courtesies -of their homes in England. - -The great thing is that the life is healthy. As years pass it gets a -grip of a man, so that even if he has the chance to return to -civilisation he generally prefers the camp. There is the driving of -cattle to the railway and loading them--often difficult work--into the -trucks to take them to the freezing factories. There is the cutting of -alfalfa and the shearing of sheep. There is breaking-in of colts and -looking after the stock. - -A neighbouring _estancia_ may be twenty miles away. But Sunday is a -holiday, except for absolutely necessary work, and men will start off at -two o'clock in the morning to have a jollification with friends, -generally to witness some horse-racing, about which all the _estancias_ -for fifty miles round are excited, and with a bottle of beer as first -prize. Maybe once or twice a year a wandering parson drops into an -_estancia_. Whatever be the religious views of the hands--supposing they -have any--the visitor is well received, and, be he Roman Catholic or -Protestant, he proceeds to "fill them up." He brings them something they -do not often think about. At the least he is a diversion. Undoubtedly -his praying and preaching have an effect, because for several days after -he has gone the men are serious, and language is not quite so ruddy as -formerly. Then arises the question of the rival merits of horses over a -level two miles, and the trend of thought changes. - -The rural roads, as I have said, are shocking, especially after wet -weather, for they are no more than tracks across mother earth. But man -is an adaptable creature, and the Englishman gets used to the bad roads. -The very discomforts facilitate companionship. No man out on the road -and needing a meal has the slightest hesitation about dropping into an -_estancia_ and making himself at home. Young fellows will spend their -money; and, as they cannot get rid of it after the way of the towns, it -goes in buying horses to race or ponies for polo; because if there are a -dozen youngsters within hail they invariably form a polo club. Folk -think nothing of travelling across country many miles to witness a polo -match on the Sunday. Usually the matches take place at different -_estancias_ on successive Sundays, and if there should be a homely -English girl about--well, she receives as much attention as a real -beauty would get in Mayfair. - -Where two or three men are gathered together in England the odds are -that conversation will turn to golf. Wherever men living in Argentina -meet, be they Spanish, Italian, or English, they talk about -horse-racing. I cannot recall that I ever met a man in the Republic who -was not interested in horse-racing. I have already described what goes -on at Palermo. But besides the swagger races at Palermo, and the races -amongst the natives, the English like to have their camp races every few -months. Not only is there the excitement of the contests, but there is -real warmth in the hearts of men meeting old friends. Everybody knows -what every horse has done; everybody is acquainted with the riders. -There is betting, but nothing like to the same extent as amongst the -born Argentines, who are gamblers, every mother's son, and will bet on -anything and everything. - -Sometimes one reads in English newspapers and telegrams how, on the -arrival of emigrant ships in Australia and New Zealand, there is -hustling amongst the ladies of those countries to get hold of the girls -who are arriving as domestic servants. Every new country has its -domestic servant problem, and Argentina is no exception. Unless -wealthy, most people in the towns live in small flats, which is partly -due to the excessive house rent, but also because servants are scarce -and dear. The foreigner who has to make shift with an Argentine servant -is either driven mad or deserves a medal for an angelic temper. I -confess that at Cordoba I did meet with an English family who had -nothing but praise for their native servants. But mostly I had to listen -to tragic stories of dirtiness, theft, and unblushing lying. The trouble -with so many of these Latins is that, even when willing, they seem quite -incapable of learning. Of course, this applies to the lowest classes. -When you get amongst the business folk you find they are quite as cute -as North Americans--as the Argentines always speak of the people of the -United States. After having a dozen incompetent servants in twelve -unhappy months, many an English housewife ceases her search for a decent -servant and does the work herself. - -There may be a Merchandise Marks Act in Argentina. What I am quite sure -about is, that it is the very paradise of the faked imitation article. -There are certain things in Europe, be they mineral waters, or -field-glasses, or razors, which are well known. It is possible to get -the real thing in Buenos Aires, but it is six to one you get a faked -article. The Argentines fake French wines of well known _châteaux_. You -pay a big price expecting to get a good cigar, and more likely than not -you get a brand with a well-imitated band. All the well-known Scotch -whiskies are imitated, and there are half a hundred "famous" whiskies -that are never heard of outside the Republic. I searched the whole of -Buenos Aires to get some briarwood pipes made by well-known -manufacturers. I was offered pipes bearing their names, but they were -all fakes. "Sheffield" cutlery is often the shoddiest product of -Germany. England has still a reputation for turning out a first-class -article, but my experience was corroborated by men I consulted in Buenos -Aires; it was impossible, or exceedingly difficult, to get the genuine -thing. I am not going to write that Argentina is responsible for the -shiploads of imitation muck which is dumped upon her shores. But there -are certainly some manufacturers in some parts of the world who make -cheap and nasty things, affix well-known English names, and do an -enormous business in exporting them to the Republic. - -The "fool" Englishman is to be encountered on the boats sailing to the -Argentine. He does not read the newspapers, except the sporting columns, -and "books are so dull"; but somebody has told him Argentina is a -wonderful place with no end of "stuff" to be picked up. So with a -first-class ticket to "B.A.," and enough cash in his pocket to keep him -at the Plaza Hotel for a fortnight, he hopes to make his fortune. - -"No end of Johnnies make lots of money," he explains as a preliminary to -proceeding to do the same himself. - -"What do you intend to do?" is quietly asked. - -"Oh, anything. I think I'd like to go on one of those _estancia_ things; -awfully jolly riding about all day rounding up beastly bullocks." - -"Got any letters of introduction?" - -"Yes; I've got two from a fellow at my club, awfully decent sort, who -met a couple of ripping Argentines in the Riviera summer before last, -but smelling with gold. They ought to put a chap in for something worth -having; what?" - -That is not a fancy picture. I have met two of that type in one voyage, -and the above is a fairly good example of their hopes and credentials. -Without any qualification they land in Buenos Aires and have the haziest -knowledge what they propose to do next. Possibly they have some vague -ideas that wealthy Argentines will be down at the wharf eager to help -good-looking young Englishmen. The young Englishman proceeds to use his -letters of introduction, and finds that one of the men is in Europe and -nobody ever heard of the other. What next? The Englishman does not know. -He cannot speak a word of Spanish. He hangs round the hotel lounge, and -spends a lot of time in the American bar downstairs. At the end of four -days he confides to you he is "fed up with the stinking hole," and has -wired to the "old man" to send him enough "stuff" to take him home. Then -at the end of a week he returns to England in the same boat as that by -which he arrived, quite convinced Argentina is a place which he was -jolly lucky to get out of. - -[Illustration: A REGATTA NEAR BUENOS AIRES.] - -There was another young fellow, somewhat more spry than the example I -have given. I met him in the street one morning, and he was furious. He -had been in the running for the secretaryship of an English company that -had some big contracts in Argentina, and he had been ruled out at last -because he did not speak Spanish. That was his grievance. He knew he -could mess along somehow, and could always get somebody to explain if he -had to talk business with an Argentine who did not speak English; so -what was the good of having to swat to learn the lingo? - -One of the biggest financiers in Argentina told me one day that whilst -plenty of young Englishmen made their way--indeed, if competent, they -were preferred to other foreigners--he was astonished at the way others -missed their opportunities. My friend, an Englishman himself, but who -has lived all his life in the country, and speaks Spanish more fluently -than he does English, has his finger in many concerns. Young men who -have come out to posts, and are not making the progress they hoped, go -to him to see if he can give them a helping hand. - -"Delighted," he says; "I want to help my own countrymen as much as -possible. How long have you been in 'B.A.'?" - -"Eight years." - -"Then you speak Spanish like an Argentine, eh?" - -"Well--er--no; but I've picked up enough to scrape along on." - -"Could you take charge of a hundred Argentines and talk business to them -as well as an Argentine?" - -"No; I wouldn't like to say that." - -"Could you write a technical business letter in Spanish?" - -"I'm afraid not." - -"Good day, my young friend. I should have been glad to have helped you, -but I want a man who would not be sure to make mistakes." - -There is a number of that pattern of Englishman in Buenos Aires. There -are excuses for them. They go out under a three- or a five-years' -contract to some post. A lad is a stranger in a strange land, and has -yet to pick up Spanish. He naturally consorts with his own countrymen. -They dine together; they meet in the same café; they belong to the same -club; they seek their pleasures together. It is very hard for a fellow -under such circumstances to become quick with the language, or extend -his knowledge to any great extent as to the Argentine way of doing -things. He can get all his requirements with a sort of pidgin-Spanish. -So at last he does not bother. That is the kind of man who sticks in the -same position all his life, and occasionally rails at his luck in not -getting a big post. - -That is one side of the picture. There is the other. I have in my mind a -man who holds a high position in Argentina. When he went out twenty -years ago he saw that the first essential was to know the language. At -the risk of being thought unsociable, he lived with Spanish Argentines -for two years, and made friends with young Argentines rather than with -Englishmen. He made it a habit to read the Buenos Aires Spanish morning -papers. He has gone ahead and done exceedingly well, although I would -not describe him as a brilliant business man. Then there was a youth -with whom I made acquaintance on the boat. I noticed he was spending a -good deal of his time with a Spanish grammar. He told me he was going -out under a five-years' contract to be a clerk in one of the banks. "But -I am not going to stop a bank clerk," he confided to me, "though that -will be all right for five years. By then I hope to have got a good grip -of the language and picked up something about Argentina, and if then I'm -not able to go to some boss and get one of the good jobs, well, it will -be my own fault." With that spirit he would be a success. All over the -country I was meeting Englishmen of that standard, and, because they can -be relied upon, they are esteemed and trusted. - -But I am not going to sing the praises of Argentina from a British -immigrant's point of view. First of all, take the case of the unskilled -labourer, the artisan, and the agriculturist. There is no man so -conservative in this world as the British working man. He has an -inherent contempt for all foreigners when he gets close to them, chiefly -because their ways are not his ways. So the working man who went out to -Argentina would be handicapped by not knowing the language; he would be -confused with the money; he would dislike the food; the way in which -the working class lives out there would disgust him. At the other end of -the string is the great capitalist. Capital knows no language, and owes -allegiance to no country. The capitalist with shrewdness, intelligent -anticipation, can make money quickly; in no country can a man get so -quick a turnover of his capital as in this Republic. - -Between these two classes is an army of men who go into the railway -service, into the offices of great English firms, into banks. They get -better paid in Argentina, but living is three times as heavy as at home. -Take the case of a young friend of mine. He had a situation in England -at £200, and, with his amusements, he had but little left over. He got a -situation in Argentina at £700 a year. Living, more or less in similar -style to the way he did at home, cost him £400 a year. But he had £300 a -year over, and that was not £300 a year in Argentine value, but £300 a -year in English value, because he was investing it for the time when he -would return to his native land. - -Of course there are promotions and superior posts to be obtained. -Occasionally a man will break away and get hold of something which will -lead to fortune. These cases, however, are the exceptions. The great -fortunes do not grow out of business, as they do in the United States, -for up to the present Argentina is not to be reckoned with as a -manufacturing country. They come to men who have colossal finance to -manipulate. To the great financier Argentina can give untold wealth. -There are, of course, cases of men who started with nothing, and can -now give their wives a £20,000 necklace. But to the man who lands in -Argentina with nothing but his muscle, or a salaried job, although his -position will be improved, and he can save more than ever he made in the -Old Country, the chances are against his ever joining the ranks of the -nabobs. - -[Illustration: A FINE ARGENTINE BRIDGE.] - - - - -CHAPTER X - -LIVE STOCK IN THE REPUBLIC - - -The constant wonder to me, as I traversed the fruitful prairies, was why -Nature had not supplied the country with indigenous live stock. - -One would have thought that the forces of evolution would have provided -animals to benefit and multiply. Man, of course, has done much to -improve the land. By the laying down of alfalfa he has turned sandy -regions into rich pasturage. By irrigation he has converted wastes into -prosperous stretches. Still, there were thousands of square miles, -capable of maintaining great herds, for ages before the coming of the -Europeans. But Nature was niggardly in raising animals which the -adventures of man subsequently proved suitable to the soil. - -The principal original animals were the alpaca, which provided meat and -wool, and the llama, used as a beast of burden by the natives, though -the loads it could carry were slight. Spain, when she took possession of -the country, saw its disadvantages. Though the Spanish Court was -prodigal in giving tracts of the new land to grandees and others, it is -significant that in practically all the concessions was the provision -that the grant failed unless horses, cattle, sheep, and goats were -introduced. They were for purely domestic uses. - -A couple of centuries ago a bull and ten cows were abandoned. What -became of them troubled no one. Long afterwards their descendants were -found grazing, and they had increased to many thousand; now they have -increased to many millions. They were sturdy cattle, but too numerous -for the then exceedingly sparse population. Their hides, however, were -profitable for sending to Europe; and many thousands of beasts were -slain, and their carcases left to rot, in order that their skins might -be sent across the seas. In 1794 merino sheep were imported from Spain. -In 1824 Southdowns were imported from England. They made an excellent -cross, and that was the start Argentina got in the growing of wool. - -There was no discovery that this part of South America was peculiarly -suitable for European stock. There was just a slow but increasing -consciousness of the fact that European animals were easily -acclimatised, and had a greater breeding capacity than at home. The -first European cattle did not come direct, but dribbled in by way of -Brazil from Peru--a roundabout route. Indeed, for several centuries -Spain, which was mistress of that part of the world, rigorously excluded -all other countries from assisting in its development or having any -share in its trade. Further, Peru, which was the most important of the -Spanish settlements, had sufficient power at the Court of Spain to -secure an insistence that all goods entering South America should do so -by the door of Peru. You have only to glance at a map to see how absurd -it was that articles intended for Buenos Aires or the east coast had to -be shipped to the Isthmus of Panama, taken across to the Pacific side by -mule caravan, shipped again down the coast to Peru, and then sent -thousands of miles over mountains, through jungle and across uninhabited -plains, to their destination. This intolerable condition of things, -which Spain refused to change, had much to do with Argentina's casting -off the yoke, in the beginning of the nineteenth century, and declaring -itself as a republic. - -Though one hears much about the way Argentina has gone ahead as a -cattle-raising country during the last decade, one must not lose sight -of the fact that the Spaniards have been rearing cattle there for over -three hundred years. Even when the possibilities began to be realised -there were no means of land transport except by driving the beasts, and, -except for the hides and tallow and subsequently the wool, there was -little that could be sent to Europe. - -In the first half of the nineteenth century, however, Argentina was -beginning to find herself. The Argentines were not content with the -quality of the animals which were bred haphazard. They took to importing -better strains from Europe, grasped what pedigree meant, began to demand -the best the world could produce, and were willing to pay for it, until -the call of Argentina for pedigree stock has almost become a mania, and -other countries have little chance when Argentina enters the market with -her bags of gold. - -Not only was there a wonderful increase in cattle and sheep, but horses -multiplied. The Spanish contempt for females extends to mares, and no -self-respecting Argentine, who was not seeking the sneers of his -countrymen, would think of riding a mare. A hundred years ago European -nations had not thought of purchasing South American mares; and it has -been computed that in the first quarter of the last century over 500,000 -mares were mercilessly slaughtered in Argentina. It has been said that -an enormous number of wild horses were at large, and their continued -incursions amongst the general stock caused great loss to the breeders. - -But that Argentina is one of the most productive lands in the world for -horses is undoubted. They seem to have something approaching the -fertility of the Australian rabbit. Historians disagree as to whether -the first importation of horses to Argentina in the sixteenth century -were seventy-two horses and mares, or forty-four horses and mares, or -seven horses and five mares. Anyway, whilst Ruy Diaz de Guzman, who -vouched for the latter figures, wrote they had "attained such a -multiplication in less than sixty years that they cannot be counted, -because the horses and mares are so many that they appear like great -woods and occupy (the country) from Cape Blanco to the fort of Gabato, -rather more than eighty leagues, and reach inland to the Cordillera," -the monk Fray Juan de Rivadancira, who declared for forty-four horses -and mares, states that "the coast is inhabited by a great many people, -and there is an immense number of horses that remained there from the -time of Don Pedro de Mendoza, that is forty-five years ago, forty-four -horses and mares that have multiplied themselves, but, strange to say, -in all this time they have not been seen by the Spaniards, who only know -of them from the reports of the Indians, who say that they cover the -plains to an astonishing extent." Allowing for these tales being -exaggerated, the very fact they should be recorded some fifty years or -so after the first importation of horses shows there must have been an -astonishing increase. - -Argentine breeders of cattle, knowing of the care taken in Europe to -improve quality, realised that quantity was not sufficient. There would -be little merit in having millions of animals on the rich grassed plains -if commercially they were unable to compete with other countries with -their produce. So between fifty and sixty years ago they began -methodically and scientifically to improve their herds. The result was -so satisfactory that owners of herds conceived it to be their patriotic -duty--and Argentina is noisily patriotic--to raise the standard of -quality. The Argentine Agricultural Society was established. It has -increased in size and importance. Its offices at Buenos Aires have the -marks of energetic distinction, whilst its permanent show grounds in the -suburbs of the city are the finest buildings for such a purpose in -the world. I will not say, as is often said, that the display is the -finest in the world. Now and then it tops any other show in a particular -class. But it is a great show, provided by a country with only seven -million inhabitants; and, speaking generally, it is not a bad second to -any other, no matter where it is held. - -[Illustration: - _Photograph by Moody, Buenos Aires._ - BREAKING-IN HORSES IN THE ARGENTINE.] - -There is tremendous rivalry amongst breeders, and the ambition to secure -the blue ribbons is so great that the Argentines, as I have mentioned in -a previous chapter, will not trust people of their own race to act as -judges. The judges all come from Britain, and are men of recognised -competence and integrity. They are the guests of the Society. They are -provided with first class return tickets, are entertained at the best -hotel for three weeks, have many courtesies piled on them, and each -receives £30 as out-of-pocket expenses. So keen are some Argentine -breeders to gain the coveted ribbon that I have heard of their sending -special representatives to travel on the boat from Southampton to Buenos -Aires so that an amiable judge may be "nobbled." Fortunately, British -judges are not made that way; and although stories of attempts are -common, there is no recorded instance of success. - -I was present at the official opening of the show in 1913 by the -Minister of Agriculture. It was not an enthusiastic occasion. The -weather was bad and cold, and there was the reading of two interminable -speeches from manuscript--read to about a score of top-hatted and -frock-coated gentlemen standing round, looking insufferably bored and -never raising the equivalent of a single "hear, hear," whilst the crowds -in the stands heard not a word but waited patiently for the parade of -prize winners to begin. - -But it was a show of cattle of which Argentina had a right to be proud. -It was another post along the road of evolution. The time is yet far off -when Argentina can rightly claim first position amongst the live-stock -nations; but it is a goal which the Argentines steadily keep in sight. -Stud farms are to be found all over the country. Prices which formerly -would have been thought reckless are now willingly paid for stallions, -bulls, and rams. Yet, though the Argentine is pleased with himself, he -does not so much boast of what he has accomplished as rhapsodise about -the future. To-day (1914) there are 8,000,000 horses in the country, -30,000,000 cattle, and over 80,000,000 sheep. Yet only a portion of the -country suitable for stock is utilised. Everything indicates that within -the next ten years 200,000,000 animals of all classes will be grazing on -the pastures of Argentina. - -The love of horse-racing is bred in the bone of every man in the -country. All the big towns have their race-courses. Out on the prairies, -if there is no race-course, the men at the _estancias_ mark out a track -and race against each other's horses on Sunday afternoons. An eye is -kept on the famous European race-horses, and as much as £40,000 has been -paid for a great winner, so that he may be used for stud purposes. The -breeding of thoroughbreds has become part of the national life of the -Republic. The Jockey Club at Buenos Aires, possessed of an enormous -income, has by the offering of handsome prizes encouraged the breeding -of race-horses. The Argentine stud farms are, in excellence of stabling -and general surroundings, lavish in luxury. So successful has been the -breeding from expensive European sires that European breeders are now -looking to Argentina to purchase some of the sons. - -But always, one must remember, the prosperity of Argentina rests with -her commercial cattle. As England prohibits the landing of live cattle -for fear of foot-and-mouth disease, increasing attention has been given -to the business of exporting chilled and frozen meat. The closing of -British ports and consequent slump in Argentine cattle gave a colossal -impetus to the frozen meat industry, so that at the present time the -Republic is the greatest exporter of frozen meat in the world. That, -perhaps, is the reward for Argentina's being the first country to export -chilled and frozen meat to Europe. This was as far back as 1877, though -it was not until 1885 that the first freezing works were established. -To-day something like £11,000,000, mostly English and United States -capital, is sunk in Argentine freezing houses. England is the largest -consumer. But though the quantity imported is enormous, it is a mistake -to suppose that frozen meat is yet ahead of English home-killed meat. As -a nation we are increasing meat eaters. We are now consuming something -approaching two million quarters a year. Only about a third of this is -chilled and frozen meat, and the consumption of home meat is increasing, -not decreasing. - -That there is foot-and-mouth disease in Argentina is undoubted. Though -the Argentines protest we continue the cry as an excuse for keeping out -their stock from our meadows and from competing with our own fresh meat, -I was quite convinced that the disease does seriously exist in -Argentina, and that, whilst not so prevalent as occasionally alleged, it -is sufficiently bad to justify the British Board of Agriculture in -maintaining the prohibition. With care, however, I am sure the -Argentines could stamp out the evil. Its persistence is due to -carelessness. The natural conditions of the cattle, being out on the -pastures all the year round, count for healthiness. I have visited the -great canned meat establishments in Chicago, and when in Buenos Aires -and La Plata I inspected some of the biggest of the Argentine freezing -places. Though the latter lacked the magnitude of the Chicago houses, I -admit my complete satisfaction with the sanitary conditions surrounding -what, to me, is always a sickening business. - -When a mob of cattle has been purchased the seller gives a guarantee of -the soundness of the animals. When they reach the stock-yard the -veterinary surgeon of the company makes inspection of each beast before -it goes to the slaughter-house. The operation is the usual one: the -animal is pole-axed, then the carcase is conveyed on a truck to a shed, -where it is hung up, bled, disembowelled, and skinned. The veterinary -surgeon makes an examination to see if he can detect disease. But this -is not enough; a piece of the meat, a few ounces, is cut off, labelled, -and sent to a laboratory, where further experiments are made. There is -much greater care taken in these slaughter-houses of Argentina in the -case of chilled and frozen meat than is usually taken at home in -providing the "roast beef of old England." The carcases are placed in a -chilling chamber, 34° Fahr., for twenty-four hours. Then they are cut in -two, each side wrapped in a cloth, and taken into the refrigerator -compartments on board a steamer. Should the investigation in the -laboratory reveal disease the carcase is burnt. - -To the layman inclined to be confused between the terms "chilled" and -"frozen," it is well to explain the difference. Frozen meat is that -which has been kept well below freezing point, and can be kept for an -indefinite time. Chilled meat is not frozen, but it can be kept -wholesome for some weeks when in a low temperature. Chilled meat is of -better quality than frozen meat, and, as the Argentine ports are within -three weeks of Smithfield, her produce has a distinct advantage over -that of countries farther away, where the journey takes six weeks, and -the meat cannot be kept chilled, but must be frozen. - -I am aware of the prejudice against chilled meat. Yet I suspect that -occasionally some of us, when paying for the home article, are really -receiving the foreign meat, but we do not know the difference. The -chilled meat trade--a later development than the frozen trade--has -sprung into existence in Argentina mainly during the last dozen years. -That which we get in London, whether from La Plata, Buenos Aires, or -Chicago, is of better quality than the meat the Argentine or the -American gets. The explanation is that the best meat is exported because -it has to come into competition with British beef, which admittedly is -the best in the world. The question, however, arises, what real -detriment is there to meat as the result of freezing? Professor Rideal, -of London University, who has made various experiments, has gone so far -as to declare that the nutritive and digestive qualities of Argentine -frozen meat are superior to those of the best freshly killed English -meats, and that Argentine chilled meats possess the same qualities as -English meat. - -It was in 1880 that we began to receive frozen meat in any quantity from -the Argentine, and year by year the quantity has increased. Other -European countries are in need of cheap meat, and yet it is a singular -fact that nine-tenths of the cold storage meat of the world comes to -England. Just upon two hundred and fifty steamers are now engaged in -bringing chilled or frozen meat to England from Argentina, Australia, -and New Zealand. London alone has thirty cold stores with a capacity -for storing 3,000,000 carcases of mutton. South America, Australia, and -New Zealand have seventy freezing establishments, chiefly for the -purpose of supplying the British market. Satisfactory though that market -is, Argentina is not content. She is beginning to import her chilled -meat into the United States. She is making a bid for the French market. -Professor Armand Gautier, of the Academy of Science, of Paris, has -stated that the French people ought to eat a third more meat than they -do. As the French production is insufficient, he has urged the -importation of meat preserved by cold, because it can be kept almost -indefinitely, and because in times of epidemic disease in live stock, or -lack of forage, and above all in time of war, it would lend most -important service. - -For a long time, however, Continental countries have been shy about -foreign meat, chiefly, I believe, because they were thinking of the -interests of the breeders at home. Frozen meat has, however, been -received in limited quantities in Italy, Switzerland, and Portugal. The -Austrian Government at first restricted the importation to 10,000 tons, -but as the meat was popular the restriction was removed. So, gradually, -frozen meat of good quality, and cheaper than native meat, is finding a -way into other European markets besides our own. The German-Argentine -Society, recently formed, has been petitioning the German Parliament for -the admission of Argentine frozen meat. The considerable -consumption of frozen meat in England is encouraging Argentina in her -ambition to contribute to the feeding of the immense artisan populations -in the industrial centres of the continent. - -Now anyone who has been much at sea knows about jerked beef. The -preparation of salt beef in the old sailing days was a great business, -and Argentina's first endeavour in the meat business was the preparation -of jerked beef, as it is called. It is not going too far to say that it -was this business which opened the eyes of South Americans to the -potentialities of their country. But gradually the trade got shifted to -the neighbouring little Republic of Uruguay, with Monte Video as the -chief place of export. A great many of the cattle killed in Uruguay are -bred in Argentina. The trade has extended to Brazil. Brazil, however, -still calls for Argentine cattle. So although this dry-salting was first -practised in Argentina in South America, and the trade has to a great -extent been removed, Argentina is getting benefit because she sells -hundreds of thousands of steers to the neighbouring republics. During -the last year or two there has been a distinct movement in Argentina to -recapture the trade. There is a huge demand for jerked meat in Cuba--and -Argentina is after the business. Argentina has both eyes on the whole of -the West Indies, where there are great negro populations who, it is -supposed, would welcome this cheap kind of meat. It can be used in -tropical regions where expensive cold storage would be an impossibility. -Besides, an inferior standard of animal, scarcely suitable for -freezing, can be jerked. - -The gigantic business in meat extracts carried on by such firms as -Bovril and Liebig has given a cue to the wide-awake Argentine for -another outlet to his enterprise. Indeed, the preparation of meat -extract in Argentina to-day needs the killing of 200,000 head of cattle -a year, whilst those killed for jerked beef are about three-quarters of -that number. Anyway, Argentines, whilst glad enough to have foreign -capital brought to develop their resources, are now constantly asking -themselves, "Why do not we do all this?" - -The fact is not to be overlooked that Argentina has a population of -7,000,000 to feed as well as to contribute to the feeding of the outer -world. The population of the city of Buenos Aires is a million and a -half. So, whilst it needs the killing of 4,000 head of cattle every day -to keep the Republic supplied with meat, 1,800 of these are needed in -the capital. - -England clings to old and sometimes unsatisfactory ways. When I visited -the abattoirs at Liniers I thought it would be no bad thing if a number -of British municipalities sent a shipload of representatives to -Argentina to study up-to-date slaughter-houses. One of the most important -features of Liniers is the veterinary pavilion, with rooms for -bacteriological and microscopical observations. There are twenty -veterinary surgeons who make it their business to examine every carcase -and stamp it before it is permitted to be sold as food. The annual -entry at the abattoir is, in round numbers, 750,000 sheep, 100,000 pigs, -and 1,250,000 cattle. Yet the animals slaughtered for local consumption -represent only three-fifths of the beasts sold in Buenos Aires, the rest -going to the slaughter-yards attached to the freezing houses. These -animals are not reared only in the province of Buenos Aires. Other -provinces supply cattle, Cordoba, Santa Fé, Entre Rios, Corrientes, and -further afield. - -One of the most instructive places is the sheep market, covering 500 -acres. Not only are there pens innumerable, but there are two galleries -set apart for sales so that buyers may obtain a quick bird's-eye view of -the stock offered. A police representative is constantly on duty, -keeping a lookout that the marks are all right and preventing sheep -stealing. Ten sanitary inspectors make inspection of sheep as they go -along the gangway or race. Any sheep showing signs of disease is sent to -the necropolis--supervised by the cattle division of the Ministry of -Agriculture--is killed and examined. Over 4,000,000 sheep are inspected -every year. Of these nearly 3,000,000 go to the freezing establishments -and the others are either for local consumption or are bought to be -fattened. On an average 4,000 railway wagons a month come in to Buenos -Aires filled with sheep. - -More than once I was made conscious of the deep disappointment amongst -Argentine breeders that there is an embargo in Britain against the -importation of live stock. They insisted that if there were disease it -would show itself during the three weeks' sea journey, so that British -herd owners should have no fear of their own cattle being contaminated. -The Argentines cannot get it out of their minds that it is not fear of -disease, but protection for the British farmer which really actuates the -British Board of Agriculture. Notwithstanding the increase in the sale -of chilled and frozen meat, the Argentines, of course, recognise that -the Englishman would prefer fresh killed meat if he could get it at a -sufficiently cheap price. The steady increase in the price of home-grown -meat in English shops is noted, and all the strings possible are being -tugged in order to induce the British Government to relax. Besides, -there is a considerable body of opinion in Great Britain itself, -occasionally voiced in Parliament by the representatives of industrial -constituencies, favourable to the importation of foreign animals, of -course under proper inspection. Were admission granted, there would -undoubtedly be a fall in the price of meat. But, even eliminating the -natural antagonism of the British farmer, there is the consumer to be -considered. Without joining in the combat whether Argentine meat is as -good as British meat, there can be no doubt that the home buyer prefers -the home article, and in innumerable cases he is prepared to pay more -for it. There is the possibility, the danger if you like, if live stock -from Argentina were admitted, for certain graziers to buy them, give -them a week or two on English meadows, and for the retail butchers, -either in ignorance or with the intention to mislead the purchaser, to -ticket the sides as "English fed." - -Though Argentines grumble at the British ports being closed to them, -causing a slump in their export of live stock, they acknowledge that the -effect has been counterbalanced by the increase in the export of frozen -meat. "Therefore why should they make such a fuss?" may be asked. Simply -because the Argentines are eager to find an outlet for the productive -capacity of their country. They do not rest on their oars. They are -looking to the future. There is no question in their minds what -Argentina can do. They do not want to be baulked by restrictions. It may -be argued that, whilst they are zealous to secure freedom for their -goods in oversea markets, they do not show any inclination to give an -equally wide freedom to the goods of other countries in their own -markets. That, however, just shows that considerations which often -influence individual traders do not disappear when the nation acts -collectively. - -The point to be marked--and it is the significance of much in this -chapter--is, that although other new nations provide increasing amounts -of meat, Argentina is as alive as any of them to the growing necessity -for the industrial communities of Europe--constantly increasing whilst -agriculture stands still or slides back--to look across the oceans for -their meat supply. The meat will be wanted. Competition to supply it -will be keen. In some European countries the live stock is diminishing. -Countries which formerly did much business in supplying neighbours have -now enough to do to supply themselves. Even Switzerland, unable to -provide for her own needs, and no longer able to get what she requires -from France and Italy, has turned to Argentina. The doors are closed by -some European Powers, including Spain. But Argentina is keeping a watch -on the artisan classes in commercial Europe. She expects the day will -soon come when they will clamour for cheaper meat, and break down the -doors. When that time does come, Argentina is determined to be ready -with a full basket. - - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -THE STORY OF THE RAILWAYS - - -I think I have made it clear that, accepting Argentina as an amazingly -fertile country, it is the railways that have chiefly been instrumental -in making it one of the most prosperous lands, with a big part to play -in providing food for the world. To-day 95 per cent. of its stock and -produce is carried over some part of the 20,000 miles of line -representing nearly £200,000,000 of British capital. - -I remember riding in a coach attached to a freight train across some -hundreds of miles of sand and sage bush, an impossible region from an -agriculturist's point of view. - -"This is an unprofitable stretch," I remarked to the railway official -who was my companion. - -"Not at all," was the reply; "you see, we have a full load, and we get -paid mileage, whether we run through good or bad land." - -That is one of the causes of railway profits in Argentina: the enormous -distances freight often has to be carried. - -[Illustration: INTERIOR OF DINING CAR, CENTRAL ARGENTINE RAILWAY.] - -It was not my lot to travel over all the railway systems in the -Argentine, but I travelled over the most important of them, and from -first to last I was enthusiastic. The rolling stock is excellent; the -permanent way is better than over similar country elsewhere, and as for -the comfort of the passengers it is certainly unsurpassed. Frankly, I -often felt like rubbing my eyes in order to make sure I was "roughing -it" in Southern America. - -Nowhere, out of Russia, have I seen the coaches so admirably adapted for -small or large parties. You can have a section of a coach -self-contained, dining-room, bedrooms and bathroom, suitable for -families; and meals can be supplied from the buffet. If you travel over -a certain distance you cannot miss having a buffet car; the law insists. -Also the law insists on dormitory coaches on the all-night journeys. -They are more commodious, because on most of the lines the gauge is -wider than in England. There is none of the uncomfortable sleeping -behind curtains, with, maybe, a stranger in the bunk overhead, and then -having to wash in the smoking-room, which the long-suffering men of the -United States put up with under the notion they possess the most -luxurious travelling in the world. When you come to "special cars," a -thing we know nothing about in England except for royalty, the United -States comes first, but I would say Argentina is a close second. - -Nothing could be jollier--when a sand storm is not on the wing--than -travelling with pleasant friends in a reserved coach. It is like a flat. -There is a sitting-room, and on a chill evening the fire burns brightly -in an open grate. On a hot afternoon you have your easy chairs out on -the platform at the rear and, with legs cocked up on the rail, you can -smoke your cigar. You press a button, and when the attendant has brought -you an iced cocktail you agree that "roughing it" in Argentina is a -delightful experience. If your car is properly equipped with a good -kitchen and a good cook, and there is a decent "cellar"--hospitality is -one of the legitimate boasts of the people--you fare as well as you -would do in a first-class hotel. Were it not that I might be thought a -sybarite, I could write like a chef about the menus I experienced and -enjoyed in my long excursions throughout the land. - -"This is a nice chicken," I said to my host one night. "Yes, we have a -chicken run under the car," he answered. I laughed, for I imagined the -innocent stranger was having his leg pulled; but the next morning -personal inspection assured me there was a "run," in the shape of a long -galvanised screened box beneath the car. - -It was pleasant to have a bedroom four times the size of a crib on an -English "sleeper," to have a writing-table with electric light, and a -bathroom adjoining. But the chief joy of a special car was that there -was no changing to catch trains. Instructions were given that we would -stop at a certain place at nine o'clock in the morning. The car was -detached and shunted into a siding. We lived on the car and slept on it. -Orders were given that we were to be picked up by the 3.15 local train -in the morning, taken down a branch line forty miles, attached to the -express which would be coming along at seven o'clock, and were to be -released somewhere else at 10.15 and put into a siding. I lived this -sort of life for nearly a month. It was the best possible way of seeing -the country. - -Sometimes we travelled from point to point during the night; sometimes -we camped, as it were, at a little wayside station, with the silence of -the plains around us except when a great goods train went roaring by. We -kept up the joke about "roughing it." After a dinner party, when the -coffee and liqueurs were on the table, and the sitting-room was pouring -billows of cigar smoke from the wide-open windows, we leaned back in our -big chairs and hoped that other poor devils who were "roughing it" in -the wilds were having no worse a time than we were. - -Of course, the passenger traffic--except around Buenos Aires--is a -secondary consideration compared with agricultural produce. It is -estimated that the area of land suitable for agriculture but not yet -cultivated is 290,000,000 acres, really all beyond the zone of railway -influence. At a greater distance than fifteen miles from a railway -station the cartage of the produce becomes so expensive and difficult -that the profit disappears. Information supplied me by the Argentine -Agricultural Society shows that the average cost of cartage is 0.70d. -per mile per cwt. Therefore, whoever has his farm farther than fifteen -miles from a station has to pay 10d. per cwt. for cartage. Lands lying -within the agricultural zone, but distant more than fifteen miles from a -railway station, lose enormously in value, as they cannot be utilised -except for live stock. To find a means of facilitating and cheapening -the transport of cereals would be to double the production and value of -the lands. The Agricultural Society thinks the solution may lie in the -construction of cheap auxiliary lines of the simplest kind, which, laid -down parallel to the principal lines at a distance of nineteen to -twenty-two miles, or at right angles to them, would hand over to -cultivation considerable zones of valuable fertile lands, and -concentrate the produce in the loading stations at a fair cost to the -farmers. - -The question is well asked, if the 20,000 miles of rails are only -sufficient to permit the cultivation of 70,000,000 acres, how many will -be necessary when nearly 300,000,000 more acres are being worked? At -present about 1,000 miles of fresh railroad are being laid down each -year. £20,000,000 a year is being put into new railroad construction. -Yet thirty years ago (1884) the total amount invested in Argentine -railways--now running into hundreds of millions--was only £18,600,000. -In 1885 all the railways in the Republic transported cargo amounting to -a little over 3,000,000 tons. In 1905 it was over 12,500,000 tons. In -1913 it was moving toward 40,000,000 tons. - -One harks back to the time of William Wheelwright, who may be called the -father of railways in Argentina. It is three-quarters of a century since -he was shipwrecked at the mouth of the River Plate. It was as a -starveling that he got his first knowledge of Argentina. He had come -from the United States, knew what railways were beginning to do for the -North, and dreamed what they ought to do for the South. When he got back -to the United States he tried to interest his countrymen. But the North -Americans turned a deaf ear. There they missed one of the greatest -chances in their commercial history. Had they seized their -opportunities, and come to South America with their adaptive enterprise, -the story of the relationship between the United States and the Latin -republics below them would have been very different from what it is -to-day. Finding he could raise no capital in his own country for railway -enterprise in Argentina, William Wheelwright came to England and -interested Thomas Brassey, one of our railway pioneers. Brassey, -Wheelwright, and others got capital, and a little line out of "B.A." was -built. Other little lines were built. Bigger lines were built. There -were set-backs; occasionally the investing public was shy. But, all -told, for forty years a mile a day of railroad was laid down in -Argentina, and during the last few years the rate has been three miles a -day. And it is all done by British capital. - -Before I went out to this country I was conscious of a certain -apprehension in England that we had rather too much money in Argentina, -and that it was about time we called a halt. The general average of -dividend during recent years has been a fraction over 5 per cent., not -much return for adventure in a new country; but the fact is not to be -lost sight of that enormous extensions have been provided out of -revenue, as well as out of fresh capital. That there is jealousy -amongst considerable sections of the young Argentines at the financial -interests which a foreign country like England has in the Republic is -undoubted. But it may be said that the mass of the people recognise what -they owe to foreign capital, and although the Government is inclined to -increase the tightness of its grip on railway administration, making -bargains for lines through uneconomic country in return for a concession -through fertile land--so that occasionally a company will throw up a -scheme rather than pay the price by building in a region the Government -wants to be developed--I do not think it can fairly be said that the -Government is antagonistic to foreign capital. The danger of foreign -capital getting a hold on Argentina in the way of extensive concessions -is sometimes preached; but the pouring of foreign gold into the country -brings too precious a return to the Argentines themselves for any check -to be put upon it. - -Besides, in strict fact, very little money is taken out of the country -in the way of dividend; the profits are mostly thrown back to provide -new works. I have lying before me the returns of the four principal -railways for the year ending June 13th, 1913 (the Central Argentine, the -Great Southern, the Buenos Aires and Pacific, and the Western of Buenos -Aires). During the year the four companies expended in additional -capital £8,870,639, and the earnings were £9,017,944, so that the -investing public extracted only £147,305, which is not a large draft in -return for the hundreds of millions invested. The manner in which the -earnings are thrown back into the country for further development shows -that, despite the vague apprehensions in certain quarters, the public -confidence is still firm. - -The Central Argentine Railway may first be described, because not only -does it date its origin from the earliest times of railway enterprise in -the Republic, but it is one of the most up-to-date lines in the world. -At the head of it as general manager is Mr. C. H. Pearson, young, -shrewd, and, like most strong men, a quiet man. When in England I hear -of lack of capability in railway management I think of such a man as Mr. -Pearson, who has won his spurs at home, and by clear vision and steady, -determined action is successfully directing a company which has 3,000 -miles of railroad, most of it through rich country. The line to-day is -the offspring of amalgamations. In the early 'seventies the Central -Argentine opened a line from the river port of Rosario to Cordoba, two -hundred and forty-six miles. Later on Buenos Aires and Rosario were -joined by another railway company. Subsequently the two lines were -linked. Always, without halt, the line has pushed its head into fresh -country, until now its arms stretch like a fan with Buenos Aires as the -base. - -I have heard Buenos Aires and Rosario described as the London and -Liverpool of Argentina--and the illustration is apt. Rosario, to be -pictured in a later chapter, is a business and shipping centre, and -between the two towns there is a constant rush by commercial men. It is -inspiriting to see the rush at the Retiro station in the early morning, -when men are busy getting their newspapers at the stalls and hastening -to the breakfast car and the roomy coaches. To the eye of the newly -arrived stranger there are innumerable little differences from things he -is accustomed to at home. But they are matters of detail to which you -speedily get used, so that after a week or two, or even a few days, you -have a little start in the realisation that you are not travelling in a -London and North-Western express, but amongst a similar crowd of -business men, in a far part of the world, who are intent on their own -affairs. - -Twelve passenger trains journey daily between Buenos Aires and Rosario. -Until Mr. Pearson came along with fresh ideas most of the passenger -traffic was by night. Trains left both places at ten o'clock; the -passengers went to bed, and early next morning the destination was -reached. Now there are two day express trains completing the journey in -just under five hours. Only first-class passengers travel by these -trains, as excellent as the expresses between New York and Philadelphia. -There is nothing in the way of scenery to move one to rapture; but there -is good agricultural progress on either side. The line is being double -tracked and stone ballasted, and the running is comfortable. And sitting -in this train, thronged with business men, whilst the great engine tears -along to keep to scheduled time, you understand something of the spirit -of modern Argentina. - -Amongst the cities of the world Buenos Aires takes thirteenth place in -size. With its population of a million and a half, long-distance -electric tramcars and the institution of an "underground" system are -not enough. High rents are driving many thousands to the suburbs, and -when, in the morning, the rush of trains begins to deliver throngs of -men and women into the heart of "B.A.," the scene is animated. All the -big companies running out of "B.A." are nursing their valuable suburban -traffic. The Central Argentine is electrifying over forty-four miles of -double track in the neighbourhood of the city. This company, in the -suburban section of its system, now carries 15,000,000 passengers a -year. All the trains of the company run 889,000 miles a month. A -handsome new station is being erected on the site of the old Retiro. I -was able to inspect the latest pneumatic system of signalling. When at -Rosario I went over the extensive workshops, and although it would be -idle even to suggest they compared with Crewe, Swindon, or Doncaster, -considering most of the parts are imported, they are comprehensive -works, and the machinery of the best. - -Since Mr. Pearson has been in charge the Central Argentine has taken to -running excursions, and encouraging the holiday makers in the flat lands -to go and seek bracing air in the Cordoba mountains. Alta Gracia--of -which more anon--an old Spanish town which has been drowsing in the sun -for several centuries, is now one of the most popular of holiday -haunts. - -But, though naturally enough the average passenger considers a railway -line from the way it ministers to his needs, it is the goods traffic -which is of first importance to railways in a country like Argentina. I -went on the Central Argentine line as far north as Tucuman, and as far -west as Cordoba and Rio Cuarto, and beheld the richness of the plains. -There were endless miles of wheat and maize and linseed; there were the -great herds of cattle and sheep. I witnessed the sugar cane harvest in -the north in full swing. - -All the goods are not brought into "B.A." The line runs to three -up-river ports, Rosario, Villa Constitucion and Campana, where there are -wide wharves and grain elevators. A goods tonnage of nearly 7,000,000 a -year and receipts of nearly £3,500,000 a year spell big business. Yet -one found this was only the beginning of things. Already there are -gigantic schemes in project for irrigation works in those stretches -which are incapable of use because of the insufficient rainfall. The -Argentine Government is giving serious attention to this matter. But the -railway companies in the Republic are not content to twiddle their -thumbs and keep asking, "Why does not the Government do something?" All -of them are attending to irrigation themselves, or are doing the work -for the Government. The Central Argentine, on behalf of the Government, -have an irrigation scheme on hand which will cost close upon £600,000. -New lines and extensions up to a further 1,600 miles are projected to -cost £8,000,000. Over 35,000 employees are on this line. The length of -rolling stock is 143 miles, including 600 passenger coaches and 2,200 -beds. Twenty million passengers are carried a year, and the total -receipts work out at £40 a week per mile. - -The second big railway which attracted my admiration was the Buenos -Aires and Pacific, which strikes westward across the continent. The -company was formed as recently as 1882, but it has a present capital of -over £50,500,000. It owns 1,406 miles, it leases 2,011 miles, and so -operates 3,417 miles. Some 150 miles are under construction. It has over -16,000,000 passengers annually, and over 6,000,000 tons of freight; and -its gross earnings in the last financial year (July 1912 to June 1913) -were £5,590,613. During the last ten years it has absorbed a number of -lesser lines--the Villa Maria Rufino, the Bahia Blanca and -North-Western, the Great Western, and, lastly, the Argentine -Transandine. It has also bought a length of over 200 miles of Government -line out in the west. The "B.A. and Pacific" has several subsidiary -undertakings. In conjunction with the Great Southern Railway it has a -well-equipped light and power company. In my chapter on Bahia Blanca I -shall deal with the port accommodation provided by the Pacific Company -to dispatch the grain produced within its area to Europe. Perhaps the -most important improvement made by the company has been the high level -independent access to the city of Buenos Aires. This line, which is five -miles in length, consists of two viaducts of brickwork, containing 116 -arches of 42.3 feet span each, and 19 steel bridges, the largest being -178.8 feet. From the River Plate an area of 366 acres is being reclaimed -to be used for goods sidings and access to the docks. For the conveyance -of coal, and materials for use on the line, the company owns its own -fleet of steamers. It would be easy enough to give a bunch of figures to -show how the passenger traffic has grown; anyway, its suburban service -bears comparison with that of any other line entering the capital. - -The Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway is becoming increasingly popular, -for people desiring to see the world now travel from "B.A." across the -pampas, over the Andes, and so down to Valparaiso in Chili, where -steamers can be obtained to take them up to Peru, Panama, and San -Francisco. Leaving "B.A.," the train runs for some twelve hours across -an extensive plain which is far from indicating to the traveller the -great mountain ranges which will surprise him later on. Across this -plain the lines of the railway extend in an absolutely straight line -from Vedia to Makenna, a distance of 175 miles, which is the world's -record. Near the first-mentioned station the railway curves in the form -of an S; without this, the stretch on the straight would have been 206 -miles long. - -Although the pampas are occasionally marked by undulations and small -green-covered slopes, the first notable elevations are not encountered -until Mercedes is reached. These are the San Luis hills, the outposts -of the Cordillera. Passing on the western side of this chain the -picturesque city of San Luis is reached. As the traveller approaches the -Cordillera of the Andes he finds himself in a district topographically -distinct but always fertile, and watered by canals fed by the Tunuyan -and Mendoza rivers. The view of the Cordillera in the early morning is a -spectacle worthy of admiration. At a distance of one hundred miles -before arrival at Mendoza the interminable chain of the Andes, with its -snow-capped peaks mingling with the clouds, is distinguishable. As the -train approaches their imposing grandeur becomes more and more evident. -Another of the views which delights the tourist, and makes the business -man think, is that of the smiling vineyards extending on both sides of -the line in a delightful prospect until lost on the horizon.[B] - - [B] Subsequent chapters describe Mendoza and the author's - personal experience during a trip into the Andes. - -From Mendoza the line runs across the Andes by the Uspallata Valley -route, the only transcontinental line in South America. What the Suez -Canal and the Trans-Siberian Railway have done for the Far Eastern -trade, the Transandine Railway is achieving for transcontinental traffic -in South America by giving rapid communication between the two South -American Republics--reducing the journey between Buenos Aires and -Valparaiso from thirteen and a half days to thirty-eight hours--and -thereby cementing closer commercial relations and developing trade with -the Far East. - -This has only been made possible by the summit tunnel of the Transandine -Railway, which was opened for public traffic in May, 1910, so that the -distance between Buenos Aires and Valparaiso has been reduced to 888 -miles. It is probably of interest to state that this tunnel is one of -the longest of its kind in the world, being 10,384 feet long, including -two artificial ends 442 feet in length altogether, and it lies at an -elevation of 10,778 feet above the sea-level. It is nearly 1,500 feet -higher than the highest carriage road in Europe, that over the Stelvio -Pass, and more than 3,500 feet higher than the Mont Cenis, St. Gothard, -and Simplon tunnels. So well were the levels and lines kept that the -difference at the junction was only 3/4 inch, and of the line 2-3/4 -inches, while the chainage was only 2.14 inches less than calculated. At -one period 1,700 men were engaged on the works. - -Unfortunately, the beautiful and impressive bronze statue of the Christ -is not visible to passengers in the train, but it can easily be reached -by coach or mule from Inca. It stands some 3,000 feet higher than Las -Cuevas, and is situated on the dividing line between Argentina and -Chili. It was the gift of a pious Buenos Aires lady, Señora César de -Costa, and was erected as a monument to the signing of the peace treaty -between the two countries. - -The Pacific Railway has expended over £80,000 in snow protection for -their line during the past two years, with the result that through -traffic can be maintained throughout the severest winter -with perfect safety. - -[Illustration: THE STATUE OF CHRIST ON THE ARGENTINA-CHILI FRONTIER.] - -The line brings Chili at least a fortnight nearer London, a great -consideration in these days of commercial enterprise. British -manufacturers are taking advantage of the fact, and that there is a -growing demand in Chili for British goods is shown by the increasing -number of representatives who favour this route. Previous to the opening -of the railway passengers and goods had to travel by boat through the -treacherous Straits of Magellan, a long and tedious journey. Now a -well-appointed and comfortable train is entered at Buenos Aires, and -thirty-eight hours later the traveller finds himself in Valparaiso or -Santiago. - -But the fortune of the Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway really lies in -the V-shaped territory from Mendoza to Bahia Blanca and Buenos Aires. -There is a great country still to be awakened in the foothills of the -Andes. There are millions of acres on the pampas awaiting the plough and -the coming of the cattle breeder. The Pacific Company cannot but go on -and prosper. It is a matter of regret, however, that it has lost as -general manager Mr. Guy Calthrop. In the handling of a complex railway -system he has no superior. A strong man, physically and mentally, he has -had rough hours during labour trouble. But he kept a steady nerve. He -went out to Argentina with high reputation of his work on the Caledonian -line; he has shown the capacity of a general in the development of -traffic during the few years he has been in Argentina. But England -called him to take the most responsible post in the railway world, the -general managership of the London and North Western Company. - -Now I come to the Great Southern Company, one of the oldest and one of -the most famous lines on the South American continent. From "B.A." it -extends southwards for 500 miles to Bahia Blanca. From there it shoots -westwards for 348 miles to Neuquén, and an extension to the Chilian -frontier is on its way. On behalf of the Government the company is -carrying forward extensive irrigation works in the Neuquén territory -which, when completed, will convert the valleys of the upper Rio Negro -and Rio Neuquén, hitherto one of the least productive, into one of the -most fertile regions of the country. The growth of the company, since it -started in 1865 with a length of 71 miles, is worth noting. After 1865 -the mileage grew progressively as follows: 1873, 145 miles; 1883, 472 -miles; 1893, 1,406 miles; 1903, 2,404 miles; 1913, 3,641 miles. The -lines actually in course of construction, or about to be commenced, -represent some 670 miles. Thus it can be safely calculated that the -mileage of the Great Southern Railway will, before long, exceed 4,300 -miles. You get an appreciation of the zone served by the Southern by the -comparative figures of the increase in its passenger traffic during the -last five years: 1909, 16,865,200; 1910, 18,906,505; 1911, 22,231,112; -1912, 24,069,974; 1913, 27,454,719. Of these last figures, for -1913, it is significant that the suburban traffic is represented by -19,841,156, which shows the population that lives within reach of Buenos -Aires. - -[Illustration: PLAZA CONSTITUCION STATION AT BUENOS AIRES.] - -Passenger traffic is, in fact, a main feature of the Buenos Aires Great -Southern Railway. On the Monday following the Easter holidays in 1913 -trains with no fewer than 102 sleeping coaches arrived at the company's -termini in Buenos Aires. Of these, fifty were from the fashionable -bathing resort at Mar del Plata. The special feature of this Mar del -Plata service is, that during the season as many as three heavy trains, -composed of sleeping cars, are run nightly, in addition to afternoon -expresses, formed of luxurious parlour cars, which run three days a -week. In 1913 35,964 return tickets were sold to this watering place 250 -miles from Buenos Aires. In the same year parcels and excess baggage -represented 291,608 tons, though it should be stated more than half this -amount was for milk, butter, and cream. The number of tons of goods -carried in 1909 was 4,852,379; in 1913 the tonnage was 7,977,663. Live -stock carried in 1909 were 5,576,983, whilst in 1913 the number was -6,562,951. Fully 50 per cent. of the live stock received at the -slaughter-houses for consumption in Buenos Aires, and by the freezing -establishments for export to England in the form of frozen or chilled -meat, is dispatched from southern stations. The bull that obtained the -championship in 1913 at Palermo, and fetched the world-record price of -£7,000, was born on Señor Pereyra Iraola's estate at Pereyra station on -the Great Southern Railway. - -Practically the whole of the zone served by the Great Southern Railway -in the Province of Buenos Aires is adaptable to the growing of cereals -generally, with the exception of maize, which is limited to the -districts nearest Buenos Aires. The authorised capital of the Southern -is £53,525,530, and that issued amounts to £48,981,530. The net receipts -for 1913 (June 30th) amounted to £2,870,349, and the dividend for the -year was 7 per cent., which has been maintained for the last fifteen -years, being, indeed, as high as the law will permit. The company's -rolling stock, comprising some 15,000 vehicles, was recently valued at -£7,437,654. The general manager of the company is Mr. Percy Clarke, the -doyen amongst English railway officials in Argentina, and a man of -charming personality. - -It is unnecessary for me to go through a catalogue of all that is being -done by the various railroads in the Republic. But I must refer to the -work being done by what is known as the "Farquhar group," an -amalgamation of railways under the spirited enterprise of Mr. Percival -Farquhar, a go-ahead North American who is chiefly responsible for the -creation of the Argentine Railway Company, which is incorporated under -the laws of the State of Maine, U.S.A. This company was formed a couple -of years ago (July 12th, 1912) to group together various railways in -order to obtain benefits of unified management, and provide increased -railroad facilities in the northern districts of the Republic. Two of -the principal railways which this company now control are the Central -Cordoba and the Entre Rios lines. Also it has a controlling interest in -a number of smaller companies. The biggest amalgamation effected by this -company has been the purchase by the Cordoba Central Railway of the -undertakings of the Cordoba and Rosario and Cordoba Central Buenos Aires -Extension Lines; and the proposal at the time of writing is to create -£23,000,000 worth of new stock, whilst £18,000,000 worth is to be issued -to the holders of existing stock in the three companies. A good deal of -reorganisation is in progress. - -Although competition between the big lines is as severe as anywhere in -the world, except within the United States, this movement in Argentina -for amalgamation and agreement in regard to spheres of interest shows a -disposition to put an end to fierce rivalry. Indeed, it is more than -likely that within the next few years there will be more amalgamation -and working agreements between the big companies. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -ROSARIO - - -It was not my fortune to see Rosario, one of the leading commercial -cities in the Republic, under the most favourable circumstances. During -the few days I was there the weather was all it ought not to have -been--dull and rainy and cold--and the streets, except in a few central -thoroughfares, morasses of mire. - -It is a purely commercial town. It puts forward no claim to be artistic -or cultured, and it has no pretensions to be a leader of fashion. All -the men in Rosario are engaged in money-making. There are big offices, -and the business men are at their desks early in the morning and remain -late in the afternoon. Great railway lines converge upon Rosario, and -along the front of the River Parana there are miles of goods sheds and -wharves, with ships lying alongside into which the elevators pour their -streams of wheat. There is the constant shunting of trains, the -shrieking of cranes, and the swinging of derricks. - -The workers are the best type of Latins, Italians from North Italy, or -North Catalonian Spaniards or Basques. Other Latins do not get much of a -chance in Rosario. There are a number of Englishmen, but they are -swamped in the total. I made inquiries about the relative merits of -English and Italian working men, and was told that the Englishmen are -superior, two of them doing the work which it generally takes three -Italians to accomplish. But it did not strike me, considering the high -cost of living, that the workers in Rosario are highly paid from an -English point of view. Commerce is frequently held up by strikes. -Indeed, there is probably no place where strikes are so recurrent as in -Rosario. - -This is a town which came into existence a century ago as a sort of -military outpost to fight the Indians. Half a century back it was little -more than a village, and in 1870 it had a population of 21,000. To-day -the inhabitants number 200,000. It is a great port for sending abroad -wheat, maize, and linseed; indeed, its exports annually are about -5,000,000 tons. As the country north of Rosario is rapidly being -colonised, and as the town is the up-river port capable of receiving -ocean-going steamers, its continued growth is assured. Though, of -course, I do not forget the gradual silting of the River Plate into -which the Parana flows, and the restraint this is sure to put upon -shipping in the future, Rosario is certain to go ahead. The day is not -far distant when there will be extended railway communication between -Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia; and, as all the lines will pass through -Rosario, it will get the benefit. It is reported that Brazil has coal -mines yet to be exploited, and if this takes place Argentina, which is -much in need of coal, will be one of the principal markets. - -I spent an interesting morning in the workshops of the Central Argentine -Railway, which are situated here. They are extensive works, though most -of the engines on the line are brought from England. The majority of the -workmen, naturally enough, are Italians, though the men at the heads of -departments are Englishmen. The goods yard of the Central Argentine -Company is as large as that at Crewe, and is ever busy with the great -freight cars coming in from the west and north. When I was there the -railway station was being transferred to another part of the city so -that passenger and goods traffic could be more expeditiously handled. - -Though Rosario prides itself that it keeps its nose to the grindstone in -the matter of money-making, it is not quite neglectful of other sides of -life. There is a fine system of electric tramways. There are huge blocks -of municipal buildings, and imposing banks and theatres; but the law -courts, whilst having a fine exterior, suggested a certain shabbiness to -me because of the weeds that were growing in the courtyards. There is -the usual race-course, and close by there is the Parque Independencia. -And, of course, there is a Plaza San Martin, whilst in other parts of -the town is the Plaza San Lopez, and the Plaza Jewell, presented by an -Englishman who made his fortune in the city. Some distance outside -Rosario is the English suburb of Fisherton, and I noticed that the -Englishmen had fallen into the Argentine practice of calling their -houses after their wives--the Villa Elsie, the Villa Florence, the -Villa Ethel, and so on. As might be expected, there is a golf -course. In the city itself there is a Strangers' Club, of which most of -the members are Englishmen. - -[Illustration: THE ROSARIO EXPRESS, CENTRAL ARGENTINE RAILWAY.] - -An evidence of the prosperity of Rosario is the way in which land has -increased in value. Plots which in 1885 could have been bought for 2s. -6d. a yard now fetch £200 a yard. On the outskirts of the town, where a -few years back a bit of land on which to build a residence--say twenty -yards by sixty yards--could have been obtained for £5, it cannot be -obtained to-day for less than £150. I saw one stretch on the river front -which was bought twenty years ago for £2,000 and sold last year for -£40,000. Twenty miles from Rosario camp land which a dozen years ago -could have been obtained for £10,000 the square league is not allowed to -change hands to-day for less than £100,000 the square league. - -With nightfall the Rosario people give themselves up to pleasure. -Attached to the big hotel there is a huge saloon, and whilst men play -dominoes and cards, music is provided by a band composed of Austrian -girls. There is a great _café chantant_, and every night hundreds of -people, men and their wives, sit at the little tables having meals, or -partaking of beverages, whilst a band plays and comic singers perform, -or a kinematograph entertainment is provided. I saw nothing at all in -Rosario to suggest it was a place of culture. But it is a town throbbing -with commercial activity, and when business is over the people seek -nothing more than the lightest of entertainment. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -CORDOBA AND ITS ATTRACTIONS - - -An old-time languorous atmosphere seems to hang round Cordoba. It is a -city with eighty churches, and as it has a population of 80,000, I pride -myself on my arithmetic that works it out to one church for every -thousand inhabitants. It is named after Cordova, in Spain, was founded -in 1504, and is the Oxford of the Argentine. Its university dates from -1666, and has a high reputation for learning in law and medicine. - -Those old Spaniards who came pioneering down this way from Peru in their -early days of conquest had a neat eye for the picturesque. Speaking -generally, I would not place Argentina high as a land of beauty. But in -the middle land there is a fine rib of mountains, the Sierra de Cordoba; -and on a rise, so that it may be seen from afar, when the heat dances -hazily there is something immaterial about Cordoba as though it were the -city of a waking dream. See it, however, in the early morning, when the -air is fresh and the gleam of the sun catches it sideways and the -buildings are silhouetted against shadows, and you witness a picture -which would enthral an artist. - -By northern European standard it is not an ancient city. But as living -beneath the sun brings early old age to men and women, so cities which -have had a few centuries of constant sun glare get a drowsy mediævalism -which sister cities in more temperate climes must have long ages to -acquire. The aroma of the Church and of scholasticism permeates Cordoba. -In many respects it is quite modern, with its big new hotel, where the -band plays in the restaurant whilst you are dining, and its streets lit -with electricity and electric tramcars jangling their way through the -squares and plenty of taxi-cabs on the ranks. - -But the tendency is to forget these, and in recollection of the place -you think chiefly of the quiet in the quadrangle of the university, the -calm of the great library, the weatherworn walls of the old churches and -the dim lights of their interiors doing much to soften the tawdriness of -the decorations. There is a good deal in the assertion occasionally made -that the towns of recently developed countries lack individuality, -distinction; that, with all their progress, they are more or less -duplicates of each other. It is easy enough in Argentina to find -evidence of this modern spirit in town planning. Yet I know of none of -the newer countries where the towns have such a separate character as in -Argentina. - -Of course, there are raw townships of yesterday which have nothing to -show but two wretched rows of badly built houses on each side of the -railway track, just as you will find in the western parts of the United -States and Canada. As Argentine towns grow they do not grow uniformly, -as though they were designed by the same architect or were imitating one -another. They show individuality. If you like, it may be just a desire -to show off. Many municipalities are loaded with debt. But they will -have their cities beautiful. When they have made a broad grass-plotted, -tree-girt avenue right through the town to the railway station, and the -station buildings are low and ugly and out of keeping with the rest of -the town, and the railway authorities at Buenos Aires turn a deaf ear to -the deputations which may wait upon them, you can safely bet that one of -these nights the railway buildings will be consumed by fire, so that the -company is compelled to erect a new station. - -Because it is the oldest city in Argentina and has inhabitants with -pedigrees, and because of the society attracted to it, Cordoba regards -itself as the aristocratic centre of the Republic. In the neighbouring -hills are sanatoria, like Jesu Maria, much favoured by the people of the -plains who need a change. - -Cordoba, like other places, is quite certain it has the best-dressed -ladies. In a sedate sort of way there is a good deal of gaiety. On hot -summer evenings a band plays in the square, where there is a statue of -San Martin. There may be a town in Argentina which has not an equestrian -statue of the Liberator from Spain. If so, I must have missed it. The -statues are all facsimiles of the original, and there must be dozens of -them. It is the one point on which all the towns agree; they must have -a statue of San Martin on a prancing steed, and eternally pointing in -the direction of the Andes. Once I unfortunately made an Argentine -angry, for, being anxious to show me the beauties of his town, he sought -my wishes as to what I desired to see, and I replied, "Anything you -like, so long as you do not take me to see the statue of San -Martin--I've seen him so often during the last month." The feathers were -up at once. I smoothed them down by assuring him that we have very few -statues of Wellington in England. - -The Cordobians are fond of music and racing and gambling, and sitting in -the cafés throwing the dice-box. There is a delightful theatre, the -Rivera Indarte, built by the provincial Government. Opera companies -which go to Buenos Aires are invited to come to Cordoba, and the -authorities give a guarantee against loss. The proper thing is to buy a -box, holding six persons, for the little season of ten performances. The -cost of such a box is £150. The charge is a dollar for the _entrada_ -(entrance), which provides nothing except permission to enter the -building. This _entrada_ charge is like the charge for "attendance" in -old-fashioned hotels in England, which is an excuse for sticking another -eighteenpence a day on your bill so that you may be deceived into -thinking you are paying six shillings for your room when you are really -paying seven and sixpence. So at the opera in Cordoba, usually Italian, -the lowest ticket is two dollars to be permitted to stand up, but you -have already parted with one dollar to go in. Cordoba province, like the -other provinces, thinks no small beer of itself. It rather resents -receiving orders from the Federal Government sitting in Buenos Aires. -Perhaps that is the reason the Argentine National Anthem is so seldom -heard. - -Students are attracted to Cordoba University from all over the country. -Most of the professors have had experience of European universities, -generally French. The library is extensive and varied. I handled some -fine old Bibles, bound in sheepskin, relics of the early Spaniards. Also -there is a remarkable collection of old maps, showing that the priests -as they travelled this way were first-class geographers. Whatever -literary sentiment there is in Argentina finds expression in Cordoba. -Indeed, it is the natural meeting-place for men inclined to culture for -its own sake. But it is by no means a sleepy hollow. It has several -really good newspapers. There is a great export of lime. Being the -centre of a big wheat area, much milling is done by modern electric -appliance. Light and power are provided by an enterprising English -company. There is a shoe factory, which turns out 2,500 pairs of -footwear a day. - -Yet, as I have said, though there is plenty to prove that Cordoba is -awake, the impression left on the memory is that it is an old-fashioned -Spanish university town that has strayed to the central part of South -America. This may be because I spent most of my time in the university -buildings, or roaming through the churches. In the cathedral a -shrivelled but kindly old priest showed me a gallery of bishops of -Cordoba; but I suspect they are much like the Scottish kings which adorn -the walls of Holyrood Palace, many painted by one hand, and from -imagination of what the bishops looked like rather than from any -knowledge of their actual appearance. - -[Illustration: - _Photograph by A. W. Boote & Co., Buenos Aires._ - ON THE WAY TO MARKET IN CORDOBA.] - -I went to the Jesuit church, where a tonsured, jolly monk showed me the -relics. People who had had rheumatism, and who had been cured by prayer, -gave acknowledgment by sending golden arms or silver legs. There was a -little golden motor car, and this came from a lady who in a terrible -smash prayed her life might be saved; and it was saved, and here was her -gift. Here was the statue of the Virgin, which performs miracles. Those -who are inclined to doubt are shown a stack of crutches of those who -hobbled into the church to seek the aid of the Virgin and walked out -quite cured. The little figure of the Virgin is as fresh as though it -had been carved and painted only last year. Yet the story goes it has -never been touched for nigh four hundred years. In those far-off days it -was sent from Spain. But the ship was wrecked in mid-Atlantic. Those who -had expected the statue were in distress, and prayers were offered on -the coast that the good Mother would send another statue. And whilst -they prayed the case in which was the statue was floated on the shore, -and the statue was quite unharmed. At once miracles were performed, and -miracles have been performed over since. I saw the crutches and I saw -the golden motor-car. - -From the rafters hung many flags of foreign countries captured by -Argentina in war. There is a Union Jack, with colours dimmed with years, -which was seized from the British nearly a hundred years ago, when a -British force landed and it was a toss-up whether Argentina would not -become a British Colony. Many British visitors cast a regretful eye upon -that drooping flag in the Jesuit church at Cordoba. They are not -told--but it is a fact all the same--it is not the real flag. I was -shown the real flag folded in a glass case in a room behind the altar. -Some years ago a number of young Englishmen travelling in the country -recovered the real flag, which then hung in the chancel. There was such -a how-d'ye-do that it had to be returned. To avoid a similar mishap it -was put under lock and key in a glass case, and kept in a chamber not -accessible to the public. But the public would still want to see the -British flag. So not to disappoint them an exact copy was made, and it -is the imitation flag upon which most visiting Englishmen cast a -patriotic but regretful eye. - -There is an agricultural college, a wonderful drive up a hill to a park -which provides long distance views, an English school and a German -school. I could easily give a dozen places where these developments can -be found, and better. The point is that you find these things at all in -the very heart of South America. Being the heart of the southern -continent, Cordoba has been selected by the Government as its chief -observatory. It is the Argentine Greenwich. The Republic keeps the same -time from east to west, and it keeps Cordoba time. The observatory is -under the control of a staff from the United States. - -The Cordobians are great lovers of pleasure. Sometimes on the grim -hoardings of London you see how a railway company will take you, first -class, to a popular seaside resort, house and feed you in a well-known -hotel, and bring you back at a fixed inclusive sum for the week-end. The -Central Argentine Railway does the same thing in regard to Alta Gracia, -a pleasant village in the hills, and where there is the best mountain -hotel in the world. Alta Gracia is about an hour's run from Cordoba, and -on Sundays there is a rush of holiday-makers, reminiscent of the Pullman -express out of London down to Brighton on a Sunday morning. The "fixed -charge" is popular. Everybody knows exactly how much the outing is going -to cost. At ten o'clock a train thronged with holiday-makers sets out -for Alta Gracia. By eleven o'clock the place is reached. At noon there -is _déjeuner_. The afternoon can be spent lounging about, listening to -the band, playing golf, playing tennis, gambling in the casino, taking -walks in the wooded hills. At seven o'clock is dinner. The train returns -at nine o'clock, and by ten Cordoba and home is reached. - -One of the pleasantest week-ends in my life I spent at Alta Gracia. -There is a little group of Englishmen, associated with the Central -Argentine Railway, living at Cordoba, and, as officials have special -cars, we had a couple of cars attached to the train on Saturday night. -At Alta Gracia these were detached and side tracked. Then we "roughed -it" for twenty-four hours. After the cocktails, and whilst dinner was -being prepared, we sat out on the plain. On one side rose the village, -revealed by points of light in the blackness, and on the summit of the -hill was a glow of light just like a great and well-illumined liner -appears as she ploughs the sea. That was the mountain hotel. On the -other side was the prairie, just a streak of dark below the deep blue of -the sky. The stars seemed bigger and nearer and more numerous than they -do in northern climes. There was the usual searching for the Southern -Cross, and when found we all agreed it was the most overrated -constellation in the heavens. A caressing warmth was in the air. It was -good to sit there, smoking our pipes and "listening to the silence." - -[Illustration: THE NINTH GREEN AT ALTA GRACIA.] - -[Illustration: IN THE COURTYARD OF THE MONASTERY AT ALTA GRACIA.] - -Away on the plains of central South America--that sounds like "roughing -it." But you have got to go much farther afield to rough it. The car -which my friend and I had would have attracted much notice in England. -There was a pleasant sitting-room, with big easy chairs and a real -English open fireplace. There were three bedrooms, not the "cribb'd, -cabin'd, confin'd" cabins we have in our "sleepers" at home, and there -was the luxury of a bathroom. There was a kitchen, a chef, and a -sprightly waiter. The whole car was lit by electricity. So we sat down -to dinner--half a dozen courses as excellent as can be served at a -London restaurant which looks after its reputation. We filled the coach -with our tobacco smoke; we told our best stories; we exchanged yarns -about things which had befallen us in distant parts of the world--in -Siberia and Australia, Peru and Havana, the Soudan and California--for -here the corners of the earth were met in a side-tracked private car in -the lee of a pretty holiday village in the middle of Argentina. The -Spaniards have done much to this land; but bands of young Englishmen -have played and are playing their part. - -In the delicious freshness of the dawn we sauntered about in our -pyjamas, drank tea and smoked cigarettes. The day came with a rush of -glory. It was Sunday morning, and the bell in the monastic church on the -hill was clanging for the faithful to go and pray. The mystery which -hung over Alta Gracia had gone, and in the truthful light of the morning -it was just a straggling Spanish village, with many trees about, and the -red hills in the distance making a jagged background. It was a torrid -Sunday morning, and when we had had our tubs, and had shaven and put on -our flannels, we set out to "make a day of it." - -The bell of the old church was clang-clanging. Peasants in their Sunday -clothes--the women squat and short-skirted and with highly coloured -kerchiefs over their heads, the men in baggy velvet trousers and slouch -hats, their faces polished with soap and their hair reeking with scented -oil--were slowly climbing to worship. The walls of the church, and the -buildings where the monks formerly lived, suggested a fortress prepared -to resist attack rather than a haven of peace. There were long slits in -the stonework through which the nose of a musket could be stuck. For in -the old days the monks had to fight as well as pray. Alta Gracia was -very lonely centuries ago, and always liable to attack. But now all that -is far in the background. The church was crowded. The priest at the -candled altar was chanting. The air was pungent with incense. There was -not room for all the worshippers to sit so many stood, and when they -knelt they spread their handkerchiefs on the floor. There was nothing -which could be described as distinctively Argentine. Better-to-do folk -were dressed just like better-to-do folk are dressed in Europe. It was -just the usual Sunday morning scene you can witness in Spain and -Italy--countries six thousand miles away. - -One blinked on coming from the shadows of the church into the sunshine. -The holiday-makers from Cordoba had arrived, and were scattering to find -suitable haunts for picnicking. We tramped up the heavy, dusty road, -panting and perspiring, but encouraged by the sight of the spreading, -low-roofed hotel. Ah! at last we were on the broad balcony, twice as -wide as the promenade deck of our greatest liner. A touch of the bell, -and we were having our favourite beverages, much iced. Through the -shimmering heat the eye could wander over the endless brown plains. -Solemn Argentines, inclined to portliness, sat in big basket-chairs, -surrounded by their sedate families, doing nothing at all. There were -invalids who had come here for the high, dry air. There were noisy -English youths, in gorgeous blazers, arranging a tennis match. A party -of heavy-shoed golfers were setting out. - -Alta Gracia is renowned throughout Argentina as a health resort. In the -hot months--and it can be very hot around January--many families come -here, for there is always a refreshing breeze. There are hundreds of -rooms in the hotel. Bathrooms are innumerable. There are suites and -single chambers. The furniture is tasteful but not luxurious. The -dining-room is in white. There is a ball-room. There is a resident -orchestra. I know most of the big hotels in the mountains of -Switzerland, but no one is comparable in conveniences to this. - -Across the gardens, a hundred yards away, is the casino, quite apart -from the hotel, but provided for those who want to gamble--and where is -the Argentine who does not like to gamble? There are large public rooms; -there are small rooms, decorated in a variety of styles, for private -gaming parties; there is a refreshment and reading-room, German in -appearance; there is a beautiful little theatre. No, I am receiving no -fee to advertise Alta Gracia. With the exception of my companion, I am -quite sure there was not a soul in the place who knew what my name was, -or bothered their heads what was the business of a tourist-looking -fellow like myself. - -We lunched, we had our coffee, and then we hired one of the hotel -motor-cars and went for a forty or fifty mile spin. Roads--there were no -roads. There were passable tracks and a considerable amount of bouncing -which tested the springs of the car. Like all Latin chauffeurs the -driver had a mania for speed. The way serpentined amongst the rocks and -through scraggy woods, so we had often to make a sudden duck to avoid -getting whipped in the face by a branch. We banged and swerved, but even -the awful threat of not giving the driver a tip did not hold him in for -more than a hundred yards at a stretch from letting that car tear along -at its maddest. He took us to see a gurgling little river, the Bolsa, -tripping through a sylvan glade which caused me to exclaim, "Why, it is -just like a bit of Dovedale!" - -[Illustration: THE HOTEL AT ALTA GRACIA.] - -Off again at a furious pace, heaving, diving, skirting hills. "If there -is a smash you will be the first killed." But the chauffeur only laughed -over his shoulder. We struck up a defile, and the hills rose high on -either side. Mountain ponies scampered about; goats hailed us from rocky -heights. Gauchos, swarthy and handsome, with their women perched behind, -were overtaken on stallions which were restive and inclined to bolt at -the approach of the automobile. A bend in the narrow way, and we nearly -ran into a funeral procession; the coffin on a cart and covered with a -dingy pall, and the friends of the dead man in many and varied -vehicles following, in no garb of mourning, but non-chalantly smoking -cigarettes. There was backing of the car till it could be run on a piece -of grass. The horses hauling the dead man laid their ears well forward -and then well back, but were led past the thing they were afraid of -without accident. We exchanged the greetings of the day with the friends -of the dead man. He was going to be buried twelve miles away, and it -would be well into the night before they got back. The motor-car snorted -and jumped on its way. It was a beautiful afternoon. - -The chauffeur brought us to a chalet which we reached by crossing a -brook and passing through a garden. It was a house of refreshment. And -what kind of refreshment in an out-of-the-way part of the world? A -sad-faced girl gave us a curtsy and waited our orders whilst we -stretched our legs beneath an orange tree. Now what had she to offer in -the way of refreshment? The señors could have what they wished. I -inquired about champagne. Certainly! But who on earth could want -champagne on the edge of the world out there? We did not have champagne. -We had a bottle of native white wine and aerated water. The chauffeur! -Oh, his fancy ran to a bottle of beer; indeed, he had two bottles of -beer. And who was the dead man we had passed? we asked the maid. Her -brother. Last night he took ill and ere morning he was dead, and now -they had taken him away. An old man came to the door and looked up the -sunlit valley. The little two-year-old son of the dead man had a -stick, and was chasing some ducks toward the brook; he was radiantly -happy. We commiserated with the old man. He thanked the señors and hoped -the wine was as we wished. He did not know why his son died; the sweet -Mother in Heaven knew; anyway, he had gone; could he get the señor -another chair, for that he was sitting on could not be comfortable? - -Back to Alta Gracia. Some of our friends had been playing golf, and we -must go to the club-house. A well-laid-out nine-hole course, but the -"greens" are of caked mud; they cannot grow grass out here as we can at -home. There is the usual golfers' talk; there was "rotten luck being -bunkered just in front of the fourth hole"; "That was a lovely drive -from the eighth"; "Hang it all, he was quite off colour with his -brassie, and he generally fancied himself with his brassie work"; "Well, -of all the fortunate foozlers, a chap like that doing the fifth in -three"--and so on. It was just like dear old England. - -Somebody remarked there were gaucho races over on the other side of the -town. Gaucho races--races amongst the men of the soil, the native -cowboys of the Argentine prairies! Tune up that motor-car. I can see -lots of golf in other parts of the world, but here was one of the things -I had dreamed about coming out to see--a gaucho race-meeting. - -No, I have no need to think out admiring adjectives to describe -that course. It was only a bit of a course. The posts were ramshackle, -and the wire which had connected them was broken and trailed on the -ground, or had gone altogether. There was what I took to be intended for -a grand stand, a wheezy erection of unpainted wood, but there was nobody -on it. - -There were hundreds of gauchos, the real article, with skins like -leather, eyes as black as night, and most of them were on ponies and -astride Spanish saddles, and they were picturesquely garbed, but not so -picturesquely as you see them in coloured illustrations. They were -noisy, and prancing their horses about and challenging each other. They -had ridden in fifteen and twenty miles, some of them, and their women -had driven in the carts with provisions for the day. The women had -little encampments in the bushes, and fires burning, and they made -coffee and served their lords with chunks of food. - -The men are all laughing and arguing the merits of their ponies. Nearly -everybody is mounted. One gaucho is jumping from group to group, waving -two paper pesos (about 3s. 4d.) and demanding who will lay two pesos -against his pony. The jabber is interminable. He gets taken. Excitement -runs through the crowd. The competitors each hand the money to an old -fellow who stands on a rickety platform which serves as judges' box. -Then they amble off toward a tree where they are their own starters. A -native policeman frantically yells for the course to be cleared. Some -sort of passage-way is made, and then there is the customary confounded -dog which will not get out of the way. - -Here they come, and in a pelt of dust. They ride well and with a loose -rein. The riders swing their arms and yell as though they would frighten -their steeds to greater efforts. You can feel the quiver in the crowd. -By go the horses, running neck to neck. But one has won by a nose. The -winner trots up smiling, and he gets the four pesos held by the judge. - -But the clamour has begun again. One man, rather a gaudy buck and with a -fine horse, challenges the world. He will race any man for five pesos, -and he has the money in his hand to show he means business. Well, he -will lay his five pesos to anybody else's four. Everybody is talking -about his own horse, or somebody else's horse, or egging two enthusiasts -to cease their talking and have the thing settled by a race. - -These gauchos belong to a long line of men who have lived on their -prairies and had to do with horses ever since the Spaniards first -landed. They go to horse-races not for a pleasant holiday, but because -the fever of horse-racing is in their veins. - -And that night after dinner we sat in the great light of the veranda, -and the mighty purple night was beyond, and the air was heavy with the -musk which rises from the plains after a hot day and the great locusts -which swerved toward us! Some women gave little screams in fear they -might get amongst their hair. Men who knew their harmlessness--except -when there was a crop of young wheat to be devoured--caught them in -their hands. - -[Illustration: - _Photograph by A. W. Boote & Co., Buenos Aires._ - A TYPICAL HOUSE IN CORDOBA PROVINCE.] - -We tramped through the dimly lit village and heard the songs of Spain -and Italy streaming from the cafés. We saw the crowd of merry-makers -packing into the train to return to Cordoba. And when the train, a -streak of light, had snorted into the blackness till in the distance it -appeared like a crawling glowworm, we got chairs from out of the private -car and sat beneath the stars and smoked our pipes, and wondered what -was happening in England. At first there was warmth in the air. But the -chill of midnight had come, and the grasshoppers had ceased their song, -before we climbed to bed. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -BAHIA BLANCA AND THE COUNTRY BEYOND - - -If I were suddenly asked to name the town which has most rapidly sprung -ahead during the last few years, Bahia Blanca would at once jump to my -lips. - -It is 350 miles south of the River Plate, and if you searched the coast -line for six hundred miles below Buenos Aires it is only here you would -find a natural harbour capable of receiving the largest of steamers. -With the gradual silting of the River Plate, which, notwithstanding -constant dredging, will be a constant handicap to the shipping of the -capital and Rosario, Bahia Blanca, with advantages which neither of the -other two towns possesses, will undoubtedly become the real Liverpool of -Argentina. - -In 1880 the place had a population of less than 2,000. To-day its -population is 70,000, and it is increasing rapidly. Already it has third -place in commercial importance amongst the cities of the country, and -its ambition is to rival Buenos Aires itself. - -Old timers--men who have been in the place a dozen years--waxed -enthusiastic to me about the way in which an unpaved village, built on a -flat, dusty, treeless waste, has become a city of broad paved streets -and plazas, with imposing public buildings, public gardens, electric -tramways, electric light, and an excellent water supply. - -[Illustration: A STREET IN BAHIA BLANCA] - -There was something exhilarating in driving in a motor-car along a busy -thoroughfare, with big shops on either side, and with clanging tramcars -picking up and dropping passengers, and to be reminded that seven years -before the place was quite a wilderness. The way in which some men had -made money quickly made the mouth water when one was shown a plot of -land which had originally been purchased for a few dollars, sold a few -years later for 10,000 dollars, and which had changed hands only a month -or two later for 30,000 dollars. - -Though open to the scourge of disagreeable sand-storms--I experienced -one during my visit--the town is well placed, with fine open spaces; and -though the public park is a little "raw," the fact that there is a park -at all, with excellent drives and many trees, is the wonderful thing. I -dined one night at an excellent hotel, and afterwards accompanied some -friends to a wine hall, where men brought their wives and children and -witnessed a pleasant kinematograph entertainment. Of course there is an -Argentine Club, and, though without the sedate restfulness which English -folk like to feel is the characteristic of their clubs, its dimensions -and luxuriance provide a building which would be a credit to any town -three times its size. Bahia Blanca has a model municipality, and, with -all respect to the Spanish-Italian Argentines, I believe the secret is -that the development of the town has been chiefly in the hands of -Englishmen. - -With the opening of the country, fresh areas of land placed under -cultivation and with thousands of miles lying at the back capable of -wheat growing and cattle raising, Bahia Blanca is swiftly coming into -its own. The land was practically useless so long as there was no -transport, but now, with the Great Southern Railway, the Buenos Aires -and Pacific Railway and other lines converging upon the town, every year -marks an increase in trade. For instance, in 1901 seventy vessels were -cleared from the port; in 1912 there were four hundred and twenty-two. -In the same two years the shipments in wool jumped from 26,123 tons to -55,552; the number of hides from 394 to 77,401; the tons of hair from 3 -to 248; and the tons of cereals from 188,875 to 1,747,702. - -Let honour go where honour is due. It was the coming of the railways -which gave Bahia Blanca its leap forward. In 1884 the Great Southern -Railway first pushed its rails so far south. They ran through a country -which, loosely, might be described as desert. The bringing of the -railway was like putting new life into the desert. _Estancias_ dotted -the landscape. In 1885 an insignificant mole was built by the Great -Southern to receive its own materials, but this mole has developed into -the present Port of Engineer White--called after the man who built -it--which deals with over a million tons of public traffic yearly. This -port is a little over four miles from Bahia Blanca, and has berths for -ten vessels of less draught. I climbed through the two grain elevators, -stacked with 26,000 tons of wheat in sacks. By means of electric bands -grain can be conveyed to eight vessels at a time, and in the busy season -ships have been known to take over five thousand tons in a little over -six hours. Being a place of yesterday's growth all the newest appliances -are to be found, including thirty electric cranes, powerful tugs, -floating grain elevators. Indeed, the Southern company admit to an -expenditure on the port of £2,000,000. - -But the port made by the Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway Company, -Puerto Galvan, occupying a position of fine natural advantage on the -estuary of the bay and lying a mile or two across the flat from Engineer -White, has also to be seen. At high tide there is a mean depth of -twenty-eight feet, and plenty of good anchorage is in the mainway. -Puerto Galvan is five miles from Bahia Blanca, and to a great extent has -been built on reclaimed swampy ground. I see the day when warehouses and -further elevators will cover this piece of reclaimed mudbank, and it -should never be forgotten that Mr. Stevens, the engineer, a man of great -ability and much modesty, has performed a fine piece of work. The port -has accommodation for twelve ocean-going steamers, and the berths, which -have a total length of over 4,000 feet, have been constructed with a -view to the rapid handling of cargo. Here again the appliances, -elevators to handle 8,000 tons a day, thirty-six cranes, traversers, -capstans, are all electrically driven. The total effective power amounts -to 4,265 horse-power. The port and the shunting yards are all lit at -night with electricity, and ships can be illuminated. There are special -facilities for the embarkation of cattle. Large bonded warehouses are in -course of construction. There is a flour mill with a capacity of 100 -tons a day. Large storage tanks have been erected for the accumulation -of crude oil, an important provision in a country so deficient in coal. -I looked across the sweep lying between Puerto Galvan and Engineer -White, and visioned the day when it will be occupied with warehouses and -industrial enterprises, for oil fuel and electric power can be quickly -and cheaply supplied. - -One morning I visited the Victoria Wool Market, long rows of well-built -sheds, where not only wool but cereals and general camp produce are -sold. I doubt if anywhere there is a similar market quite so large, for -it has a floor area of 484,000 square feet and a storage capacity of -50,000 tons. Close by are the deposits to receive the Mendoza wines, -which will have a profitable European sale when once the supply grows -beyond the Argentine demand. Then there are deposits for the storage of -alfalfa. The spread of development was revealed by the remarks which -came in reply to my inquiries. "Oh, that was built last year"; "This was -erected a couple of years ago, but we are going to make extensions"; -"Five years ago we thought this place big enough, but we are going to -pull it down and put up something ten times the size." Here was -commercial progress expanding monthly. Here was a town which had been -little more to me than a name on the South American coast before I -visited it--and I consider myself a travelled man--and when I saw its -energy and its growth I wondered how much the great industrial -populations of crowded Europe knew of what was taking place so many -thousands of miles across the sea. - -[Illustration: THE ELEVATORS AT INGENIERO WHITE.] - -The success of Bahia Blanca lies in the back country known as the pampa. -I journeyed across it in a trip from Mendoza to Bahia Blanca, and, as -the name denotes, it is a vast featureless plain. Most of it is -naturally fertile, but even regions that are sandy will be productive in -the growing of alfalfa, which seems specially suitable, and which will -not only maintain herds of cattle, but is profitable as a feeding stuff -to be exported. As yet the pampa has been little more than scratched. -From the railway cars the idea is obtained that the whole of the country -is converted to the use of man. Ten or twenty miles beyond the line you -reach desert--desert so far as use is concerned, though the illimitable -expanse of waving grass tells the tale of future possibilities. Wherever -the railways stretch their arms there is cultivation, for the ever -spreading population follows quickly on the laying down of the rails. - -I have heard people talk about the monotony of the pampa. But this -territory has a special fascination of its own. There is a bigness, an -immensity, an unendingness which lays hold of the imagination. The great -silence, save for the play of the wind amongst the long grass, seizes -the fancy. Sunrise and sunset come and go in a wonderful glory. At the -birth of day all the grass sparkles with dew; the softest colours seem -to brush the world. When the sun is up, and blazes from a sky with all -the blue burnt out of it, a sort of oppressive hot hush rests upon the -world. The long grass seems to drowse beneath the pitiless glare. You -can travel for hundreds of miles and never see a hillock or a tree or a -beast, or hear a bird. But into this land man is slowly but persistently -penetrating. To folk who live at home the life seems deadening. Yet men -come to love it, not passionately but clingingly, so that many a man who -has "made his pile" and returned home to spend it in ease begins to -crave for the pampa, and he is not content until he visits it again. - -[Illustration: PLAZA RIVERDAVIA, BAHIA BLANCA.] - -Gradually this area is being transformed. _Estancias_, with their -eternal clump of trees and inevitable windmill pump, break the line of -the horizon. Cattle stray over the prairie. The mud hovels of the -colonists are black specks, and when you reach them you find that a big -slice of the land has been given to the plough and is fenced with wire. -Here also are the sheep farms, and, as I have indicated, Bahia Blanca is -the chief market for wool. Yet sheep rearing in the Argentine, extensive -though it is, may be said to be stationary. This is not because the -limits of expansion have been reached, but simply because cattle and -wheat have been found more profitable. The quality of wool, inferior to -that of Australia, may have something to do with the restriction. The -constant tendency is toward hair, and the natural condition of wool is -only maintained by the importation of English sheep. Then the animals -are disposed to be gaunt rather than good meat producers. These are -drawbacks which have had their influence on breeding as a money-making -business. But the Argentines are a practical people, and everything -connected with agriculture they tackle in a scientific manner. That the -consequence of their experiments in cross breeding will be the -production of an acclimatised sheep, valuable for wool or mutton or -both, I have no doubt. Farther south toward Patagonia, where the climate -is more temperate and where there is fodder, I look upon as one of the -great sheep tracks of the world. The European market for chilled mutton -will be a spur to sheep-breeding. - -Indeed, there are indications that the country at the back of Bahia -Blanca is being appreciated as the sheep lands. It has been found that -English sheep do better here than elsewhere. The Lincoln, Leicester, -Romney Marsh, and Merino sheep do well. There is a good opening in this -area for the British immigrant with money. Though there are something -approaching one hundred million sheep in the Republic, there is room for -hundreds of millions more. But the indifferent strain, consequent on a -long-woolled Spanish breed having run wild for over two hundred years, -must be eradicated if Argentina is going to secure and hold a foremost -place in the wool markets of the world. I have been told this has been -done during the last half century, but I am by no means convinced. For a -long time the West Riding of Yorkshire had a prejudice against Argentine -wool. This no longer exists. The preference is given to Australian wool -not for any patriotic reasons, but simply because it is better. - -Argentina has for some time been attracting breeders from New Zealand, -and they have done much, by the importation of stock from England, to -improve the quality. At present three out of every four sheep stations -are in the hands of men of British name. You can strike a line from a -little north of Bahia Blanca, and then reckon that most of the country -lying south, right down to Patagonia, is suitable for sheep. But it is -not all of equal value. Sheep that are turned out on the alfalfa lands -provide good mutton, but the wool is inferior. The fine grasses of the -near south seem inclined to make coarse wool; yet careful crossing is -doing much to prevent this. Still, I am strongly disposed to agree with -M. Bernandez, that there is no reason why either the coarse or fine -wools now produced should be abandoned. The coarse, long wool will -always have its use not only in rough goods, but also in the warp of -fine cloths, which in the great mechanical looms has to be extremely -strong. He looks to the establishment of woollen manufactories in the -Argentine, and, as a consequence, the development on a colossal scale of -all the breeds. - -[Illustration: A BAHIA BLANCA BANK.] - -[Illustration: THE TOWN HALL AT BAHIA BLANCA.] - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -THE FUTURE OF AGRICULTURE - - -It is, as I have abundantly shown, a simple truism to say that Argentina -is one of the principal agricultural countries in the world. But how far -is the country going to advance? - -In the great industrial lands of the earth the tendency of population is -away from the land. But the increase of population means a bigger demand -for food. The time is swiftly coming when the United States will have -difficulty in growing sufficient to feed her own people, and must look -elsewhere. The wheat area in Canada is immense, but its extent is now -well known. The wheat lands in the Dominion are travelling farther -north, and though a short summer with long hours of sunshine are -sufficient speedily to raise crops, there is the danger--and it is -foolish to close one's eyes to it--that a summer frost may produce a -sudden shortage in the world's wheat supply. Russia is capable of -further development in wheat growing, and there are huge possibilities -in Siberia, which, physically, is a twin country to Canada. But the -Russians are the poorest of farmers, and the agricultural progress of -the land of the Tsar is doubtful. - -Then there are plains of Australia which ought to be doing much more in -food production. But it cannot be said that the native-born Australian -is really fond of life in the back blocks. Anyway, the disproportionate -size of the urban to the rural populations would indicate he is not. -Though of late years something has been done to stimulate immigration, -the result is not sufficient to meet the needs of a country like the -Commonwealth. - -One reason is that Australia is so much farther off than Canada, and -there is a belief amongst the country people of Great Britain that the -prospects of success are not so immediate. Further, there is the -unfortunate but undoubted and growing idea amongst Englishmen that -Australians, as a whole, are not kindly disposed to new-comers, and that -the fresh arrival has a rough time of it before he shakes himself down -to the fresh life. I do not discuss these points. I mention their -existence as some reason why Australia is not able to play the part it -is entitled to play as a great wheat country. - -Now the best wheat lands of Argentina lie within the semi-tropical or -temperate zone. I have already explained why it does not have the -attractions which British colonies can offer to the man with grit and -muscle who desires to secure independence. But it does draw to its -shores a big army of workers from Italy and Spain, without the ambition -of Britons and content to be the servants of other men. Labour is -comparatively cheap. The country is easy to reach. The drift is not to -the towns but to the agricultural districts. The range for wheat -growing is boundless. But the possibility of drought is not to be -overlooked. - -The money invested in agriculture falls short of that invested in live -stock. But there are more persons directly interested in the growing of -cereals, and I am one of those who believe it counts more for the -genuine, happy prosperity of a nation that a large proportion of the -population should be attached to the soil than when greater wealth is -secured by a smaller number. In my opinion it would be better if there -were easier means for the comparatively small holder, the man with -anything from three hundred to a thousand acres, to settle. I was not -unconscious of a movement, such as there is in Australia, to break up -the big estates, but at the present it is nebulous, merely something in -the air; and though the Latins, when they act, will act swiftly, the -type of colonist and labourer who lands, though he votes Socialist when -he gets the chance, is not of the brand to take vigorous political -action to secure land. His conditions are improved in comparison within -his native country, and he is inclined for the present to be content. - -There is, however, a rustling amongst the leaves. There is a feeling -amongst Argentine politicians that the peon and the colonist have little -chance of becoming owners of small farms unless they are assisted by -credit banks. Various proposals have been made; but the one now before -the Chamber of Deputies, fathered by the Minister of Agriculture, -provides for the establishment of agricultural banks and the erection -of warehouses to receive produce as a pledge against cash advances. - -It is reckoned that between £8,000,000 and £9,000,000 is necessary to -set the scheme on its legs, and the idea is that the State should find -half the money and private capital provide the other half. - -Further, as most of the best land is in large estates and private -ownership, there is a growing public opinion that the Government would -do well if it bought up some of these enormous _estancias_ at their -present value, cut them into small holdings, and let them on the -deferred payment system to colonists. This would require enormous -capital, State provided. But, human nature being what it is, men in one -part of the country are opposed to finding money for the benefit of -another part. They do not look upon it as a national investment which -will bring good return to the State as a whole so much as increasing the -productivity and population in particular parts. However, some progress -has been made when you get a general consensus that, unbounded though -Argentina's capabilities are, closer settlement is necessary to provide -ballast in the economic progress of the nation. - -"Give us of the best; let us be up-to-date and scientific; let us have -the latest twentieth-century equipment so that Argentina may have first -place"--that is the temper of the people toward agriculture. Much has -been done, an amazing amount, to place Argentina in the front line of -agrarian education. In giving praise there is, I know, always the -danger of overdoing it. And whilst the Argentine has a good conceit of -himself, he has the quality, not always readily discernible in a new -country, of being able to see his weak points and being willing to -learn. Here is a frank statement which I cull from the _Anales de la -Sociedad Rural Argentine_: "Up to the present agriculture has hardly -been carried on in a scientific, regular, methodic, reasonable and -economic manner with the endeavour to get from the soil all the benefit -and yield it can give. The empiric methods of cultivation often employed -up to now have given profits on account of the fertility of the land, -its exuberance, which, without great expense, yields a return far larger -than the general average known in other agricultural countries." - -Less than forty years ago it took Argentina all its time to grow enough -wheat to supply its own needs, though its population was only a third -what it is at present. Within the memory of many Argentina had to import -wheat. Indeed, as near as 1876 thousands of tons of flour had to be -brought into the country. It is the recollection of this, in comparison -with the conditions to-day, which proclaims better than any attempts at -fine writing the strides which have been made. Look at the jumps. In -1888 the crops covered some 6,076,500 acres, representing an increase of -4,626,500 acres in sixteen years, an addition that seven years later had -reached 6,012,000 acres. By 1895 the total was 12,088,000. Then came the -wave. By 1908 the total was 43,692,228 acres, an increase of 31,603,728 -acres in thirteen years, or 261 per cent. In 1911 the area cultivated -was 54,258,772 acres, and at the time of writing it must be approaching -70,000,000 acres. That tells its own story. Yet only one-sixth of the -country suitable for cultivation has been broken by the plough. The -value of the principal products of Argentine agriculture, wheat, maize, -oats and linseed, for 1913 is estimated at something over £80,000,000. - -One strong advantage Argentina has is that the crops are spread over an -extensive area. They are grown in regions so far distant from one -another that no fear is felt at any time of a total loss of the harvest. -The Republic now sends her products to countries that were her purveyors -up to a few years ago. In the production of linseed she has first place -amongst the nations. In maize she figures in the third place, coming -after North America and Austria-Hungary; but in export of maize she -comes first. In the production of wheat Argentina holds the sixth -position, coming after the United States, Russia, France, India, and -Austria-Hungary; but in export of wheat and flour she has first rank. We -in Britain have Canada so much before our eyes that we assume her -progress is unequalled. The _Anales de la Sociedad Rural Argentine_ is -responsible for some interesting comparisons directed to show that the -Argentine farmer can produce for 43s. 5d. an acre what it costs the -Canadian farmer 88s. 4d. to produce. Whilst the occupancy of land has -increased 75 per cent. in thirty years in Canada, it has increased by -284 per cent. in Argentina. Whilst Canada has 20,000,000 more acres -occupied than Argentina, the Republic is far ahead of the Dominion in -the value of her live stock. - -Though the capabilities of Argentina in wheat growing have been known -for centuries, and have not recently come in the nature of a revelation -as may be said in regard to Canada, the reason the boom has been so long -delayed has been because the country was in the throes of revolution, -thereby frightening off foreign capital, and because of the lack of -transport. But revolutions can now be described as things of the past, -and for its population Argentina has the longest mileage of railways in -the world. The day is not far distant when Argentina will produce -10,000,000 tons of wheat a year. Remarkable and gratifying, from a -trader's point of view, though her increase of exports are, the figures -are not so satisfying from a national standpoint. Her increase of -population, big though it is, is by no means keeping pace with her -increase in productivity. - -Notwithstanding the spread of agricultural education, I must say that -full value is not got out of the land. Much of the farming is slovenly. -This is partly due to race, but chiefly because the farmers are not -owners, but only occupiers in return for giving a proportion of the crop -to the owner. Further, if there is an unsatisfactory season the -colonists neglect the land, take their departure, and try their luck -elsewhere. The Argentines are conscious of the difficulties, and, as I -have indicated, the remedy will probably be found by the State -purchasing great estates, cutting them into small farms, and letting the -colonists become the owners on easy terms. In alluding to the -immigration in a former chapter I mentioned that a number of Italians -and Spaniards return to their own countries. The migrated Latin always -finds the old country pulling at his heart-strings--a feeling, however, -which completely disappears in succeeding generations. But the -immigrants who go to Argentina to make money rather than to settle are -inclined to be reckless concerning care for the soil. The -rough-and-ready, haphazard, careless farming is, of course, -understandable in a new and fertile country. Only the passage of years -and closer settlement, and therefore more careful culture, will tend to -put things right. - -The average production of wheat in Argentina is only 11.3 bushels per -acre, which is about the same as Australia. Canada does better than -that, for Manitoba can give 13-1/2 bushels to the acre and Saskatchewan -17 bushels. In England the yield to-day is 30 bushels. Germany has the -same return, whilst Roumania has 23 bushels and France 20 bushels to the -acre. There is not the slightest doubt that with improved conditions of -cultivation Argentina can do much better than she is doing. The United -Kingdom is now purchasing over £30,000,000 worth of foodstuffs a year -from the Argentine. Indeed, the Republic supplies us with a quarter of -the food we purchase from abroad. In cereals alone we purchased in 1912 -from Argentina 619,000 tons of wheat, 592,000 tons of maize, 60,000 tons -of linseed and 383,000 tons of oats. - -Mr. C. P. Ogilvie, one of the most astute authorities on the development -of Argentina, and whom I had the pleasure of meeting in Buenos Aires, -has demonstrated how the growing of alfalfa is useful for resting the -land after crops of wheat, maize, etc. I have already told of the way -this sanfoin plant has the property of attaching to itself -micro-organisms which draw the nitrogen in the air and make it available -for plant food. Every colonist knows the value of alfalfa for feeding -his cattle, says Mr. Ogilvie, but it is not every colonist who knows why -this plant occupies such a high place amongst feeding stuffs. Alfalfa is -easily grown, very strong when established, and, provided its roots can -get to water, will go on growing for years. The _raison d'être_ for -growing alfalfa is the feeding of cattle and preparing them for market, -and for this purpose a league of alfalfa (6,177 acres metric -measurement) will carry on an average 3,500 head. When grown for dry -fodder it produces three or four crops per annum, and a fair yield is -from six to eight tons per acre of dry alfalfa for each year. A ton of -such hay is worth about twenty to thirty dollars, and, after deducting -expenses, there is a clear return of about fourteen dollars per acre. -The figures supplied by one large company show that on an average -cattle, when placed upon alfalfa lands, improve in value at the rate of -two dollars per head per month, so it is easy to place a value upon its -feeding properties. - -[Illustration: CONVEYING ALFALFA TO A RAILWAY STATION.] - -Thus, Mr. Ogilvie proceeds, we will take a camp under alfalfa capable of -carrying 10,000 head of cattle all the year round, where, as the -fattened animals are sold off, an equal number is bought to replace -them. Such a camp would bring in a clear profit of 200,000 dollars -sterling. An animal that has been kept all its life on a rough camp, and -when too old for breeding is placed for the first time on alfalfa lands, -fattens extremely quickly, and the meat is tender and in quality -compares favourably with any other beef. No business in Argentina of the -same importance has shown such good returns as cattle breeding, and -these results have been chiefly brought about by the introduction of -alfalfa, and a knowledge of the life history of alfalfa is of the -greatest importance to the cattle farmer. All cereal crops take from the -soil mineral matter and nitrogen. Therefore, after continuous cropping, -the land becomes exhausted, and generally poorer. Experience has taught -us that rotation of crops is a necessity to alleviate the strain on the -soil.... If soils were composed of nothing but pure silica sand, nothing -would ever grow; but in Nature we find that soils contain all sorts of -mineral matter, and chief among these is lime. Alfalfa thrives on land -which contains lime, and gives but poor results where this ingredient is -deficient. The explanation is simple. There is a community of interest -between the very low microscopic animal life known as bacteria and -plant life generally. In every ounce of soil there are millions of these -living germs, which have their allotted work to do, and they thrive best -in soils containing lime. If one takes up with great care a root of -alfalfa, and care is taken in exposing the root, some small nodules -attached to the fine hair-like roots are easily distinguished by the -naked eye, and these nodules are the home of a teeming microscopic -industrious population, who perform their allotted work with the silent -persistent energy so often displayed in Nature. Men of science have been -able to identify at least three classes of these bacteria, and to -ascertain the work accomplished by each. The reason for their existence -would seem to be that one class is able to convert the nitrogen in the -air into ammonia, whilst others work it into nitrate, and the third -class so manipulate it as to form a nitrate which is capable of being -used for plant food. Now, although one ton of alfalfa removes from the -soil 50 lb. of nitrogen, yet that crop leaves the soil richer in -nitrogen, because the alfalfa has encouraged the multiplication of those -factories which convert some of the thousands of tons of nitrogen -floating above the earth into substance suitable for food for plant -life. As a dry fodder for cattle, three tons of alfalfa has as much -nutrition as two tons of wheat. - -The cost of growing alfalfa depends largely on the situation of the -land, and whether labour is plentiful. But, says Mr. Ogilvie, we will -imagine the intrinsic value of the undeveloped land to be £4,000, upon -which, under existing conditions, it would be possible to keep 1,000 -head of animals, whereas if this same land were under alfalfa 3,000 to -3,500 animals could be fattened thereon, and the land would have -increased in value to £20,000 or £30,000. To improve the undeveloped -land it must be worked, and the plan usually adopted is to let the land -to colonists who have had experience in the class of work. Colonists -usually undertake to cultivate 500 to 600 acres. They pay to the -landlord anything from 10 per cent. to 30 per cent. of the crops, -according to distance of the land from the railway. The first crop grown -on fresh broken soil is generally maize. The second year's crop linseed, -and probably a third year's crop of wheat is grown before handing back -the land to the owner, ready to be put down in alfalfa. Sometimes the -alfalfa is sown with the colonist's last crop, the landlord finding the -alfalfa seed. After the completion of the contract the colonist moves to -another part. The owner, who has annually received a percentage of the -crops, takes back his land. Fences now will necessitate a considerable -outlay, also wells and buildings. The more of these the better, as the -land will carry a larger head of cattle, and the camp being properly -divided makes the control of the cattle easy.[C] - - [C] Extracted from "Argentina from a British Point of View," by - C. P. Ogilvie (1910). - -Allowing for the disadvantages--stretches of drought, pests of -locusts--I know of no new country balancing one thing with another, -where the future is so bright. Given a good year, an Argentine farmer -makes 30 per cent. on his invested capital. He thinks he is doing fairly -well if he gets 20 per cent. He grumbles if his return is only 10 per -cent. He can afford to have one bad year in three--I believe the average -works out one in five--and yet be doing very well compared with farmers -in some other parts of the world. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -MENDOZA - - -If I were called upon to make my personal choice in which part of the -Republic I would like to live, I would choose Mendoza--or at any rate -some part of Mendoza province. It lies far west, within the shadow of -the snow-crowned Andes. The glacier-fed rivers from the mountains are -making it one of the biggest vineyards in the world. The city is several -thousand feet above sea level, and the air is clear and invigorating. -Like most Spanish-Argentine towns, it has a long history, but its tale -of abounding progress does not stretch beyond the last seven or eight -years. There are over a quarter of a million people in the province, and -the capital numbers nearly 70,000 of them. - -It is the old story of "Go west, my son." Whenever I fell into praise -about places in the east, or in the middle parts of the country, there -was generally somebody at my elbow to whisper, "Ah, but wait till you -get to Mendoza." - -Hardened traveller though I am, I admit a little thrill of anticipation -when, after a hot and rather dusty day in the railway cars, I first -caught a glimpse of the gleaming Cordillera, and then ran long miles -through flourishing vineyards. So right into the heart of the town of -luxuriant avenues, through the main street it seemed, with tall poplar -trees on either side, and beyond the cool road rows of picturesque but -modest houses, white washed, blue washed, pink washed, and even with a -touch of quaintness about the houses that seemed to be neglected. Thus I -made acquaintance with a city of broad boulevards and fine squares, an -extensive park, and announcing its prosperity to all who pass that way -and have eyes to see. - -But whilst there is much to be enthusiastic about, it is well not to let -enthusiasm run away with one. There was nothing of the raw west about -the people. The ladies were as well dressed as those you will see in the -Rue de la Paix. Then I was reminded that every woman out here dresses as -well as she knows how, even though she and her family live sparsely at -home. People judge their fellows by appearance, by show, and everyone -feels it a duty to be ostentatious. Next I was impressed with the -extraordinary number of motor-cars. "Yes," remarked my Mendoza-English -friend, "but I think there is only half the number now that there were a -couple of years ago. You had to own a motor-car, or you were not -considered worth knowing. We had nearly three hundred motor-cars, the -best the United States or France could supply, and their value ran into -millions of dollars. People had them with little prospect of paying for -them. But then, everybody is optimistic, expecting a pot of money to be -coming along soon. There is lots of money, but some folks did not get -what they expected, and so a great many of the cars have been seized for -debt." - -[Illustration: THE ENTRANCE TO THE PARK AT MENDOZA.] - -We were making a little tour in a car. Most of the houses are -single-storied as a provision against earthquakes, which are not -infrequent in these parts. Indeed, one morning during my stay, whilst I -was shaving, there was a quiver and a jolt which I thought was due to -some heavily laden train passing. At breakfast I learnt there had been a -respectable earthquake. Everybody tells you about the great earthquake -of 1861, which completely destroyed old Mendoza. The only remaining -evidences are the ruins of the cathedral. The population of the city at -that time was 20,000, and I was told that half the population was -killed. Then there was the agony of fire, and--with horror piled on -horror, as those were lawless days--bands of miscreants began plundering -and murdering the affrighted inhabitants who remained. Tremors are now -frequent, and the prospect of another earthquake is like an abiding -nightmare. That is why the streets are so wide, the houses nearly all of -a single story, and made of a particularly light brick with a -considerable admixture of cane amongst the clay, so that the structure -has a springiness and does not crack when the shake comes. Really the -only big and substantial buildings are the Legislature and the Palace of -Justice, and they are imposing. - -Mendoza continually reminded me of Salt Lake City. Like the capital of -the Mormon faith, it is in the lee of a mighty mountain range; there -are trees bordering most of the streets, and along the main ways are -innumerable rivulets. Boys are constantly employed to souse the road -with water and so keep it cool. The entrance to Western Park has -exquisite bronze gates. It is rather surprising, however, to see they -are mounted with imperial crowns. The explanation is that they were -originally made for Abdul Hamid, the deposed Sultan of Turkey. Owing to -political upheaval in Turkey they were never delivered, because there -was no one prepared to pay for them. Mendoza made a bid and bought them -for £5,000. Broad roads through this lovely domain, leading through -avenues of trees and past radiant flower gardens, make the Western Park -beloved of Mendozians. There is a band-stand; and on Thursday evenings, -the whole place flashing with electric light, the road is blocked with -automobiles and carriages, and thousands of people listening to the -music. There is a rustic chalet where people can sit and have -refreshment. There is a lake nearly a mile long. Here take place boating -races, and for the accommodation of the spectators there is a grand -stand which can hold 3,000 persons. There is a zoological garden. There -is what is called "The Lilliputian Railway," so that a tiny little train -starting from a miniature station can take passengers all over the -extensive park, through tropical vegetation, up tiny valleys, diving -through small tunnels, giving anybody who cannot provide a private -carriage an easy and cheap means of seeing the park. - -[Illustration: THE PROMENADE IN MENDOZA PARK.] - -Mendoza occupies a prominent place amongst the cities of Argentina. It -is a magnet of attraction, especially to Italians who have experience in -wine making; and now every year the province receives something over -fifteen thousand immigrants. Some freshly developed countries have a law -that no immigrant shall enter under "contract," that no man shall -(without special permission) be allowed to land if he has a job and a -definite wage awaiting him. There is no such regulation in Argentina. -There is an Immigration Law under which fresh arrivals are housed and -fed by the Government, and work found for them. But less than half come -within the operation of the law. About 150,000 fresh arrivals every year -come out to situations, or have sufficient money to look after their own -interests, and naturally many of these strike far west to Mendoza. - -As I have intimated in an earlier chapter, the Federal Government has -occasionally a little difficulty owing to the independent spirit of -provinces like Mendoza. Mendoza, for instance, has its own paper money, -so that whilst the Federal dollars are acceptable in the province, the -Mendozian dollars are not currency beyond its own borders. It has all -the modern equipment of government: a House of Senators and a House of -Deputies. Each eight thousand inhabitants are entitled to a deputy, and -each department or county returns one senator. The trouble of some -democratic lands, strikes, are prohibited, and if attempted the soldiers -are called out. The Governor is elected for four years. Voting is -obligatory, and if a man will not vote he is put in prison. The State -has full legal equipment in one supreme court, two courts of appeal, and -two criminal courts. Whilst there is a public prosecutor there is a -State lawyer, whose business it is to defend the poor, and another to -defend minors when they come within reach of the arm of the law. Taxes -are not high. There is a considerable amount of Government land, and -this is sold in order to raise money for public works. Of course, there -is the usual boom in land values. In 1909 the estimated value of -property in the province (vineyards, orchards, cultivated and -uncultivated land, and buildings) was a little over £50,000,000. Up to -July 31st, 1913, property had increased in value to well over -£70,000,000. This is creditable for a population of 260,000. - -[Illustration: THE GRAPE HARVEST IN THE SUBURBS OF MENDOZA.] - -In no other province in the Republic has there been so much land sold as -in Mendoza. From 1909 to 1912 inclusive transactions in land represented -a turnover of £37,000,000. In the neighbourhood of Mendoza City land is -as dear as close to Buenos Aires, rising to £2 a metre (3.28 feet). In -1909 193,061 hectares (hectare = 2.47 acres) was under cultivation. Now -there are 330,000 hectares. Development is not restricted to the -neighbourhood of the provincial capital. Take San Juan, in the north, an -old town which jogged along with viticulture till ten years ago, when it -made a bound, and progress in growing grapes has been considerable. Some -six hours by rail south-east of Mendoza is San Rafael. Twenty-five years -ago the only flourishing product was the Indian; and you could have -bought quantities of land at twopence a hectare. To-day ordinary -uncultivated land with water rights is worth from £140 to £160 per -hectare. Cultivated vineyards are worth from £600 to £650 per hectare, -according to class. Till 1903 San Rafael had no railway connection with -anywhere. The journey to Mendoza, which is now done in half a dozen -hours by train, then took eight days by cart. Railway building has -facilitated the development of the San Rafael district, which is just at -the doorway of its prosperity. The San Rafael grape has a richer colour -and more sugar than the Mendoza grape. If I had a large sum to invest I -think I would take my chances at San Rafael. - -Now, whilst there is all this material progress, it was refreshing to -note that care is given to other things than just money making. I have -described the constant movement to beautify Mendoza. Education is -carefully nurtured. In the province are (1913) two national high-grade -colleges, two normal schools, twenty-five private schools, and one -kindergarten. This kindergarten is, so far as my knowledge goes, -unmatched in the world. It was not the size that impressed me, but the -thought-out plans to provide everything to attract and stimulate the -young intelligence. Beauty is the basis, not only in the schoolrooms but -in the theatre and playgrounds. Whether it be a school, or a -fire-station, or a penitentiary, expenditure is lavish in providing a -handsome building. Of course ambition, rivalry, town conceit--the desire -to show something better than another town can show--is behind much of -the enterprise. But the result is there, and it is the fact that counts. - -Primarily, this abounding fortune of Mendoza is due to its vineyards. I -read in an official publication that the province has the finest soil in -the Republic. That is incorrect; but it has a soil that is peculiarly -adapted for vines, together with a climate and a situation which for -viticulture could not be improved--though there is a fly in the -ointment, of which more anon. Besides, the inhabitants have not had to -grope their way in the growing of grapes and the making of wine, as has -been the case in many instances in California and South Australia, good -though some of the wines are, through the cultivators coming from lands -where the grape industry is not natural. It may be fairly said that all -the folk in the province engaged in viticulture are from the -wine-growing regions of Italy and Spain. Further, wine has been made in -this region for several hundreds of years, though in the absence of -transport its consumption was purely local. Now it is drunk throughout -the Republic. - -Neither the Californians nor the Australians are a wine-drinking people. -Wine producers have to look to markets beyond the seas. Not so the -Mendozians. The Argentines, being Latin, are a wine-drinking people. -Everybody drinks wine. The labourer on the railway has wine with his -frugal lunch. It is not at all unusual for children to have watered wine -with their meals. On the big emigrant ships wine is included in the -charge for fare and food. - -Well, here is a wine-drinking population of 7,000,000 living next door -to the vineyards. Therefore the market for wine is enormous. Great -though the output is, it does not meet the demand. As a consequence -scant justice, from a connoisseur's point of view, is done to the -Argentine wine, for it never has an opportunity to mature. Again, the -wine is cheap; and it would never suit the wealthy Argentines if they -were seen drinking anything but expensive foreign wine. I did taste some -wine with delightful bouquet, such as that of the Château Norton; but, -as it is the crowd which drinks the wine, it cannot be said that the -average quality of native produce is high. With such piled-up orders for -quantity, growers have not bothered very much about quality. They told -me that sometimes they have felt rather ashamed to send out wine sour -with youth; yet the dealers must have it. More than once the railway -companies have been congested with barrels ready to be taken east. There -are millions of acres, as yet untouched, suitable for vines. - -When one thinks of the people in South America, and of the prospective -expansion of population, all wine-drinkers, one must conclude that the -future of this land, amongst the foothills of the Andes, is very bright. -In the turn of time some rich Argentines will set the fashion of -drinking the wine of their own country. That will call for the -production of a better vintage, and then, very likely, Argentine wines -will be introduced to the other markets of the world. As it is, fortunes -are being rapidly made. Many of the vineyards are quite small. Two and a -half acres (one hectare) will grow between three and four hundredweight -of grapes, which can be looked after by one man, and ought, in an -ordinary season, to yield an income of about £100. A family with a small -holding of four or five hectares can live most comfortably. In 1913 the -province produced 592,969,670 kilos (kilo = 2.20 lb.). Of this -399,517,099 litres of wine were elaborated (litre = 0.22 gallon). - -[Illustration: IN A MENDOZA BODEGA.] - -Now I have mentioned there is a fly in the ointment, and I should not be -doing my duty if I failed to call attention to it. The soil is there, -the climate is there, grapes are carefully acclimatised. But there must -be water, and whether there will always be a sufficiency of this is a -doubt which sometimes comes into the minds of men who glance ahead. The -rainfall is not heavy. Various scientific experiments have been made to -attract rain, but without much success. The principal supply is from the -River Mendoza, fed by the melting of the snows in the mountains. At -first the wine growers helped themselves to what water they desired. But -as the industry developed, and as there was suitable land without water, -irrigation canals were introduced. Sometimes a man tapped water to which -he was not entitled, and then there was trouble. As a consequence, the -Government has boldly grappled with the problem of irrigation. I drove -out about a dozen miles to inspect a weir which had been constructed -across the Mendoza River. This holds back an immense quantity of water, -and the supply is regulated by the weir gates. Irrigation channels -zigzag across the country, and the cultivator pays a small sum for his -supply. These works fertilise over a million acres of land. Irrigated -land has bounced in value. Waterless land which could have been obtained -for £1 a hectare now fetches twenty, or even thirty times as much. This -has emboldened the Government into making contracts for several million -dollars for the damming of smaller rivers, and providing further -irrigation works. Still, there is much water which goes down the River -Mendoza that is not used at all. I asked a man who has the right to -speak as an authority how much country could be placed under viticulture -if all the available water supply was nursed and utilised. He told me -three times as much as at present. So, although there is a big -difficulty ahead, it is so far distant that the average man of the -present generation does not bother his head much about it. - -There are just 873 bodegas in Mendoza, though 800 of them are -comparatively small. I went over two of the biggest and found them -equipped as well as the bodegas of Europe. Some of the vats hold tens of -thousands of litres of wine. Modern vats are built of cement lined with -glass, and one of them will hold over 100,000 litres. But what was -annoying--it is exercised elsewhere--was the practice of giving a -well-known name to a wine which it does not properly represent. There is -nothing so delicate as the grape in being affected by soil. Similar -vines, but grown on slightly dissimilar soil, produce a different -quality of grape, and give quite a different flavour to the wine. So, -generally speaking, the wine of Argentina has a different tone from that -of France, Italy, or Spain. The vintners endeavour by blending to -produce a European type, a hock, a moselle, a burgundy, a medoc, a -bordeaux, even a champagne--which, though good wines, are not always -good imitations of something else. It would be much better if they -classified and titled their own wines. The European plan of one type of -wine being produced in one particular district is ignored. Therefore you -will find the big bodega producing from grapes grown in one vineyard a -dozen brands which originated in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and -Portugal. - -It might be thought that in Mendoza, where wine is the cheapest beverage -procurable except water, there would be drunkenness. Not at all. Perhaps -the case of the people is like that of the girls in confectionery shops; -there are so many sweets about they never think of making themselves -ill. Now and then, however, there is a relapse. But a Mendozian "drunk" -is not fined and sent to prison. Armed with a pail, he has to give two -or three days to getting water out of the rivulets which run down the -sides of the main streets, and sprinkling the dusty road with it. This -is work usually given to boys. So when you see a disgruntled man engaged -at it you will be quite right in coming to the conclusion he has been -imbibing, and the authorities have put him to this job to disgrace him. - -I have dealt rather fully with the wine-making business because it is -the chief source of the Province of Mendoza's prosperity. But it is a -happy country for other kinds of fruit, particularly the peach. Also -there are oranges, figs, quinces, nectarines, and cherries. Several -fruit canning concerns, turning out many thousand tins of fruit a day, -have sprung into existence and are doing well. Abundance of fruit has -been rather a cause of neglect in rearing, so that I do not place the -quality too high. For instance, the oranges are not within measurable -distance of the splendid oranges which New South Wales grows. -Improvement will assuredly come in time. As it is, the fruit season in -Argentina is when it is raw winter in Europe; and, as transport is -quickening, possibilities of an extended market are great. Sometimes I -hear young Englishmen, discontented with home, say they would like to go -to America and start fruit farming. They might inquire into the -prospects of Mendoza. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -A TRIP INTO THE ANDES - - -It was intended to be a jolly party. We were going to Puerta del Inca -and to make a picnic of it. There was the Englishman, born in Australia, -trained in the United States and now an engineering expert in Argentina. -He was the biggest man I met in the Republic, and his friends called him -"Chico," which means the little one. There was the Scot, grizzled and -cautious, who disappeared for months and was away exploring the unknown -mountains up in the snows, carrying his camp with him, never seeing -anybody with whom he could converse, coming back with maps of possible -new routes over the frozen shoulders of the Andes, and who loved long -hours in the English Club in Mendoza, expressing Carlylean views about -the world, quoting poetry and enjoying long games at cards. There was -the man who came out here from England many years ago to help in the -building of the Transandine railway, married a Spanish wife, has taken -to vine growing, and knows he now speaks his native tongue with a -foreign accent. There were others, men who had knocked about the world -and had done things; men with none of the light talk of stay-at-home -Englishmen, but showing strong character kneaded by rough -circumstances. - -[Illustration: "CHICO" IN CHARGE.] - -[Illustration: A CORNER OF THE ENGLISH CLUB AT MENDOZA.] - -The trip was arranged amongst the orange trees which grow in the little -courtyard of the English Club. It was when the night was warm and we -stretched in easy chairs, puffing smoke rings at the moon. "Chico" was -master of ceremonies. What he arranged was to be right. And we were to -be ready early the next morning, for a special coach was to be fastened -to the express coming through from Buenos Aires on its way to -Valparaiso. - -The early morning air was crisp and invigorating. The transcontinental -train had just come in, and whilst the early birds were out on the -platform, half-drawn blinds revealed the drowsy countenances of other -travellers who had no disposition for a peep at Mendoza, or who had seen -it before and lacked ambition to see it again. There was the usual -jostling on the platform of folk who had just arrived and those who were -taking their departure, joyous greetings, and sad farewells. The -stranger had to stand on one side and smile at the way Argentine men -held one another by one arm half round the neck, and with the other hand -gave continuous slaps in the small of the back. Yesterday morning's -papers from Buenos Aires had arrived, and there was a scramble round the -bookstall whilst the slow-moving newsboy undid the strings and we could -buy our newspapers, and were able to read what the Prime Minister of -England had been saying the day before yesterday. - -"Chico," with hat stuck on the back of his head, hastened up to our -group with the intimation that we had better get on board if it was not -our intention to be left behind. "Have you got plenty of food," was the -inquiry, "for we are as hungry as hunters?" "Yes, plenty," was the -answer. "And drink?" "And the drink." "You have not forgotten the -cigars?" "No, the cigars are all right." - -Our car was attached to the express. It was a long, narrow car, with a -table down the centre. We were met with the refreshing odour of ham and -eggs being prepared in the adjoining kitchen. - -The long train panted toward the hills, leaving leafy Mendoza behind and -winding away through aisles of great grey boulders by the side of the -muddy Mendoza River. There was a dreary forlornness about the country as -the train, with the river as its guide, seemed to be making for a huge -black cutting in the mountains. We did not mind, for the Spanish cook -and his assistant were busy serving us with ham and eggs, and coffee, -and freshly baked rolls. - -Maybe it was the breakfast, or the exhilarating air of the hills, or the -genial company, or the pleasure of the post-breakfast cigar; but we were -the merriest party imaginable. The engineer who had turned vine grower -became reminiscent of the days when he helped to build this line, and of -how, when work was over in the evening, he frequently mounted his horse, -rode twenty miles to attend a Spanish dance, mounted his horse again at -four in the morning, and was back at work in the hills by sunrise. Of -course, he was quite sure that those were romantic and adventurous days -compared with the present. - -We were not travelling fast. The line was gradually rising, and the -engine was giving off sounds as though it were suffering from asthma. We -got into country--wild, moorlike, and broken with many streams--which -reminded some of us of parts of Scotland. We struck into what had looked -like a black defile, through which the river came racing, and on either -side of us rose gaunt rocks, black and brown, which suggested that a -terrific fire had once raged. - -No snow was in sight--nothing but fierce, repellent crags. Suddenly we -came upon an upland valley with a wide stretch of grass, a straggling -village, and a big hotel--just the sort of hotel you are constantly -bumping into in the Swiss mountains. The passing of the train for Chili -is probably the one excitement. The Italian folk gathered about the -little station and gazed with curious eyes at the passengers. - -Years ago I went down Kicking Horse Pass, in the Canadian Rockies, with -a seat on the "cow-catcher." It was now my good fortune to ride on the -"cow-catcher" of this train bound for Valparaiso. As luck would have it, -I met an American and his wife whose acquaintance I had made on the -Atlantic, and to whom I had bidden "good-bye" at Rio de Janeiro. They -were now returning to the United States by way of Chili, and, being of -an adventurous turn of mind, they, too, were eager to enjoy a ride on -the front of the engine. Over the "cow-catcher" a seat was fixed, with a -brass rail in front so that there was little danger of falling off. We -knew how cold it would be later, and so we put on our heaviest coats -and wrapped ourselves in our thickest rugs. We were "in the front row" -to obtain a view. - -The way was now increasingly steep. It was necessary to have two -engines, one in front to pull and one behind to push. Slowly we grunted -on our way. There was a chill ping in the air which made our cheeks -smart. We kept close to the river, as though it were a guide that we did -not intend to allow to forsake us. Sometimes we ran not far above the -level of the scouring waters. At other times we seemed to be running -along a high-perched ledge on the rock side, so that when the engine -gave a sudden swerve round the elbow of a hill there was one traveller -who shut his eyes when he thought what might happen if the engine had -suddenly taken it into its head to make a leap into the abyss. - -The hills closed in. They towered above us so that there was the sense -of going through a long gully. At every turn the engine shrieked, and -the echoes reverberated amongst the mountains. Now and then we came upon -gangmen engaged in the repair of the line. They jumped aside whilst the -train trundled by. - -Then came a dip, with a great open, verdurous cañon in front of us. The -steam of the engine was shut off, and the train seemed to free-wheel -into the valley. We jumped and rocked and curved in the most exciting -way. There was no protecting fence. We gave a start when, swinging round -the bend, we came across a couple of scampering horses. We held our -breath, for it seemed certain we should crush into them. One animal gave -a violent jump amongst the adjoining boulders, and then, when we were -within a dozen yards of the other horse, it swerved, and we just missed -hitting it. - -Again we started climbing. We ran past tiny stations, and on the -hillsides, where there was vegetation, we could see little chalets and -horses and cattle about. Once we had to cross a bridge very slowly, for -it was under extensive repair. The chief engineer was a young -Englishman, and he ran up and exchanged a few words with friends. We -went through long black tunnels, and the experience was eerie, for the -engine shrieked like a maniac that was being chased. - -Still we kept fairly close to the Mendoza River. At one spot the hills -widened out where a tributary, the Rio Blanco, ran into the main stream. -At the joining place there was a chasm which it would have required an -enormous bridge to span. We avoided that difficulty by the line running -a little distance on one side by the Rio Blanco to where the valley -narrowed so we could cross by a small bridge; and then the train started -going the other way on the other side of the fall, and proceeded with -the Mendoza River on the right, having dodged the chasm by a sort of -V-shaped loop. - -By the side of the chasm was a melancholy little cemetery. There was no -grass, or trees, or flowers; just a group of uneven headstones telling -of the last resting-place of the men who had died years before whilst -engaged in constructing the line. - -We now seemed to be running along a scooped-out way over a great height -of shingle. We knew it was here that some of the hardest work was done -in building the line. For after the melting of the snows and the -torrential rains, great masses of shingle rolled, breaking the line, and -on one occasion throwing a whole train and the engine right into the -bottom of the river. One felt that the engine itself was trembling with -fear as it made a path across this dread hillside. It was bitterly cold. -The wind cut with icy blast upon us from the precipices. Higher still we -climbed to where there was no vegetation, nothing but scarped rocks and -strange shaped and strangely coloured mounds, reminding us of the -volcanic origin of the Andes. - -Reaching another flat level we ran into the mountain station of Zanjou -Amarillo. Here were engine sheds, for it is necessary to change the -engine at this place. We dismounted from the "cow-catcher," and, -shivering with the cold, watched a heavy black engine attached. From -this point until the other side of the Andes is reached part of the way -is covered by the use of a rack rail. The railway is too steep for an -ordinary engine to climb. Accordingly, in the centre is a third line -with cogs. The engine has an extra wheel with cogs, so that it does not -run but grips its way to further heights. - -[Illustration: THE HOTEL AT INCA.] - -The day was bright. Through clefts in our shut-in way we could see snow -on the mountains. We travelled up a valley of desolation. We knew that -in the old days this was the main road from Chili into Argentina, and in -places we saw tumbled-down shelter houses, now deserted, but of use in -former times when travellers crossed the mountains by mule, for always -they were provided with food and fuel. There was something wonderfully -fascinating, crawling as it were to the roof of the world. It was easy -to understand how superstitious Indians believed that evil spirits had -their homes in the inaccessible fastnesses. There was no living thing to -be seen anywhere except a couple of eagles. - -Gradually the panorama opened. We got a glimpse of the snow-covered -heights in front of us. Then the brightness of the day disappeared; the -sun was shrouded; there was a weird wail in the wind. A snowstorm came -upon us. Still the engine, with something almost human in its -determination, gripped the cogs and pulled us higher and higher yet. It -was so cold we closed all windows and put on our coats, and called for -the attendant to bring us beverages which we expected would produce -warmth. - -Midday arrived before we reached Puerta del Inca, which was as far as we -intended going. We had our car detached, and waved our hands to those on -the express train, which soon disappeared amid the rushing snow. - -You may take it that the Incas never came to this part of the world. -That they did is a piece of imagination. The so-called "Bridge of the -Incas" is a natural formation. A little river has eaten its way through -the hillside, and the tear and drip of water during untold centuries has -formed a great natural arch. The water is volcanic and steamy, and has -mineral qualities which stain the rocks with strange colourings. - -Of course, the benefits of the waters for rheumatism, and a score of -other ailments, have been exploited. Galleries have been built under the -arch, bath chambers cut above the rock, and water taken in pipes into -each, so that visitors may have a "cure." In the summer time there are -many visitors to Puerta del Inca to gain benefit not only from the -waters, but from the mountain air, and to have a pleasant time by -excursions into the hills. There is a commodious hotel. - -In the winter time, when the snows are heavy, two trains a week are run -over to Chile. Sometimes the snowfall is so severe that the traffic is -completely blocked, though with the construction of snow-sheds, and -fences to resist the drifting snow, there is less danger than formerly. -However, there have been times when trains have been held up, and -passengers have had to stay for a week at Inca. First-class passengers -fend for themselves at the big hotel; but down near the railway station -there is a great caravanserai of a place where poorer passengers are -provided with rough accommodation, and where they can obtain food at -cheap prices. - -[Illustration: THE INCA BRIDGE IN THE ANDES.] - -The snow had ceased, but there was a knife-like wind whilst we battled -up the hillside, making for the hotel standing gaunt and solitary -amongst the barren mountains. We did not object to the little -discomfort. It was delightful to get into the warm rooms, to sit down -and have a meal, to smoke, to chat, to play billiards, and some of us to -have a doze. Then, in the grey of the afternoon, with occasional gleams -of sunlight through the heavy clouds which swathed the mountain tops, we -sauntered about this straggling, high perched village. - -There was no passenger train to Mendoza that day. But we had arranged -for an engine to take charge of our car and run us back in the dark. So -at nightfall we climbed once more into the coach. The stove was ablaze -because the air was increasingly cold. Trains only run along this -mountain route in the daylight, and so perhaps there was a little -nervousness in making the journey down through the valleys in the -blackness. In the front of the engine was a great searchlight. So we -went groaning and rocking, with the whistle of the engine shrieking in -the cañons, on our way back to Mendoza. Once there was a violent jerk -when the engine was brought almost to a standstill, for some cattle had -strayed upon the line and it was with difficulty they were frightened -off the track. - -We were snug enough in our well-lit coach, where before and after dinner -the hours were wiled away with games of cards. Occasionally we halted at -the tiny hamlets, and the residents ran out to have a look at the -unusual sight of an engine, with a huge gleaming eye in front, picking -its way, as it were, through the ravines, whilst behind was an -illuminated car with a party of merry Britishers. - -Once I went on the little platform at the rear of the coach. The whole -world was wrapped in blackness. After a time I got used to it. It was -possible to discern the ragged silhouettes of the hilltops, and to peer -into the cimmerian gloom of the valley where the Mendoza River was -hastening noisily toward the plain. No wonder the natives had a horror -of these hills. - -There was a kind of crunching clatter as the engine ran over the stretch -of the line with the cogged third rail. When we reached less precipitous -ground the worst danger had passed, and the engine rattled and bounced -on her way. Down and down we sank till at last, with a long-drawn scream -from the engine, we passed through the gates of the hills. We piled more -coal on the stove, and sat round smoking and telling yarns, and wondered -when we should all have a similar trip again. It was one o'clock in the -morning when we got back to Mendoza. - - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -THE CAMP - - -"To govern is to populate" is the maxim which has guided the policy of -the Argentine Government ever since the first days of political -emancipation. The immense wealth of the fertile plains must remain -unappropriated just as long as there is insufficient labour to sow and -reap, to tend, to feed, and shear. - -As a result of this policy the immigration organisation of Argentina may -now be regarded as the finest in the world. Everything that could -possibly be done to bring a large number of useful emigrants to the -country has been done, with the result that while in 1858 the number of -immigrants was only 4,658 it increased until in 1913 it reached 300,000. -The increase has been steady except in 1888 and the two following years, -when the figures were 130,271, 218,744, and 77,815 respectively. These -were years in which an experiment was made with assisted passages, and -the result was that the supply of immigrants jumped up and soon exceeded -the demand. The misery and poverty which followed the arrival of the too -numerous thousands caused a reaction. Assisted passages were abandoned, -and in 1891 the number fell to 28,266. But since that date it has risen -steadily to its present height. - -The reason for the great preponderance of Italians is that the climate -is more suitable to them than to those of any more northern nationality. -Labour is what is needed, and for hard manual work in an almost tropical -climate, quite unsuited to Englishmen, Italians are not only fitted but -expect considerably less wages and a lower standard of comfort. The best -chances come to those who can speak Spanish, and this the Italians learn -somewhat more quickly than the other immigrants. - -Argentina is not a country for the casual Englishman whose motives for -leaving home are poverty or a longing for adventure. He cannot work as a -labourer. Other positions where money can be earned are few and -difficult to obtain except by personal influence. The Italians, too, are -quiet and frugal in their living--qualities which are not typical of the -English immigrant, and it is often remarked that an Italian will thrive -where an Englishman would starve. - -Clerks and shop assistants, and those who can only do office work, are -not wanted at all. Farm labourers, dairymen, and stockmen of practical -experience are welcomed, and there is a fair demand for mechanics. -Engine-drivers can get work if they can speak Spanish, and Englishmen -have been found useful as butchers at the freezing works--but that is -not an occupation which will absorb an unlimited number. - -[Illustration: - _Photograph by A. W. Boote, Buenos Aires._ - GENERAL VIEW OF AN ESTANCIA.] - -A considerable number of overseers are required on _estancias_, but for -these posts personal introduction and previous practical experience are -necessary. Disappointment and chagrin await the young man who arrives in -the country with nothing except a large amount of physical energy and -high spirits, and wishes at once to obtain a big salary on a ranch. If -these ignorant adventurers feel they must go to that part of "abroad" -their best way is to go on a ranch as apprentice for some years at a -nominal salary. They will find the work hard, but the life is not -without its pleasures, and at the end of the time they will probably be -better qualified to take up good positions. If such a one, in disgust at -the hardness and the monotony of the work, should give up and should -succeed in obtaining a place in a bank or railway office, he will find -himself better off in money, but somewhat poorer in prospects than he -would be at home. - -There is little chance of the immigrant securing a small holding and -forming a home. Even on established farms good openings are not -abundant. The colonists are often short of capital, and not long ago -farming operations throughout an entire district were almost stopped -because the colonists were unable to buy seed. The position was only -saved by the railway company providing the seed on easy terms and -without any security. - -Among the more prosperous farmers are the small Welsh colony founded at -Chubut in 1865. There are 400 of them, who are mostly doing very well, -and maintain in habits, language, and religion the customs of their own -country. In the Andes, about 400 miles from Port Madryn, there is -another colony of about 500 Welsh people. One hears there on a Sunday -the sound of Welsh hymns from the chapel. - -When the immigrant, after his long train journey, arrives at some -station on the plains he finds that the centre of life is the camp town. -Whether he comes from Italy or Spain, Syria or Bulgaria, he will -probably consider the camp towns are the ugliest he has ever seen, -unless he arrives at sunset, when the glow and colour turn everything to -beauty. The roads are about as bad as roads can be. There is no stone -anywhere, and if holes are filled up it is with earth which brings mud -to mud and dust to dust. When it is wet they are almost impassable -through depth of mud, and when it is dry the dust is even worse--one can -see the cloud of dust above a town sometimes a dozen miles away. - -The inhabitants of the camp town--as distinct from those in the -cities--seem never to have developed the idea of making it beautiful or -even pleasant. Extra buildings are run up just where and how the owner -likes. The prospect is marred everywhere by the crude lines of -galvanised iron roofs. The houses are built along the uneven street in -an irregularity which has no charm. Refuse and dead dogs are left lying -about until someone specially affected, or possibly the policeman, -removes them a little farther off. The houses are all one-storied, and -have the street frontage built up to look twice as high as the house -really is. In these small towns the inns--generally at the corner of the -street--are one-storied also. The bar is a restaurant for the peons, -who in the evenings gather there to drink and gamble. Inside is a more -private eating-room, and beyond this the yard round which are the -bedrooms. The sanitary arrangements leave much to be desired, and there -is everywhere the strong odour of garlic. - -[Illustration: - _Photograph by A. W. Boote & Co., Buenos Aires._ - A GAUCHO AND HIS FAMILY.] - -The most characteristic figure of the camp town is the gaucho. He is the -native of the plains, and is usually of mixed blood. The idle, -independent, nomad gauchos are almost an extinct class. In the early -days they refused to settle anywhere, or do any regular work. They were -horsemen and hunters, and roamed over the plains, staying here and there -in ramshackle huts till restlessness, or the owner of the land, moved -them on. They were the gipsies of the Argentine. Whenever there was a -war or a revolution the gaucho would be found in the vanguard, and in -times of peace he would enliven the dullness with private feuds which -did not end with words. - -But civilisation has been too strong for him, and the modern gaucho is a -more law-abiding and useful person. He still wears his old, picturesque -costume, the broad sombrero, the shirt, and wide Turkish trousers, which -may be of any colour in the spectrum, tucked into his boots. In cold -weather he wears over his shoulders the poncho, a blanket which has as -many varieties of hue as his trousers. His saddle is ornamented with -silver, and he has fancy stirrups and jingling spurs. But the chief part -of his equipment is the big knife--often a foot long, and usually of -fancy pattern--stuck in his belt. This is used freely for defensive -purposes, or to avenge some real or imaginary insult; it also serves -when eating his lunch. - -In spite of his rough appearance and manner, the gaucho is often -kind-hearted. He is, however, quarrelsome in his cups, and has all the -native capacity for fancying an insult and much tenacity in revenge. -Much of his spare time is spent in gambling, and any money he does not -lose in this way he spends in drink or extravagant and useless -purchases. - -At the heart of the camp town stands the camp store, and the gauchos -will always be found near it. It is the post office, the exchange, the -rendezvous. Under its roof are formed and discussed the ideas that -count in local self-government. Business is transacted with a delightful -absence of hustle. All the slowness of Spanish courtesy is added to the -deliberation of the dweller in wide solitudes. The result is an -unhurrying way of buying and selling which would make a Smithfield -salesman white with despair. - -The gauchos are responsible for the chief amusement of the camp -town--other than drinking and gambling--for it is they who organise the -horse-races. These primitive meetings are not quite so frequent as they -used to be, but they still take place on many Sundays and holidays, and -for them the gaucho makes preparations such as he cannot be stirred to -at any other time. He gets a new suit of clothes, cleans and polishes -the saddle and bridle of his horse, puts round his neck a silk scarf of -gorgeous design, and has an unwonted show of silver both on his horse -and himself. Only on horseback is the gaucho thoroughly at home, and on -these days he looks his best. There is no finesse about the racing; it -is a test of sheer endurance of man and animal, and when the race is -over both are exhausted. The handicapping has none of the careful -science of Newmarket. When the best horse is in full course, running as -fast as it can be urged, the handicapper catches one of his hind feet in -a lasso and gives a quick jerk so that horse and rider are flung heavily -to the ground. This, as may be imagined, gives the second horse a very -fair chance of equalising a disadvantage in pace or staying power. -Although the riders are perfect horsemen, there is little attraction for -the European spectator in such a wild ordeal to man and animal. The -prizes are usually a saddle, a bridle, a suit of clothes, or even a -piece of beef of ample size and unusual quality. The gaucho, it may be -mentioned, is very fond of beef, which he roasts with the hide on. - -The duties of the gaucho are to look after the stock on the ranch, -chiefly in connection with the "rodeo," or mustering of the cattle. -Mounted on horseback, the gaucho drives the animals to the -meeting-place. The herds are never allowed to stand still, but even at -the end of their journey are kept moving in a sort of rough circle so -that the chance of panic and stampede is minimised. The cattle are -counted by driving them in ones or twos through a narrow line, a task -requiring considerable activity--especially when the herd, after being -counted, has to be divided into two or three lots--if a stampede is to -be prevented. - -Perhaps the only fear in the gaucho's life is that he may take anthrax -from the cattle, for should he do so, and the wound be not cut or burnt -out by the third day, his chance of recovery is slight. - -With the changes that have come over the _estancias_ during the last -twenty-five years--fenced fields of alfalfa appearing where formerly -there was nothing but the open plain--the days of unrestricted gallop -over the prairie are over. The rider now passes through an endless -series of enclosures, through gate after gate. The law of trespass, -formerly unknown, may even prevent him from approaching the lagunas. -Barbed wire, too, has been introduced; but though injuries sometimes -occur, the cattle seem to have learned to keep clear of it. - -In the house itself the change is as remarkable. The old cramped -quarters and ugly furniture have given place to more rooms, better -furnished, and pictures, pianos, and books are not at all uncommon. -Fruit and flower gardens have been laid out. Sometimes on a large ranch -a dairy is found; there is a blacksmith's and carpenter's shop, and -gardeners and book-keepers are kept. Better accommodation is also -provided for the peons. Still, generally speaking, these are the -exceptions. - -Around the ranches of Britishers there are many signs of national -individuality--a tennis court, cricket grounds, even a golf course. -Pheasants and rabbits are sometimes reared so that the exile may not be -without a chance of shooting such as he would enjoy at home. - -The houses themselves are not costly structures. Some are of the soft, -dark red Argentine brick, which mellows rapidly, and in a few years -looks as picturesque and soft-toned as English brick does after a -century or so. - -The houses of the colonists are mostly built of mud. The new colonist, -when given his unprepared land, does not trouble to build anything but -the simplest of dwellings. Boards are built up so as to leave a narrow -oblong space of the same shape as the outer walls of the house are to -be, and in this is placed mud mixed with straw. When this has dried the -boards are removed, and the four walls of the required height are left -standing. Spaces for windows and doors are then cut out, a thatched roof -is put on, and, without much further elaboration, the tenants put in the -furniture and begin life in their new home. Sometimes the walls are made -of mud bricks. - -A curious feature of the camp are the large carts, with wheels 8 feet -high, on which the wheat is taken from the camp to the railway station. -They are drawn by oxen, ten or twelve being required for each cart, -which will carry several tons. As the axles are never greased the noise -made by these carts is frightful. - -Labour, especially at harvest time, is scarce, for owing to the lack of -granaries and elevators the grain must be gathered and threshed quickly, -and though the latest reaping machines are, of course, used, the best of -them require much auxiliary labour. Even in the busy harvest time, -however, the midday siesta for everyone in the camp is not omitted, as -the sun is extremely hot for two or three hours about noon. - -The huge flocks of sheep, varying in size from 12,000 to 80,000, are -mostly owned by New Zealand ranchers who have settled in Argentina in -recent years. They are shepherded on the open pampas by gauchos on -horseback, whose chief duty is to keep the flocks apart, and so prevent -confusion of ownership or the spread of contagious diseases. Formerly -the mutton was burnt as fuel, only the wool, tallow, and skins being -sold; but since the advent of cold storage it has been exported. The -wool is not washed before sale, and therefore fetches a low price. The -shearing, which used to be done by hand, is now nearly all done by -machinery. Travelling from ranch to ranch each shearer deals, on the -average, with about a hundred sheep a day. - -There is one farm where a flock of about 13,000 Lincoln ewes are milked -in dairies, and a considerable profit made. The milk is made into -cheese, which finds a ready sale. It is only in exceptionally rich -pastures that this is done, and the utmost care is taken that the lamb -does not suffer from the deprivation. - -One of the most important changes of recent years has been the -introduction of windmills for pumping water. In the absence of rivers -and lakes a well worked by hand was used in the old days to draw water -for the house, while the cattle would drink at the shallow lagunas in -the hollows of the plain. But as the best land is higher up wells and -troughs had to be made. First there was the "jaguel," worked by a horse -and rider. Next came an arrangement of buckets on an endless chain, -which brought up water and emptied it into the troughs or reservoirs. -This was the "noria," and was worked by a horse or mule. But when the -water level began to fall--some say through the introduction of -alfalfa--and the lagunas to dry up, it was found necessary to dig deeper -wells, and to adopt the use of semi-artesian wells. The water, which -often is saline, is specially so when drawn from these semi-artesian -wells. - -The great scourge which the camp has to fight, as already shown, is the -swarms of locusts which have come down annually from the north since -1905. Previous to that there had been freedom from this pest for five -years. The invasion usually begins in October, when a few flying locusts -may be seen. In a day or two they are arriving in millions, and at the -worst are so numerous that they form a cloud over the face of the sun, -and make a shadow beneath them. The principal damage is done by what is -left behind by the locusts--for millions upon millions of eggs are -deposited in the ground. In about six weeks the young are hatched. They -cannot fly, but jump like grasshoppers, which, indeed, they very much -resemble, except for their bright colouring--red and yellow, black and -green. They move in swarms from stem to stem, and every fragment of -green leaf disappears before their devouring energy. After they have -visited a cornfield nothing is left but naked stalks. Six weeks later -they develop wings, and swarms of them begin to fly across the sky like -clouds or smoke from some great conflagration. They will alight in such -heaps on a railway track that they sometimes stop a train. - -Reference has already been made to the way in which the Government -assists the landowners to fight this plague. Under penalty of a fine -every landowner must maintain men to fight the locusts. But even if it -were possible to exterminate all those on one estate, they might arrive -in equal numbers from adjoining land, and a million are not missed from -a thousand million. Unanimous action alone would be effective, and this -the Government are trying to bring about. Meanwhile, a commission has -been appointed to deal with the subject. It is probable that if the -northern source from which they come could be found the country could -rid itself of the trouble within a few years. - -[Illustration: LA RAMBLA, MAR DEL PLATA.] - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -A MIXED GRILL - - -In the hot months, December, January, and February, it is the proper -thing to move to Mar del Plata. There the rich Argentines disport -themselves with the gorgeousness of the Russians at Yalta in September. -If the ladies do not bathe in pearl necklaces they wear exquisite -"creations"; and propriety insists that the men must wear a costume -which is a cross between a frock coat and a suit of pyjamas. The -Parisian houses have their representatives in the Republic, and an -Argentine lady who does not change expensive dresses five times a day is -out of the fun. There is gold and gambling and dancing at the most -elaborate, though not the gayest--for the Argentine is not gay--seaside -resort in the world. As for the "tango" dance, no respectable Argentine -ever dances it. I have seen it performed in tempestuous manner amongst -those who do not mind whether they are considered respectable or not--a -very different thing from the milk-and-water efforts in London -ballrooms. - -It is not quite decided whether the phrase "filthy lucre" comes from the -United States or from Argentina. There is only one dirtier thing in the -world than the American dollar note, and that is the Argentine peso; -but in extenuation of its filth one has to remember it is less than half -the dollar's value. I am convinced that one of the reasons money is held -in small regard in the Argentine is that nobody can have any respect for -a worn, tattered, and evil-smelling piece of paper, even though its -equivalent be a shilling and eightpence. I never appreciated the genuine -value of money till I changed a bilious and decrepit ten peso note for -half-crowns, shillings, and threepenny bits. Of course, the Argentines -have no money but paper and nickel, though you are assured there are -untold millions of gold in the cellars of the national casa. But you -never strike anything but paper. When I drew English gold from the bank -for use on my voyage home, and swaggeringly emptied an envelope of -sovereigns on the table at a luncheon party given by the British -Minister, my lady neighbour gave a little shriek of delight at the -blessed spectacle of a real English sovereign. The only coin which holds -good the world round is the British sovereign. - -Now of the cosmopolitan throng exploiting the resources of Argentina it -has been left to the Jews to work on distinctive racial lines. The -Hebrew population numbers 40,000, a community founded and fostered -according to well-defined plans which not only ensure the comfort and -well-being of the thrifty, but mark a revival of agriculture as one of -the industrial arts of the Jews. - -Centuries of wandering, of persecution and oppression, of lethargic -waiting for the "return to the promised land," divorced the Hebrew from -his original position as an agriculturist. In the Argentine he is -beginning to rehabilitate himself. Backed by the Jewish Colonisation -Association, and aided by that commercial talent which has become -characteristic of the Jew wherever he may be, the Jewish farmer in South -America represents a new type in the great Israelitish family. - -What more natural than that the Argentine should be regarded as one of -the likely homes for the wandering tribes by those who for years have -promoted the Jewish settlement movements? Jewish patriarchs and -philanthropists looked longingly at the map of South America in search -of a goal for racial and religious aspirations. The oppression and -persecution of co-religionists in Russia and Roumania in the early -'nineties called for action as well as ideals. Shelter had to be found -where thrift and enterprise were offered their due reward. Argentina was -fixed upon, and the foundation of to-day's well organised scheme was -inaugurated through the munificence of the late Baron Hirsch. Under his -last will and testament the financial stability of the colonisation -scheme was secured. - -A society representative of Israelites in Berlin, London, Frankfort, -Paris, and Brussels, as well as the Anglo-Jewish and other Hebrew -associations, was formed under English jurisdiction. Only the interest -of the fund left by the baron may be spent in assisting Jewish colonists -to the ownership of their farms, and the tiding over of the inevitable -depressions in agriculture. Every two months the executive of this -society meets in Paris and considers the destinies of Jewish colonists -not only in the Argentine, but in the United States, Canada, Asia Minor, -Palestine, Brazil, and Russia. - -The memory of Baron Hirsch is perpetuated in Argentina by the prosperous -colony bearing his name in the province of Buenos Aires. Altogether the -Jewish Colonisation Society owns some 250 leagues of land in the -country. The property in the Baron Hirsch Colony alone covers 44 square -leagues, and is served by three important stations. - -In many respects the colonisation of the Jews in the Republic sets an -example in thoroughness that might well be copied. The main purpose of -the scheme--to succour the oppressed--is carried out without prejudicing -the financial security of the society. Houses are provided in each of -the Jewish colonies for the new immigrant, and here the family is cared -for till work on one of the farms has been found for the father. Only -those who have fled from oppression are granted the financial assistance -of the Colonisation Society in establishing their own independence. Jews -from Germany and Great Britain are not granted holdings by the society. -The probable explanation of this rule is that the English or German -emigrant arrives forearmed, and is financially equipped for colonial -enterprise before leaving these free countries. - -[Illustration: THE ESPLANADE, MAR DEL PLATA.] - -The applicant for a holding, roughly 350 acres, must first of all have -had two years' residence in the country, and show that he has had -practical experience in farm work. His application is sent to Buenos -Aires, where the interests of the Jewish Colonisation Society in the -Argentine are watched by a permanent administration. From there a report -is forwarded to the international executive in Paris before the land is -finally allotted to the applicant. The rest follows the ideals of those -who are working at the rural and agricultural problems in Great Britain. -At practically cost price the land is sold to the new tenant farmer. The -rate of interest charged by the society is 4 per cent. Twenty years for -repayment of the capital is fixed as a minimum as well as a maximum -period. However successful the farmer may be, he is not allowed to -receive the title deeds of his allotment until twenty years have -elapsed. The value of this precaution has often been proved. For one -thing, it hinders any tendency to traffic in the land and to raise -mortgages on the slightest provocation. The successful tenant can always -find use for his year's surplus in developing and improving the estate -which is one day to be his own. On the other hand, the rapid increase in -land values leaves the society on the safe side should the tenant -purchaser be unfortunate or lacking in enterprise. Apart from the land, -the society advances the tenant 3,000 dollars in the form of horses, -machinery, and equipment. In the event of the farmer failing to make his -way, the society only stands to lose a year or two's interest on the -capital outlay. And the natural increase in the value of the land, as I -have before shown, is sufficient to cover any such deficit. A variation -of these conditions operates in the Baron Hirsch Colony. Here, instead -of being advanced the value of 3,000 dollars, the applicant for a farm -has to prove possession of such a sum before he is qualified to take -over an allotment. - -With wise foresight the Jewish colonies have been set up in various -parts of the Republic. This prevents the scheme from being dedicated to -one class of agriculture, and enables the colonist to try his hand, say, -at cattle rearing if crop-raising does not prove to his liking. In the -northern colonies the industry is chiefly in cattle, corn, and olive -growing, while in the south the cultivation is chiefly in wheat, rye, -and oats. - -A good year sees the industrious farmer with a surplus of anything from -10,000 to 20,000 dollars (Argentine). Should bad weather or working -misfortunes turn the account the other way he has only to apply to the -administration in Buenos Aires, and the money advanced is simply added -to the purchase price of his holding. - -On the whole the Jewish colonists are thrifty and prosperous. They have -their own co-operative societies for the purchase of necessities and the -distribution of their products; they have their sick funds and local -hospitals; religious freedom has enabled them to establish their own -tabernacles and to observe the Jewish feasts. They have set a splendid -example in citizenship to their neighbouring colonists. In the -Argentine, perhaps more than elsewhere, the Jews are on the high road to -a restoration of their ancient virility, and are best fulfilling -their destiny as a great race. - -With the exception of the Welsh settlements already alluded to, the Jews -stand alone as colonists on purely racial lines. The effectiveness of -their organisation is the measure of their contentment and prosperity. -We have the contrast in the case of other immigrants. Many of them are -captured by the political agitator. They are taught to see in revolt and -industrial uprising the short cut to affluence and ease. Strikes are -frequent, discontent is sown, and time is devoted to attacks upon -authority which might be better employed in individual effort. Politics -are so inseparable from the daily affairs of the country that discontent -in the main becomes wholly political. Its manifestations have no bearing -upon the social and commercial possibilities of the Argentine. With wise -and tolerant government on the one hand, and patience and perseverance -on the other, much of the friction that now arises would disappear. - -For it has to be admitted that some of the attacks upon the bureaucracy -are not altogether inexcusable. With the influence of officialdom -forcing itself upon every interest of the working classes, the -inevitable increase in the cost of living, and the instances of -bureaucratic tyranny frequently brought to light, it is not to be -wondered that the unorganised labourer adopts the exaggerated point of -view of the agitator, and sees in revolution alone the pathway to -reform. - -In Buenos Aires, for example, the cost of living is greater than -elsewhere, though the scale of wages is also higher. Imported goods are -dear, rent high, efficient labour scarce, and municipal rates heavy. The -result is that even the highly paid worker finds himself with only a -moderate balance when all charges are met. - -With the agriculturist things are not so bad. He can produce for himself -most of the necessaries of life, and can avoid many of the burdens of -the townsman in the way of expensive clothing and other imported -luxuries. Strange as it may appear in a country supplying most of the -world's markets, meat in Buenos Aires is nearly as dear as in England. -The same applies to many other commodities produced or producible in the -country. A comparative list shows few things cheaper in the Argentine -than in the Old World. - -The cost of the breakfast table might be reduced considerably if more -trouble were taken with what one might describe as the by-products of -agriculture. The people are invariably out for the big deal in cattle or -corn. Insufficient attention is paid to dairy-farming, poultry rearing, -gardening, fruit-growing, and the production of those little comforts -that are now part and parcel of agriculture in England and France. The -cultivator's first and, in the majority of cases, only thought is the -land and its direct yield. With the same opportunities many an English -small-holder would make a quick fortune in Argentina. In this oversight -the Argentine has gone the way of most new countries. The question of -"agricultural smalls," however, as I have shown, is now being considered -in conjunction with the increased cost of living. - -Labour is so scarce in some parts that the introduction of Chinese or -Japanese colonists has been suggested. Such a step, however, would -arouse as fierce a criticism as did the introduction of Chinese coolies -on the South African Rand mines. They were tried in Chili, and are by no -means liked. The lumber trade of Posados still requires thousands of -workers. The natives cannot be kept at work to any extent, and to meet -the demand Russians, Poles, and Finns have been brought over in -thousands. Timber for railway sleepers is the principal product. Each -year some two million logs are sent down the Parana River to be used in -railway construction at home and abroad. - -The lessons of the great coal strike in England during 1912 were quickly -grasped by the Government of Argentina. Like other countries depending -upon Great Britain for coal supplies, Argentina had to consider the -disastrous consequences of any disorganisation of her transport service. -Substitutes for coal fuel had to be counted. The crisis of this period -proved a blessing in disguise. Government attention was directed towards -the discovery of oil in widely separated districts of the Republic. A -law has now been passed reserving to the Government 12,500 acres of the -petroleum zone of Comodora Rivadavia, and prohibiting the issue of any -mining or proprietary rights. To displace coal, Argentina would require -2,000,000 tons of oil fuel and about 150 wells. A start has been made in -the south, where fresh wells are being sunk at Comodora Rivadavia. Five -wells produced 18,000 tons of petroleum in a year of experiment. In 1913 -it rose to 28,000 tons. When the Argentine can turn its attention from -the sources of wealth now being tapped, who knows what will follow the -enterprise in oil? But nothing has been found which would warrant a -"boom" in Argentine oil. - -Meanwhile, an annual increase of 1,000,000 tons in the shipping trade of -Buenos Aires has left Argentina, like Oliver Twist, asking for more. The -cattle-breeding industry responds to each stimulus given by the -provision of more refrigerating vessels. The supply of meat is always -greater than the means of distribution. Already America is looking to -the Argentine for meat to augment her own supplies. It is the only -country to which she can turn with confidence. Other parts of the world -have for years been fed from here. The dependence of the outer world -upon the meat and cereals of Argentina almost suggests that the country -was pre-ordained to be the larder of the human family. - -For the hunter and traveller, Argentina and its bordering lands have -their full share of attractions. The plains and mountains of the Andean -land are the haunts of the jaguar, puma, wild cat, and various breeds of -wild deer. Its birds include the vulture, hawk, albatross, penguin, -snipe, bustard, partridges of several kinds, as well as singing birds in -great variety. In fact, many of the birds of the mountain and forest -are still unclassified, and are the study of ornithologists and -naturalists from all parts of the world. The martinetta, a big grouse, -brings into sport something of a novelty. It is slow to fly, and is -often caught by snares into which it is driven. For variation, however, -it is forced to take wing by means of a rope dragged by riders across -the path. The rope pulls the martinetta off its feet. As soon as it -flies the third huntsman behind the rope fires. Three are necessary to -form a party, and the turn with the gun is arranged. - -A peculiar type of llama is found in these parts. In shape the long neck -and head resemble those of the giraffe and camel respectively. The body -is like that of a donkey and the legs are as graceful as those of a -deer. Their voracity makes them unpopular with sheep breeders, except -for the value of their skins, for it has been estimated that one -guanaco--as they are called--will eat as much grass as nine sheep. The -beautiful humming bird is found in parts of the Argentine as well as in -the Andes. Many of the vultures are also to be seen. The condor is a -bird of such immense size as to be worthy of special mention. From wing -to wing it measures 9 feet. To hatch its eggs it seeks the remote crags -of the Andes, and has been found at an altitude of 20,000 feet. - -In Patagonia we are able to revive memories of the schoolroom, and to -see how far juvenile fancy has exaggerated the stature of what the -teacher said were the biggest men in the world. Their actual height is -from 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet 4 inches, but their stature is rendered -more impressive on account of their huge arms and massive chests. As the -name implies, and as the school-reader reminded us, the Patagonians have -huge flat feet. Their adoption of such civilised habiliments as boots -would mean a revolution in the standards of the boot-making industry. -Among travellers the Patagonian has a good reputation for honesty, -amiability, and kindness to his womenfolk. The people have no idols, but -believe in witchcraft. - -Patagonia is almost virgin land, and Santa Cruz is, perhaps, the most -dreary region of the country. It is considered, however, to have a -future, and some promising settlements have already been established. -The Patagonian pastures have not as yet been bothered about by -Argentines, because they are still wanting more workers to develop the -enormous northern areas. - -The force of the alliance between good government and good health is -ever present to the traveller in South America. The continent has -witnessed the greatest ravages of leprosy. It is significant that the -greater number of lepers are found where governments are unstable and -administration uncertain. In Chili and Argentina, where government is -something more than a symbol, lepers are relatively few, and are -practically disappearing. Farther north the position is worse, and again -there comes the analogy between bad government and disease. Venezuela, -Colombo, and Ecuador, where the life of no government is certain for -above twenty-four hours, are among the worst areas of leprosy. Complete -segregation is the only effective method of coping with the disease. -This can only be accomplished with firm and effective administration. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -TUCUMAN AND THE SUGAR INDUSTRY - - -It was my good fortune to visit Tucuman in the northern area of -Argentina during the height of the sugar-cane harvest. Here one was -about as near the centre of South America as could be desired. The -vegetation was wildly luxuriant, and seemed to have lapped over into -Argentina from the jungles of Brazil. Here, also, the Latin colonists -seemed to have been left behind, and one ran into a strangely mixed -people, mostly native Indian in origin, but with a tincture in their -veins from the Spanish settlers of centuries ago, together with a -subsequent negro admixture. - -I had looked forward to visiting a tropical town, of long streets of mud -shanties heavily thatched, and with innumerable palm trees waving their -plumes overhead. This kind of thing was to be found in the suburbs, -where the Spanish-negro-Indians wore big, rough-made, straw-plaited -hats, and their dusky mates, in bright garments, gossipped in the -shadows, whilst their prolific offspring--often stark naked--gambolled -in the sand. But Tucuman itself is much like other Argentine towns, for -it has its plaza and statues and public gardens, its imposing houses and -hotels and restaurants, its tramcars and electric light. - -Tucuman has played its part in the history of the Republic. It was here -that Independence was proclaimed in 1810, when the overlordship of Spain -was repudiated; and it was here that, after much fighting, the treaty of -peace was signed on July 9th, 1816. The house in which this took place -was a modest building, not much bigger than a cottage. Sentiment -prevented it being swept away before the rush for improvement, and so it -has been left standing. But about it has been erected an imposing -structure. Here is a house within a house; and a stout dame conducts the -visitor into a gaunt room where Argentina's first parliament assembled; -where there are paintings of fierce-eyed national heroes, frescoes -depicting the proclamation of Independence, the chair where the first -president of the Republic sat, and in which the visitor is invited to -sit; and there is the customary visitors' book to be signed. - -Tucuman vies with Cordoba in having amongst its residents some of the -real old Spanish aristocracy of Argentina. Indeed, Tucuman puts forth -the claim that it has the most beautiful women in South America. -Certainly at the hour of promenade, when the sun begins to dip and -before nightfall comes swiftly, and the people take to walking amongst -the orange trees in the Plaza, or sauntering along the main -thoroughfares inspecting the attractions in the shop windows, there is -no difficulty in imagining that this is a bit of Madrid instead of being -a little-visited town tucked away in the north of Argentina. Several -enthusiastic residents assured me that their ladies were as close to the -fashions as Paris itself. I am no authority on these matters; but I can -say that the womenfolk appeared as well garbed as they are in the -capitals of Europe. Along the clean streets whizzed expensive -motor-cars. Before the restaurants were the little round marble-topped -tables with which most of us are acquainted in European cities; and here -men sat and drank their amer piquant and puffed their cigarettes, whilst -the band played music, ragtime and other, with which we are so familiar -at home. - -The main avenue, still in the making, promises to be a gorgeous -thoroughfare one of these days. There is a casino, a theatre (the -Odeon), a palace for the bishop, barracks, a hospital, a brewery which -cost £250,000 to build, and a "Savoy Hotel," where there was on sale -whisky "as drunk in the House of Lords," and where one's admiration was -only checked by finding the telephone system defective. - -Tucuman is the centre of the sugar-growing industry. For many miles -around the country is covered with sugar plantations, and the railway -companies have little belt lines running through the cultivated area to -facilitate the gathering of the crop. When I was there in 1913 the -harvest had been the most prolific within knowledge. In places the line -was blocked with wagons piled high with the cane, whilst in several -quarters I heard grumbling that there was not a sufficiency of trucks to -cope with the trade. - -[Illustration: A HISTORIC BUILDING: "CASA INDEPENDENCIA" AT TUCUMAN.] - -One day, accompanied by several friends, I made an extensive motor-car -trip to the sugar plantations. As soon as we got beyond the town, and -upon the broad road which stretched as far as eye could reach until it -was lost in the shimmer of sunshine, we experienced the inconvenience of -a bad way. With all its excellences, Argentina, as I have before -remarked, has as bad roads as you will find in the world. There had been -no rain for months, and our route was across miles of powdery earth. We -sank into it almost to the axle. We churned up dust so that soon we were -smothered in it. Our faces were almost as grimy as though we had been in -a coalpit. Gaucho horsemen pranced past us in clouds of dust. When we -overtook an ox-drawn wagon it was like pushing through a fog of dust. On -either side the vegetation was profuse and rank, and the terrific heat -of the tropics filled the air with a strong, nauseating aroma. - -When we were in the sugar-cane district we saw hundreds of tawny-skinned -men cutting the cane. Armed with an instrument which seemed to be half -knife and half butcher's chopper, the peon seized the top of a cane, cut -it off near the root, gave it a swing in the air, and with rapid slashes -removed the protruding leaves, and then pitched the stalk on one side, -where a heap was lying to be gathered by women and children and carried -to the waiting wagons. - -Twice we halted to watch the dexterity of the cutters and to visit the -mud huts. These were picturesque but not pretty. They looked like -disreputable brick-kilns, and although possessed of a door, were -deficient in windows. The interior was dark, but most of the family -spend their time out of doors under the trees, where they have their -fires and prepare maté, the native tea, which is served in a shell and -sucked through a tube. Whenever the natives have nothing else to do you -are sure to find them drinking maté. - -Around Tucuman are twenty-five sugar mills, and it is reckoned they -produce 200,000 tons of sugar, of which between 60,000 and 70,000 tons -are exported. We went to the fine mills at San Pablo belonging to Nouges -Brothers, and the senior partner was good enough to show me over the -place, so that I could inspect the whole process, from the arrival of -the cane until the sugar is loaded in sacks ready to be sent to Buenos -Aires. - -The stalks, as high as a man, are thrown into a machine which literally -chews them up. As they pass through heavy rollers they crunch and crack, -and yield their juice which runs in a nasty brown fluid into a trough. -Again the mashed-up cane is subjected to further squeezings between -rollers, until practically the last drop of the syrup is squeezed out. -The treacle-like stuff is run into big basins beneath which furnaces are -blazing, and is kept at a simmer until the sugar reaches the consistency -of dough. After that it is sluiced into highly heated steel cups, which -are constantly whirling. - -It is interesting to stand by in the sickly-sweet atmosphere and watch -how, in the constant spinning and evaporation from the heat, the stuff -loses much of its brown appearance and becomes, when thoroughly dried, -like the cheap brown sugar as we know it at home. It is further refined -in other hot chambers until it is quite white. Then men with sacks catch -the stream of sugar as it rushes from the mouth of the refinery. Much of -it is spilt, and the men are up to their boots in sugar. But the bags -are quickly filled, pushed on one side, sewn up, hastened on lorries to -waiting carts, which, when loaded, convey the freight to the railway -wagons close by. Señor Nouges told me that at that time his firm was -turning out 175 tons of sugar a day. - -The sugar-cane must have plenty of sun and water. The rivers I saw -during harvest time were miserable, shallow streams, meandering their -way through what looked like a broad boulder-strewn bed of what once had -been a wide stream. I was there, however, in the dry season, but was -told that in the rainy season these streams are increased a thousandfold -in volume, are frequently a quarter of a mile wide, and, when the -torrents are heavy, overflow their banks and inundate the land. -Irrigation is carried to a high point, so that in times of flood the -waters of the rivers can be conveyed many miles and utilised in -providing moisture to the cane. - -It has only been in comparatively recent years that the possibilities of -the extensive region of North Argentina, of which Tucuman is the centre, -in regard to sugar have been realised. There is the initial expense of -clearing the ground of jungle, and providing irrigation. Once, however, -this has been done, and the cane planted, a paying crop is obtained the -first year. The same roots grow useful stalks for three or four years, -and then comes the process of gradually planting new roots and removing -the old ones so that the same soil can be made productive. Weeds are -numerous, and in the early months of growth these have to be constantly -removed, first of all to prevent their smothering the young shoots, and -secondly to give the cane all the nutriment there is in the soil. There -is also the danger of invasion by locusts, and the occasional -possibility in the cold months--say about May and June--of frost doing -injury to the saplings. Allowing, however, for these disadvantages, the -advance in the sugar industry in Argentina during the last dozen years -has been nothing short of amazing. Still, I could not help feeling that -the industry is only in its infancy. As soon as the foreigner -appreciates what northern Argentina can do--at present most of the sugar -growing is in the hands of Spanish-Argentines--there will certainly be -enormous development. One of the things which will appeal to the foreign -capitalist who takes up sugar growing on an extensive scale is that -there is a quick return on the money invested in development. - -Though Tucuman is the capital of the sugar growing interest, it may be -said there are plenty of areas equally favourable for raising the cane. -Sugar growing at Tucuman began about thirty years ago, long before the -railway ever reached the place, and to meet purely local demands; -because in those days the transport of imported sugar, as of other -goods, by cart was expensive. When the railway put Tucuman into near -communication with other parts of the Republic, the possibilities of a -great trade were at once recognised. Tucuman sugar, however, could not -in those days compete, either in quality or price, with that which came -from other countries. It was, therefore, decided to give encouragement -to Argentine sugar growing by a tariff on sugar which came from across -sea. As one who favours the saving of a struggling industry in a home -country from being strangled by vigorous foreign competition, I believe -this was the right thing to do. Sugar growing bounded ahead. Not many -years elapsed before the sugar growers became a powerful combination, -with much influence on the Government. The result was that, whilst at -the start the duty on imported sugar was small, it was gradually -increased until it became prohibitive. Therefore at the present time -very little foreign sugar comes into the country, and the Argentine -industry has gone ahead in a remarkable manner. - -Mr. N. L. Watson, in his publication "The Argentine as a Market," -describes how Tucuman became a veritable El Dorado. Two years sufficed -to give a net return four times as great as the capital invested. As a -natural consequence, labour and capital flowed into the sugar districts. -Lawyers deserted their professions, workmen their tools, to throw -themselves with a regular fever into an occupation so full of promise. -Works sprang up as if by magic, palaces were constructed to house the -staffs, capital was lavished on the industry by individuals and banking -houses alike. While fortunes were being created in the cultivation of -the sugar-cane, orchards, orange crops, pasturage, and arable land were -being either transformed or neglected. - -Something like a trust has been formed amongst the sugar growers, with -the object of maintaining prices. But public opinion is becoming so -pronounced that, whilst there is no disposition to let the foreigner -come in and undersell the native production, the tariff should be -reduced in order that there may be more competition between the native -and outside growers, with a slight advantage always given to the -Argentine grower. The Republic is quite capable of growing all the sugar -its inhabitants may require; but fair competition from the sugar of -other countries will do much to regulate prices. - -[Illustration: THE STATUE OF SAN MARTIN AT TUCUMAN.] - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -THE INDUSTRIAL SIDE OF THE REPUBLIC - - -The main energies of Argentina must for some time be devoted to her most -obvious source of wealth. Yet it would be unwise to neglect a -consideration of her industrial possibilities. Naturally she is anxious -to supply herself with the commodities essential to daily life and -comfort. But up to the present the Argentine has relied chiefly upon the -exchange of its products, even for commodities which might be produced -at home. This is due to the tendency common to new countries of going in -for the "big deal." In this sense the agricultural industry has still a -long journey to go. Intensive culture has so far not become a necessity. -Extensive culture has yielded such good profits that no impulse has been -given to the full exploitation of Argentina's hidden resources. This -partly explains why the casual observer is confronted with the apparent -anomaly of vegetables, fruit, eggs, and other foodstuffs being dear in -an agricultural country. - -It is on the lines of finishing her existing industries, attending to -by-products as well as main products, that the foundations of -Argentina's industrial future will best be laid. The immediate obstacle -is the scarcity of labour. The essential requirements already exist, a -good climate, excellent means of communication, a growing population, an -open Custom House for most of the machinery and implements required for -national industries, and a stable credit. - -Few countries have been able to inaugurate home industries under more -favourable auspices. Nothing can deprive Argentina of her agricultural -eminence. But how she will fare when embarking upon the more uncertain -career of a home manufacturer depends upon many things. Necessity is -already driving Argentina seriously to face the problem of producing for -herself her more obvious needs. The comparatively high cost of living is -a growing trouble. Infant though she may be industrially, Argentina has -already experienced the evils of industrial unrest. The principal -manifestations have been in Buenos Aires, which, in addition to being -the port and the centre of national activities, has been the storm -centre of the rush to exploit her resources. It is the pulse of the -Republic. Like other great cities, it is crying out against the -diminishing value of the dollar. - -Argentina's readiness for home manufactures is an urgent problem -confronting the Government. The Government wants a more all-round -development of the country's resources. Interwoven with this problem are -important considerations: a more equable distribution of the population; -the provision of more centres for the exchange of commodities; the -relation between taxes for revenue and protective tariffs; the -selection of what industries are to be established at an economic -profit; the extent to which foreign manufacturers can be induced to -start their industries within the Republic. - -So far, the only industries that have continued with success are those -producing articles difficult of transport, or of an expensive character. -With a greater mobility of trade in the country, and a more scientific -manipulation of the tariff, there is no reason why Argentina should not -provide herself with many of the things which to-day furnish the labour -agitator with opportunities for tirades against "costly living." Backed -by agricultural wealth, and supported by splendid railway facilities, -Argentina should be able to make advance on particular lines. Take wool -as an illustration. Argentina produces more than sufficient for her own -requirements, and yet she obtains woollen goods from other countries. Is -it to be taken as final that the absence of coal in the country makes -the development of woollen industries at home an economic impossibility? -It is not, perhaps, so much a question of labour and initiative as the -absence of natural advantages. - -It is necessary to look farther afield than Buenos Aires in considering -the chances of a new industry. The concentration of trade in the capital -has probably been a hindrance. The congestion of all interests, -commercial, political, and social, in "B.A." has caused land to increase -enormously in value, an important consideration in setting up factories. -In turn, other charges are correspondingly increased. Trade rises and -falls according to the season. There is less stability for the worker, -more fluctuations for the trader. - -But, with railways linking up the interior with the coast, there is now -no necessity for the drama of Argentina's commerce to be confined to a -single theatre. There must be more centres of exchange, fresh districts -for production and manufacture. If the auxiliary industries to corn -growing and cattle raising were better fostered there would be no -necessity for inland towns to go to Buenos Aires for vegetables, eggs, -cheese, butter, and poultry. The market garden, the dairy, the poultry -farm, the orchard, and the auxiliary factories would pour their products -into the provincial centres. Local needs would be met locally. The -surplus would be sent on with the grain and the cattle to the markets at -Buenos Aires. - -These, after all, are probably the safest lines upon which a new country -can travel in her march to greater economic independence. First the -purely agricultural; then the by-products of agriculture as a -supplement; then gradually the establishment of whatever manufactures -are practicable and profitable. For the present Argentina has greater -need for cheaper eatables than for cheaper motor-cars. - -Countries doing a big trade with the Argentine are beginning to see the -force of providing goods on the spot. The crowding of agents in the -principal towns has increased competition to a point at which the next -move by certain competitors must be in the direction of producing in -the country or losing the trade entirely. This will be all the better -for Argentina. She has long had justifiable cause for complaint against -those who are sent to Buenos Aires and other parts to barter for her -trade. A well-worn lament in the reports of the British Consul concerns -the English trader's lack of adaptability to the peculiar conditions of -Argentina. Mention is made of quotations in English, the sending of -representatives unacquainted with the language and business terms of the -country, the adherence to methods applicable only to England. - -On the other hand, the British exporter has grumbled at economic -conditions calling for long and sometimes exaggerated credit; the taxes -levied on commercial travellers; the difficulty of dealing direct with -customers. Between the two points of view is the fact that commercial -enterprise has stopped with the arrival of trade representatives in -Buenos Aires. - -The Argentine has already made shots at industry building. Tangible -signs of an industrial future were visible on many occasions during my -tour. Tall and smoking chimneys and busy factories for tinned meats, -clothing, and boots were evidences of the start already made. Before, -however, an advance can go towards full development there must be a more -definite scheme of working, and a clearer apprehension of the end in -view. There are, for example, greater possibilities for brewing and -distilling. A recent census showed that these two activities engaged -about 160 factories. Sugar, too, has proved for itself that when worked -on proper lines it is a most profitable industry. Sugar-canes, formerly -exported for others to refine, are now refined in the country, where the -product finds a ready market. - -It would be well-nigh hopeless for Argentina to attempt the introduction -of industries to compete in her own market with well-established foreign -industries of the same kind without the aid of tariff protection. This -might mean a temporary loss in revenue by checking imports; but -compensation would come through the success of the home industry. At the -present time Argentina exports in raw wool over £10,000,000 worth -annually. She imports woollen goods worth nearly £3,000,000. Her imports -are increasing and her export of raw material decreasing. In ten years -the latter fell considerably in actual bulk, through the rush to make -quicker money from meat. Meanwhile, the question arises as to why -Argentina should not prepare and manufacture woollen goods for home -needs? The existing market is a large one. Textile industries already -exist. They are few, but the fact that the number of establishments has -increased is a clear proof that textile industries can be profitable. -The opportunities here presented for the investment of capital are -invaluable. There is room for new and increasing enterprises in a -growing country with many years of growth before it. - -It is essential to all industrial expansion that a country's credit -should be good and its currency stable. Argentina is well off in this -respect. Contrasted with some other American republics, in which -revolution, revolt, and financial distress are painfully frequent, -Argentina is a political and financial paradise. This stability, if not -in itself an inducement to the investment of capital, is at any rate a -guarantee that capital may be invested with safety. And in these days -safety itself is a big inducement. Paper dollars form the everyday -currency of the country. Careful provision has been made to establish -the paper in circulation on a definite gold basis. Since the Caja de -Conversion, the Government institution for the issue, exchange, and -conversion of the paper currency, was established in 1899, the paper -dollar has always been worth $.44 gold (between 1s. 8d. and 1s. 9d.). -Certain specified resources are appropriated for the formation of a -conversion fund, which guarantees the paper currency. - -During the latter part of 1913 there was a considerable shipment of -English sovereigns to the Republic. Under the Pellegrini Law passed in -1902 the Caja de Conversion must hold in gold an equivalent to the paper -money in circulation. Indeed, the National Conversion Office, the -National Bank of Argentina, the London and River Plate Bank and other -banks had in June, 1913, an accumulation of gold amounting to -£67,188,039. The gold in the Caja de Conversion began with the -insignificant sum of £568 on December 31st, 1902; in 1904 it was just -over £10,000,000; the next year it was up to over £18,000,000, and on -June 30th, 1913, it was £53,306,866. - -Argentina has a number of well-established banks, affording many -facilities for the development of trade and industrial enterprise. One -of the principal, the Banco Hipotecario Nacional, makes a feature of -special loans for building and land improvements. Its loans are made on -the mortgages of property by the issue of bearer bonds in lieu of cash -to persons mortgaging properties to the bank. It need not be feared, -therefore, that industrial enterprises of reasonable prospects will -starve for the want of financial credit during the difficult years of -inauguration. On the contrary, there is a good supply of money waiting -fresh outlets. Bankers realise that it is to their own as well as to the -country's advantage to have a wide field of financial operations. They -have the money if others have the enterprise and the initiative. - -The point has now been reached at which manufactories might well be -harnessed to agriculture not only for the fuller working of Argentina's -resources, but for remedying some of the social difficulties that have -arisen through her relying too much upon one source of wealth. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -THE NORTH-EAST COUNTRY - - -Although travellers in the Republic usually visit Rosario, it is seldom -they devote much time to studying the full capabilities of the province -of Santa Fé, of which Rosario is the chief town. Yet Santa Fé and -Corrientes to the north, and Entre Rios to the east, deserve much more -than passing recognition. - -Though in the north of Santa Fé, towards the region of the Chaco, there -are thick forests, the southern part is treeless, except for the ombu, -and is a plain with rich pasturage and soil. Along the side of the -province runs the Parana River, which can be ascended by flat-bottomed -stern wheel vessels for many hundreds of miles; and from ports like -those of Santa Fé and Villa Constitucion much agricultural produce in -maize, wheat, linseed, and barley are dispatched. The sugar industry is -gradually creeping into Santa Fé province. Nearly fifty flour mills have -been erected, and there are also sawmills, meat preserving factories, -and works for quebracho extracts. Though railways are penetrating in all -directions through the province, having at the present time 3,000 miles -of lines, the River Parana is, and long will be, the chief highway, -because circumstances in the old times led to the principal towns being -constructed on its banks, and because some of its tributaries are also -navigable for a considerable distance. - -The Parana River stretches away north into Corrientes. There are places -with tremendous areas of well-watered pastures; but the farther north -one journeys the more the country becomes swampy and covered with heavy -forest. The vegetation is tropical, and parrots with gay plumage disturb -the silence of the woods with their shrieks. - -It is here that the forest Indians are to be found, particularly the -Tobas and the Matacos. Formerly the tribes kept to their own territory; -but with the coming of the white man, and particularly the importation -of Russians, Poles, and Scandinavians to work in the lumber camps, this -custom has gradually been broken down. The Indians resent the presence -of the intruders, and there is many a black story of massacre. The -forest Indians cannot be induced to work in the hewing of timber, but -missionaries are doing a great deal in persuading them to take to -farming and raising crops of maize or bananas. - -The Indians near the towns on the Parana River are taking to wearing -European clothes. In the time of the sugar harvest in the west they will -work for a month or so, but on their tramp back of several hundred miles -they frequently fall out with one another, and there is fierce fighting -and murdering of which the outer world never hears. Far in the forests, -up to the present but little penetrated, the Indians are found in their -original state, naked save for a loin cloth, producing fire by the -rubbing of sticks, still utilising bows and arrows in warfare, and -following the practice when an enemy has been slain of cutting off his -head and using the skull as a drinking bowl. - -[Illustration: THE LONGEST GIRDER BRIDGE IN -THE REPUBLIC, NEAR SANTA FÉ.] - -All this may seem to suggest that Corrientes is a somewhat forbidding -province, especially as much of its territory is marshy. For instance, -Lake Ibera and its marshes covers an area of something like 15,000 -square miles. The vegetation is dense, the climate is bad, and there is -little to attract man unless he be a sportsman. But so vast is the -province that there are wide areas which are very productive, because -the province is well provided with rivers and streams. - -There are in the province about 5,000,000 head of cattle, over 3,000,000 -sheep, and about 600,000 horses. Besides cattle, there are the timber -trade and the sugar industry, also tobacco growing, to be counted -amongst its sources of revenue. - -It was only in 1908 that the province of Entre Rios entered the -Republic. As will be gathered from its name, the province lies "between -rivers," the Parana and Uruguay, both of which are navigable for many -hundreds of miles. There are many smaller rivers which, although not -much good for traffic, are most useful in watering the country. Entre -Rios has as fertile a soil as will be found in any part of the Republic. -The country is more picturesque than can be said of Argentina as a -whole, and with its many farms it is often reminiscent of England. In -the north there are extensive forests; indeed, one-fifth of the province -is covered with valuable timber. Agricultural products and live stock -are, as elsewhere, the chief source of prosperity. - -In the more pleasant undulating parts of the province there are many -prosperous _estancias_, often in the possession of Englishmen. Here, -more than in any other place in the Republic, are to be found small -freeholds owned by Austrian, Poles, Russians, and Scandinavians. The -Spanish and Italian Argentines seem to have left most of this area to -north Europeans, who in many cases retain the costumes of the countries -from which they emigrated. Formerly Entre Rios had a bad name because of -the stories of the way in which the old settlers shot every Indian on -sight. That, however, is a page now far back in the history of the land. - -Until comparatively recent times the only communication with the outer -world was by means of the rivers. Now, as mentioned, Entre Rios has a -fine railway system. The capital of the province, Parana, is a -happy-looking, clean town, with exquisite gardens and, of course, the -usual theatre and band. - -Most of the meat extract supplied to the world by the Liebig and Bovril -companies comes from Entre Rios. Both these companies own great -_estancias_ to breed cattle for the purposes of their business. Liebigs, -which afterwards changed its name to Lemco, practically built the town -of Fray Bentos, where there were schools, public halls, and, altogether, -a model settlement. Subsequently, however, the works were removed -to Colon. The Lemco company own eighteen great estates, covering -1,750,000 acres with nearly 400,000 head of cattle. The area of their -estates is nearly equal to that of Kent and Surrey. - -It was as far back as 1850, long before the frozen and chilled meat -trade came into existence, that Baron Liebig saw the possibilities, -instead of killing cattle merely for hides and tallow, of boiling down -the meat for extract. The first exportation of 80 lbs. was in 1865, and -it was sent to Germany. - -The Bovril company, in Entre Rios and the adjoining province of Santa -Fé, have nearly half a million acres of freehold and a quarter of a -million acres of leasehold land. On their estates they have about -150,000 cattle. Most of the cattle are of the Durham breed. Between -80,000 and 100,000 animals are slaughtered annually, principally at -Santa Elena; and whilst the meat is sent to England to be converted into -meat extract, the hides and tallow are dispatched to Buenos Aires, where -they are sold. - -Altogether there are about a quarter of a million beasts slaughtered in -Entre Rios each year. As in other parts of Argentina, all the -slaughter-houses are under Government inspection; indeed, every carcase -is subjected to examination before it is passed. Entre Rios is still a -long way from the end of its journey as a meat producing country. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -PROSPECTS AND PROBLEMS - - -Argentina is a land without ideals. Religion is at a discount, and as -yet nothing worthy of the world's note has been produced in art or -literature. There is no national conscience. It is a country for -money-making, and, although I may have been unfortunate in the men I -met, I encountered few Argentines who had thought beyond money. - -The Argentines are a people numbering seven millions--drawn from the -sturdier sections of the Latin race, reinforced by adventurous spirits -from other races, and backed by the finance of London--and their -ambitions are large. Argentina is a country to count in the new regions -devoted to providing the food of the world; and the end of its -possibilities is many generations away. - -The travelled Argentine is conscious of the shortcomings of his -countrymen when engaged in the battle of commerce with men of other -nations. So he sees the need of a helping and guiding hand from other -folk, particularly British. Gradually, however, other countries are -getting their fingers into the pie: Germany and France. The United -States is making a big endeavour, but, though the North Americans lack -nothing in energy, they have completely failed to win the confidence of -the Argentines. - -Yet the educated Argentine feels, as foreigners are quick to notice, -that the amalgam of races, with the Italian leavening the whole, is -creating a new people. The Argentine lad is quick-witted and adaptable, -and he is alert to learn the ways of the foreigner. So, though it is -true enough that you find Englishmen at the head of many of the great -concerns, the Argentine is pushing his way in and sometimes beating the -foreigner at his own game. - -The new spirit is revealed in the way the young Argentine is taking to -sport besides horse-racing: rowing, tennis, and particularly football. -As every child born in the Republic is by law an Argentine, it is -subject for notice that many young English fellows native born are more -Argentine than those of Spanish and Italian parentage. It is inevitable -that, proportionately, the strictly Spanish population will decrease. -But the Spanish language remains. It has a hold in the Western continent -from Mexico to Patagonia. - -Notwithstanding all that has been accomplished, one has only to look at -a map to realise this region is to be the home for the overflow of Latin -Europe, and that the scope of commerce at present is slight compared -with its probable dimensions within a few years. Having some -acquaintance with the great business countries of the world, I say -unreservedly that if I had a son, and intended to put him into commerce -in the hope of his making a fortune quickly, I would have him taught -Spanish and send him to South America. - -However, there is a slowly accumulating public opinion that Argentina -can do without the foreigner, that the hour is coming when she should no -longer be exploited in order that large dividends be paid to investors -who live on the other side of the Atlantic. There is a sort of -sub-conscious feeling that it is the genius of the Argentines themselves -which accounts for the sunshine, the rich soils, the general -productivity. Evidence of that state of mind can be found in other -countries besides Argentina. Yet, though it is apparent to the most -casual observer of the world's conditions that Argentina must wax in -strength and become increasingly independent, it is clear that were she -to attempt to stand, far less run, alone she would come a tremendous -cropper. - -The pride of the Argentine has to be reckoned upon. The nation recalls -its decrepit past; it sees the abundant blossom of the present; it eyes -are large when viewing the future. It declines to confound its destiny -with any other South American Republic. For its northern neighbour -Brazil, Portuguese and negro in population, it has a scorn which raises -a smile on the lips of the outsider. - -It resents the patronage of the United States. When the States preaches -the Monroe Doctrine, and announces it will not allow any European Power -to acquire fresh territory on the American continent, Argentina says: -"It is very kind of you, but we do not require your help; we are quite -capable of looking after ourselves." - -Behind this is the belief that the Monroe Doctrine is but a design to -permit the United States to become the ruling factor in American higher -politics, if not to extend her sphere of authority the entire length of -the continent. The manner in which the United States got possession of -territory in Central America in order to construct the Panama Canal -rankles in the minds of Argentines, as it does in the minds of most -other South Americans. Bitter though the feeling is between rival South -American States, they are at one in their resentment of United States -patronage. - -Occasionally, United States Ministers of high position travel south, and -beat the pan-American drum. They are received politely, but there is -chilliness in the courtesy. In blunt truth these Republics--be they -right or be they wrong in surmise--do not trust the United States. I -think I am well within the facts when I state that there is an agreement -between Argentina, Brazil, and Chile--known as the A.B.C. -combination--to take common action if there is any step south of the -Panama isthmus savouring of aggression on the part of the United States. - -Both in Argentina and Brazil, when I conversed with public men, I was -given clearly to understand how deep-seated is this dislike of the -United States. There is annoyance at the manner in which President -Woodrow Wilson has lectured the Latin Republics of America for granting -concessions to European syndicates for the development of their -countries. President Wilson laid it down that the growth of foreign -interests in these Republics was unwholesome, because they were sure to -influence the political life; therefore, he said, it was the duty of the -United States to assist in emancipating them from such subordination. -This was a considerable extension of the Monroe Doctrine. The -much-preached creed that the United States will not tolerate any other -Power acquiring territory in the Western hemisphere had been expanded to -mean that the United States is going to use its influence to free the -Latin Republics from being under obligation to European countries which -have given their millions of gold towards making those Republics -commercially prosperous which, so far as financial assistance from the -United States counts, would have remained practically undeveloped. At -the latter end of 1913 Mr. Page, United States Ambassador to Great -Britain, stated at a public dinner that President Wilson was determined -to assert the principle that no sort of European financial or industrial -control could, with the consent of the United States, be got over the -weak nations of America so far as this control affected political -influence. - -What European countries think about this attitude of the United States -in practically warning off European financiers if the investments or -concessions have an influence over politics--which, of course, they must -have in all trading countries--it is not for me to discuss here. But -this over-lordship, this placing of the Latin Republics in a position -of tutelage to the great Republic of the north, is denounced and -repudiated by every Latin American public man. - -I quite agree that it would be better for countries like Argentina and -Brazil if they were not so dependent on the foreign capitalist. That is -a view held by probably the majority of South Americans themselves. But -they are not going to accept dictation from the United States, -especially as they know that United States financiers and syndicates are -not only endeavouring to control the meat trade of Argentina, but within -the last year or so have been engaged in gigantic negotiations to secure -ultimately a controlling voice in many of the most important railway -concerns. - -In the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies in December of 1913, Señor Pedro -Moacyr questioned whether, even should the United States spare Brazil -the fate meted out to Colombia, in regard to setting up the baby -Republic of Panama so that the North Americans could construct the -Panama Canal, Brazil would accept the tutelage over Latin America which -President Wilson, improving on the imperialism of Mr. Roosevelt himself, -and yet further accentuating the disquieting deviations of the Monroe -Doctrine, had proclaimed? What it came to was, said Señor Moacyr, "that -the Latin Republics are no longer to have the right to grant to -foreigners such concessions and privileges as it may suit them to grant, -and, under pretext of preserving them from a problematical European -imperialism, the United States will subject them to its own domination -and control. What, in this case, becomes of the integrity and -sovereignty of Latin America for which the great Republic displays so -much solicitude? More and more the Monroe Doctrine, new style, displays -this manifest tendency: America for the United States.... Will the great -Latin Republics be willing to submit to this American control, and -subordinate their foreign policy and their economic orientation to the -views and interests of Washington? We do not believe it." - -It is only right that United States financiers should receive privileges -the same as are accorded to the financiers of other countries; but such -a pronouncement as that of President Wilson only intensifies the -distrust of South Americans, so that when looking beyond their own -frontiers for money they are more disposed to direct their gaze across -the Atlantic than to the people of the United States. What may be taken -as quite certain is that the big Latin Republics have sufficient -confidence in themselves to refuse to accept any lectures from North -Americans. - -Coming late into the field the United States is now making strenuous -endeavours to increase its trade with Argentina. Operations in regard to -railways, and creating a meat monopoly in the hands of Chicago firms, -provide the most striking proof. In regard to the creation of a meat -trust, there is now a Bill before the Argentine Parliament providing -that any contract relating to commerce or transport affecting the price -to the consumer of articles of prime necessity is illegal. Those who -form the trust can, under this measure, be punished for misdemeanour, -and directors of companies or associations will be held personally -responsible, and on repetition of the offence their companies or -associations dissolved and effects confiscated. - -At the present time there is a great American railway scheme to link up -the railway lines in Argentina and Brazil with a line running through -the Republics right up to New York, making a track over 10,000 miles in -length and involving the building of nearly 3,700 more miles of line. -The British Consul-General at Buenos Aires, Mr. Mackie, one of the most -distinguished men in the British Consular service, says, in regard to -this pan-American railway enterprise: "It would seem that out of the -3,648 miles of railway over which it was sought to acquire control, only -1,906 miles needed for carrying out the scheme in Argentina have been -acquired up to the present. This untoward circumstance must of necessity -substantially increase the original estimates of the mileage needed for -linking up the railway systems of the Republics lying between Buenos -Aires and New York. The dominion of the American controlled enterprise -is not apparently to be confined to the narrow limits of railway -undertakings, but it would seem that a lengthy list of subsidiary -companies has been grouped with the syndicate, in whose London offices -appear to be centred a South American lumber company, three development -and colonisation companies, a Para rubber company, a port company, two -navigation companies, a tramway company, light and power company, and an -hotel company." - -With such endeavours on the part of the United States to extend its -power in the south, it is the obvious commercial duty of Great Britain -not only to take stock of what is happening, but to take steps to meet -it. When I was in Buenos Aires I was glad to hear of the formation of a -British Chamber of Commerce. Hitherto English people with interests in -Argentina have worked independently and sometimes in rivalry. Of course, -wholesome rivalry should continue; but there are occasions when the -British commercial community should act in concert, and the creation of -the British Chamber of Commerce, with Sir Reginald Tower, the British -Minister, giving it his active patronage, should be of immense -advantage. - -But all foreigners, be they British, German, French, or belonging to the -United States, must recognise the ambition of the Argentines ultimately -to do without them and to "run the show" for themselves. - -The nationality of Argentina is not founded on tradition; it comes from -the fervour of self-appreciation. Despite the growth of Socialism in the -ports the country gives unprecedented scope for individual -daring--gambling on the future if you like. The doors are open to all -the races of Europe to become Argentines. The terror of Asiatic labour, -which troubles some other new countries, will be slain by the readiness -with which all Europeans are received, be they Russians or Turks. By -marriage the race is a jumble of Spanish, natives, Italians, and -northern Europeans. In North America a man or a woman with a drop of -black blood is called "a nigger." Unlike Brazil, there are few negroes -in Argentina; but many of the best families have native Indian blood in -their veins. In South America a half-caste, a _mestizo_, is always -counted as a white. Thus there are no race prejudices such as are to be -found in so democratic a country as the United States. - -Yet there is no new country where there is such a gap between one -section of the population and the other. I ascribe the scanty -intellectual life of the Argentine to the big break between the -plutocracy and the labouring classes. The poor immigrant has an enormous -struggle to raise himself above the condition of a serf. There are -plenty of exceptions, but notwithstanding this the statement holds good. -To those who have wealth, money to play with, increase in possession -comes rapidly. There is little scope for the salary-earning middle -class--a most valuable class in all communities--and, though wages are -high according to European standards, the advance is not so great when -the heavy cost of living is borne in mind. - -So far I have endeavoured fairly to picture Argentina as it is. It would -be idle not to count the disadvantages along with the merits of the -land. I did not go to South America with any preconceived ideas, but to -see what I could and write about what I saw and learnt. It has not -benefits for poor agriculturists such as Canada offers, though the life -is more pleasant. Out on the plains the climate is splendid. It is not a -country for the clerk whose knowledge of Spanish is nil. - -But it is an amazing country nevertheless. For ages it has been lying in -the womb of Time. It has just been born, and its growth is one of the -wonders of the world. Its inhabitants are quickly adapting themselves to -modern needs. The revolutionary days are of the past. It has millions of -acres under the power of man; it has many millions more awaiting -population. It is crying out for population. And great steamers from -Spain and from Italy are driving southwards over the line of the Equator -carrying what Argentina needs. She receives nearly three hundred -thousand new arrivals annually. And within a couple of years most of -them become Argentine citizens. - - - - -INDEX - - "A.B.C." combination, 273 - - ABATTOIRS, model, at Liniers, 129 - - ACONCAGUA, 89 - - AGRARIAN and veterinary school, Santa Catalina, 80 - - AGRICULTURAL banks, proposed establishment of, 188 - - AGRICULTURAL defence, department of, 61 - - AGRICULTURAL land, extent of uncultivated, 77 - - AGRICULTURAL produce, and the railways, 137 - - "AGRICULTURAL smalls," 243 - - AGRICULTURE, education for "colonists" in, 56-60; - conditions of, 190; - prospects of, 198; - possibilities of development of, 257 - - ALFALFA, development and cultivation of,69; - importance of, 69, 116; - value of, 194-7; - reputed influence on water level of, 233 - - ALPACA, the, 116 - - ALTA Gracia, excursions to, 143, 165; - golf at, 172; - races at, 172-5 - - ANDES, the, 89; - the railway, and, 147, 215, _et seq._ - - ANTHRAX, the gaucho and, 230 - - ARBORICULTURE, school for, at Tucuman, 59 - - ARGENTINA, possibilities of, 4; - railway development in, 43-51; - land question in, 52-62; - call for population, 53; - value of exportations of, 60; - and world's food supplies, 63, _et seq._; - production of food supplies in, 61-71, 244; - constitution of government, methods of taxation, etc., 72-88; - characteristics of, 89, _et seq._; - from the British immigrant's point of view, 43; - wheat production of, 186, _et seq._; - immigration laws and regulations, 203, 223, _et seq._; - the Jews and, 237-41; - indigenous fauna of, 244; - and industries, 257, _et seq._; - credit of, 263; - as overflow of Latin Europe, 271; - and foreign capital, 275; possibilities of, 278-9 - - "ARGENTINA from a British Point of View," by C. P. Ogilvie, 197 - - ARGENTINE Agricultural Society, 120; cattle-breeding and, 121; - and railway tariffs, 137 - - ARGENTINE Club at Bahia Blanca, 177 - - ARGENTINE Railway Company, 153 - - ARGENTINE Transandine Railway absorbed by the Buenos Aires - and Pacific, 145 - - ARGENTINES, the, wealth and pride of, 5, 6, 7, 20, 22-23; - source of wealth of, 24; - social life of, 29; - extravagance of, 32; - moods of, 32-3; - characteristics of, 38-40, 270-2; - ambition of, 58 - - AUSTRALIA and wheat supply, 186-7 - - AUSTRIA and frozen meat, 127 - - AVENIDA Alvear, "B.A.," 30 - - _Avon_, the, 19, 54 - - - "B.A." _See_ Buenos Aires - - BAHIA, 11 - - BAHIA Blanca, 43; - commercial school at, 79; - grain elevators at, 70; - Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway at, 145; - natural harbour, at, 176; - growth of, 176-7; - land values at, 177; - life in, 177; railways at, 178; - shipments from, 178; - Victoria wool market at, 180; - and the pampas, 181 - - BAHIA Blanca and North-Western Railway, absorbed by the Buenos - Aires and Pacific, 145 - - BANCO Hipotecario Nacional, and loans for building, etc., 264 - - BANKS, licences for, 82; and gold reserve, 263 - - BELGRANO, "B.A." British colony at, 27 - - BELLE Ville, dairy school at, 60 - - BETTING regulations, 28 - - BENITZ Colony, forestry school, in the, 61 - - BIRDS, curious, 92 - - BOVRIL, 15; - and meat extract trade, 159; - cattle-breeding station of, 268-9 - - BRASSEY, Thomas, and first Argentine railway, 139 - - BRAZIL, agricultural riches of, 4; - gambling in, 12; - and Argentine cattle, 128; - reported coal mines in, 155; - dislike of United States in, 273, 275 - - BREWING, possible development of, 261 - - "BRIDGE of the Incas," 219 - - BRITISH capital in Argentina, 7, 21, 24, 43, 46, 123; - in railways, 134 - - BRITISH Chamber of Commerce at Buenos Aires, 278 - - BRITISH immigrants, possibilities of sheep rearing for, 183 - - BRITISH trade and Argentina, 260-1 - - BRITISH trade methods, futility of, 85 - - BUENOS Aires, arrival at, 20; - business of, 22-3; - the streets of, 25; - hotels of, 26; - expensiveness of, 26; - railways in, 27; - Jockey Club of, 28; - Colon Theatre at, 28; - immorality of, 29; - irreligion of, 29; - showiness of, 30, 32; - "Las Damas da Beneficencia," 34; - foundling hospital at, 35; - the Recoleta, 36; - as capital, 37; - population and characteristics of, 41; - fascination of, 42; - immigrants' accommodation at, 53; - land values in, 65; - slaughter-houses at, 70; - senators from, 73; - national and normal schools in, 78; - university at, 78; - shallowness of river at, 90; - regulations against dogs in, 98; - variations of climate in, 102-3; - offices of Argentine Agricultural Society at, 120; - Jockey Club at, 123; - frozen meat works at, 124; - population and meat demands of, 129; - sheep market at, 130; - railways from, 141; - the Retiro station at, 142-3; - suburban traffic of, 143, 151; - B.A. and P. high level line at, 145; - railway connection with Valparaiso from, 146-7; - Mar del Plata and, 151; - cost of living in, 241-2; - increase of shipping trade of, 244; - labour unrest in, 258; - British Chamber of Commerce at, 278 - - BUENOS Aires and Pacific Railway, returns of, 140; - growth and revenue of, 145; - Light and Power Co. in connection with, 145; - port accommodation at Bahia Blanca, 145; - high level line to Buenos Aires, 145; - reclamation of land from River Plate by, 146; - transcontinental traffic, 146-7; - Transandine line, 148; - snow protection on, 148; - prospects of, 149; - Mr. Guy Calthrop and, 149; - at Bahia Blanca 178; - at Puerta Galvan, 179 - - BUENOS Aires-Rosario Railway, 141-2 - - BUENOS Aires Province, population of, 63; - five years drought in, 90; - cattle raising in, 130; - cereal growing district of, 152; - Hirsch Jewish colony in, 238 - - - CAJA de Conversion, effect on credit of, 263; - gold reserve of, 263 - - CALTHROP, Mr. Guy, and Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway, 149-50 - - "CAMP" life in, 67, 223, _et seq._ - - CAMP towns, ugliness of, 226 - - CANADA and wheat supply, 186 - - CATTLE, introduction of, by Spaniards, 95, 117; - wild herds of, 95, 117; - wild dogs and, 97; - improvement and increase of, 99; - numbers of, 122; - and importation embargo in England, 130-1 - - CATTLE-BREEDING, 66-7; - importation of bloodstock for, 118; - improvements in, 120; - Argentine Agricultural Society and, 120-2 - - CATTLE disease, prevalence of, 69 - - CENTRAL Argentine Railway, returns of, 140; - growth of 141-2; - electrification of, 145; - suburban traffic, 143; - excursions on, 143; - goods and agricultural traffic of, 144; - irrigation scheme of, 144; - extension of, 144-5; - weekly receipts of, 145; - works of at Rosario, 156; - excursions to Alta Gracia, 165 - - CENTRAL Cordoba Railway, 153 - - CEREALS, value of exportation of, 67; - low yield of, 70 - - CHACO, the, swamps of, 91; - Indians of, 91 - - CHAMBER of Deputies, constitution of, 73; - qualifications of candidates and members of, 73; - salary of members of, 74; - Socialism in, 75 - - CHICAGO and Argentine chilled meat trade, 68 - - "CHICO," 212, 213 - - CHILI, nitrates of, 4; - railway communication with, 146-7, 149; - leprosy in, 246 - - "CHILLED" meat compared with "frozen," 125 - - CHILLED meat trade, American attempts to capture, 68; - extension of, 126 - - CHRIST, statue of, on Chilian boundary, 148 - - CHUBUT, Welsh colony at, 225 - - CITIZENSHIP, qualifications for, 77 - - CLARKE, Mr. Percy, and Great Southern Railway, 152 - - CLIMATE, variations of, 89, 102-3 - - COAL, lack of, and importation of, 83; - possible supply from Brazil, 155 - - COAL Strike, effect in Argentine of, 243 - - COLON Theatre, the, gala performance at, 29 - - "COLONISTS," system of, 54; - and storekeeper, 55; - position of, 55; - agricultural education for, 56-8; - difficulties of, 225 - - COLUMBUS and his discovery, 1, 5 - - COMMERCE, German and British competition for, 84-5 - - COMODORA Rivadavia, government reservation on petroleum zone of, 243 - - CONDOR, the, 245 - - CORDILLERA of the Andes, railway and, 147 - - CORDOBA, live-stock school at, 58, 59; - university at, 78; - commercial school at, 79 - - CORDOBA, and Central Argentine Railway, 144; - position and population of, 158; - university of, 159, 162; - social life of, 160-1; - opera performances at, 161; - cathedral of, 163; - relics at Jesuit church in, 163; - British flag in church at, 164; - schools at, 164; - observatory at, 165; - excursions to Alta Gracia from, 165 - - CORDOBA and Rosario Railway, 153 - - CORDOBA Central Buenos Aires Extension Railway, 153 - - CORDOBA Central Railway, extension of, 153 - - CORDOBA Province, locusts in, 61; - cattle raising in, 130 - - CORRIENTES Province, Indians of, 266; - resources of, 267 - - - DAIRYING, Regional Schools in, 60 - - DE COSTA, Señora César, and statue of Christ, 148 - - DE GUZMAN, Ruy Diaz, and introduction of horses, 49 - - DE MENDOZA, Don Pedro, and introduction of horses, 120 - - DEPUTY, salary of, 74 - - DEVOLUTION in Government, 75 - - DIRECCION-GENERAL de Ferrocarriles, 49 - - DISTILLING, possible development of, 261 - - DOGS, wild, and cattle, 97; - extermination of, 97; - stringent regulations against, 98 - - "DOOR of Hell, The," 2 - - DROUGHT, evils of, 60, 70; severity of, 90 - - DUTIES on manufactured articles, 82 - - - EARTHQUAKES in Mendoza, 201 - - EDUCATION, in agricultural subjects, 57-60; - "regional schools," 60; - divisions of system of, 77; - religious instruction and, 77; - secondary, 78; - university, 78; - authorities of, 78-9; - intuitive method of, 79; - national scholarships, 81; - complaints upon methods of, 81 - - ENGINEER White, Port of, 178-9 - - ENGLAND and chilled meat trade, 68 - - ENGLISH immigrant, prospects of, 43, 224 - - ENGLISHMEN and Argentine prospects, 100-2 - - ENTRE Rios Province, cattle raising in, 130; - resources of, 267; - foreign small freeholders in, 268; - railways in, 268; - Liebig and Bovril ranches in, 268-9 - - ENTRE Rios Railway, 153 - - "ESTANCIEROS," profits of, 60 - - "ESTANCIAS," extent and equipment of, 66 - - - "FAKES" in trade, 108-9 - - FARMING, profits and possibilities of, 60-2; - equipment for, 66; - slovenly methods of, 192 - - "FARQUHAR Group" of Railways, 152 - - FARQUHAR, Mr. Percival, and railway extension, 152 - - FAUNA, 92-4, 116-7, 244 - - FISHERTON, Rosario, 156 - - FLOODS, dangers and extent of, 90 - - FLORIDA, the, "B.A." 25 - - FOOT-AND-MOUTH disease, and exportation of cattle, 124 - - FORESTRY, school for instruction in, 61 - - FRANCE and frozen meat, 127, 133 - - FRAUDULENT trade descriptions, 108-9 - - "FROZEN Meat" compared with "chilled," 125; - methods of freezing, 124-5 - - FROZEN meat industry, 22-3; - influence of railways on, 43, 51; - value of exportation of, 67; - growth of, 70-1, 123, 126-7; - establishment, 123; - and England, 123-4 - - FRUIT culture, school for, 60 - - - GAMBLING, on steamer, 12; - at Alta Gracia, 169 - - GAUCHO, and horse-racing, 172-4, 228; - effect of civilisation on, 227; - duties of, 229; - and anthrax, 230; - as shepherd, 232 - - GAUTIER, Prof. Armand, on frozen meat, 127 - - GERMAN-ARGENTINE Society and frozen meat, 127 - - GERMAN influence in commerce, 84 - - GOLD reserve of banks, 263 - - GOLF at Buenos Aires, 27; - at Alta Gracia, 172 - - GOVERNMENT, Constitution of, 72 _et seq._ - - GOVERNMENT House, "B.A.," 37 - - GRAIN elevators, at Engineer White, 179; - at Puerta Galvan, 180 - - GREAT Britain, and importation embargo on Argentine cattle, 130-1; - and Argentine railways, 139; - and Argentine foodstuffs, 193 - - GREAT Southern Railway, returns of, 140; - Light and Power Co. of, 145; - extent of, 150; - increase of passenger traffic on, 150; - Mar de Plata service of, 151; - goods and live stock traffic, 151; - capital and receipts of, 152; - Mr. Percy Clarke and, 152; - at Bahia Blanca, 178; - Port of Engineer White, 178 - - GUANACO, The, 245 - - - HIRSCH, Baron, colonisation scheme of, 237 - - HORSE breeding, excellence of, 65-6; - development of, 123 - - HORSE, first introduction of, 119; - increase of, 119, 122 - - HORSE-RACING, at Palermo, 28; - universality of, 107, 122; - at Alta Gracia, 172-4; - the Gaucho and, 228-9 - - HUDSON, W. H., "The Naturalist in La Plata," 93 - - HURLINGHAM, "B.A.," 27 - - - IBERA, Lake, 267 - - IMMIGRANTS, Italians as, 10, 25, 53, 224; - nationalities of, 63; - typical English, 109-10; - and political agitation, 241 - - IMMIGRATION, inducements for, 53; - organisation of, 203, 223 - - INCA, 43 - - INDIANS, of Chaco district, 91; - and horse and cattle stealing, 98; - of Corrientes, 266 - - INDUSTRIAL school, methods at, 80 - - IRRIGATION, Government work in, 60; - results of, 116; - State and railway works for, 144, 150; - in Mendoza, 208-9; - in sugar district, 253 - - ITALIANS, as immigrants, 10, 25, 53; - preponderance of, 224 - - ITALY and frozen meat, 127, 133 - - IRAOLA, Señor Pereyra, and champion bull, 152 - - - JERKED beef, trade in, 128 - - JESU Maria, sanatorium of, 160 - - JEWISH Colonisation Society, the, 237, 238 - - JEWS, and wheat market, 23, 55; - population of, 236; - agricultural colonies of, 237-40 - - JOCKEY Club of Buenos Aires, 28, 123 - - JUAN de Rivadaneira, Fray, and introduction of horses, 120 - - - KINDERGARTEN at Mendoza, 205 - - - LABOUR, conditions of, 54; - scarcity of, on _estancias_, 243, 252; - influence of scarcity of, on industrial development, 257 - - LABOUR question at Rosario, 154-5 - - LABOUR troubles, frequency of, 84; - in Buenos Aires, 258 - - LAND, profits on sale of, 47, 53, 64-5; - ownership and labour on, 52 _et seq._; - conditions of ownership in, 188-9 - - LAND values, 65; - at Rosario, 157; - at Bahia Blanca, 177; - in Mendoza, 204 - - LA PLATA, 19; - description of, 36-8; - slaughter-houses at 70; - university at, 78; - and frozen meat trade, 124 - - "LA PRENSA," offices of, 41 - - LAS DAMAS da Beneficencia, 34 - - LATIN American, Spanish immigrants to, 2; - range of, 3; - possibilities of, 4; - riches of, 5 - - LATIN immigrants at Rosario, 154; as farmers, 193 - - LATIN races, as emigrants, 3, 9, 25, 53; - as seen in South America, 24, 59 - - LEPROSY in South America, 246 - - LICENCES for business, 82 - - LIEBIG Co., and meat extract trade, 129, 269; - cattle-breeding station of, 268 - - LINIERS, slaughter-houses at, 129 - - LINSEED, Argentina's production of, 191 - - LIVE stock, value of exportations of, 60, 67; - and importation embargo in Britain, 131 - - LLAMA, the, 116 - - LLOYD GEORGE, Mr., and Argentina, 24 - - LOCUSTS, depredations of, 61, 70, 233; - and sugar districts, 254 - - LONDON and River Plate Bank, gold reserve of, 263 - - LONDON, chilled and frozen meat and, 126 - - LUMBER tracks of Posados, 243 - - - MACKIE, Mr., on Pan-American railway scheme, 277 - - MAIZE, Argentina's production of, 191 - - MANUFACTURES, inability to develop, 83 - - MANUFACTURING resources, possible development of, 257 _et seq._ - - MAR DEL PLATA, 53; - life at, 235; - Great Southern Railway and, 151 - - MARES, distaste for, and slaughter of, 119 - - MARTINETTA, the, 245 - - MATACOS Indians, 266 - - MEAT extracts, trade in, 129 - - MEAT trade and U.S.A., 23, 68 - - MENDOZA, Viticulture College at, 57, 58, 80; - the railway and, 147; - situation and population of, 199; - life in, 200-1; - earthquakes in, 201; - Western Park at, 202; - schools in, 205; - English club in, 212 - - MENDOZA Province, paper money of, 76; - Government of, 203; - how strikes are dealt with in, 203; - taxation and land in, 204; - vineyards of, 206; - irrigation in, 208; - fruit growing in, 211 - - MENDOZA River, 147, 208, 214, 217, 222 - - MERCEDES, 146 - - MEXICO and cattle, 4 - - MILITARY service, compulsory system of, 81 - - MILLIONAIRES, proportion to population of, 64 - - MOCAYR, Señor Pedro, and U.S.A. influence, 275 - - MONEY-LENDERS, licences for, 82 - - MONROE Doctrine and Argentina, 272, 273, 274, 275 - - MONTE Video, 19; - the River Plate at, 90; - and jerked beef trade, 128 - - MUTTON, value of exportations of, 67; - prejudice against, 98 - - - NATIONAL Bank of Argentina, gold reserve of, 266 - - NATIONAL flag, 64 - - NATIONAL Ministry of Education, 78 - - NATIONAL Railway Board, influence of, 49, 50 - - NATIONAL School of Commerce, 79 - - NATIONAL School of Pilots, 80 - - NATIONALISATION, Law of, 24, 63, 77 - - NEUQUÉN territory, irrigation works in, 150 - - "NORTHER," The, 103 - - NOUGES Bros., sugar mills of, 252 - - - OBSERVATORY at Cordoba, 165 - - OGILVIE, Mr. C. P., on alfalfa, 194-7 - - OIL for fuel, 83, 243 - - - PAGE, Mr., and financial control of South American Republics, 274 - - "PALACE of Gold, The," 37 - - PALERMO, fashionable life in, 27; - races at, 28 - - PAMPA, dreariness of the, 89; - extent and possibilities of, 181-2 - - _Pamperos_, the, 91 - - PARANA River, 90; - wharves on, at Rosario, 154; - lumber on, 243; - highway of Santa Fé, 265-6 - - PARANA, town of, 268 - - PARQUE Independencia, at Rosario, 156 - - PATAGONIA, wilderness of, 89; - as sheep-rearing country, 183; - stature of natives of, 245-6; - pastures of, 246 - - PEARSON, Mr. C. H., and Central Argentine Railway, 141, 142, 143 - - PELLEGRINI Law, the, and gold reserve, 263 - - PERNAMBUCO, 2, 10 - - PERU, rubber in, 4 - - PESO, the, 236 - - PETROLEUM zone, Government reservation on, 243 - - PILOTS, National School of, 80 - - PLATE, River, 19; - volume of, 90; - reclamation of land from, 146; - silting of, 155, 176 - - PLAZA Jewell, Rosario, 156 - - PLAZA Mayo, "B.A.," 26, 27 - - PLAZA San Lopez, Rosario, 156 - - PLAZA San Martin, Rosario, 156 - - POPULATION, call for, 53; - growth of, 63 - - POSADOS, lumber trade of, 243 - - PORT Madryn, Welsh colony at, 225 - - PORTUGAL and frozen meat, 127 - - POVERTY, non-existence of, 35 - - PRESIDENT, qualifications and powers of, 72-3 - - PROPERTY, State regulations on disposal of, 76 - - PROVINCIAL Council of Education, 79 - - PROVINCIAL Governments, powers of, 75; - relations of, with Central Government, 76 - - PUERTA del Inca, 219 - - PUERTA Galvan, 179 - - - QUEBRACHO, the, 92 - - - RAILWAYS, luxuriance of trains on, 36, 44, 134-5; - influence on prosperity of, 43; - British capital in, 43, 134; - mileage of, 45; - State lines, 45; - limitations of dividends of, 45; - landowners and, 47; - government and direction of, 48; - profits of, for roadmaking, 49; - and mail carrying, 49; - equipment of, 49; - causes of profits of, 134; - "special cars" on, 135, 166-7, 213; - carriage of agricultural produce, 137; - growth of, 138; - William Wheelwright as founder of, 138; - United States and, 139; - Thomas Brassey and, 139; - dividends and prospects of, 139; - growth of the Central Argentine, 141-5; - growth and prospects of the Buenos Aires and Pacific, 140, 145-150; - growth and prospects of Great Southern Line, 150-2; - "Farquhar Group," 152; - amalgamation of, 153; - at Bahia Blanca, 178; - Transandine, 213; - influence on possible manufacturing developments, 260; - and development of Santa Fé, 265; - American scheme in connection with, 277 - - RANCH, life on the, 103-8, 230-1 - - RECOLETA, 36 - - "REGIONAL Schools," 6 - - RELIGION, indifference to, 29-30, 77 - - RETIRO Station, Buenos Aires, 142, 143 - - REVOLUTION of 1810, 64, 99; - memorials of, at Tucuman, 249 - - RIDEAL, Prof., on frozen meat, 126 - - RIO Blanco, 217 - - RIO Cuarto, and Central Argentine Railway, 144 - - RIO de Janeiro, Harbour of, 13; - the city, 16 - - RIO Negro Valley, irrigation work in, 150 - - RIO Neuquén Valley, irrigation works in, 150 - - ROADMAKING, railway profits taxed for, 49 - - ROADS, bad condition of, 48, 106, 170, 226 - - ROSARIO, land values in, 64, 157; - grain elevators at, 70; - "The Liverpool of Argentina," 141; - railway works at, 143, 156; - as business centre, 154; - labour question at, 154-5; - growth of, 155; - life at, 156-7 - - ROSARIO-CORDOBA Railway, 141; - concession of land for, 46 - - ROYAL Mail Company, 53 - - RUSSIA and wheat supply, 186 - - - SANDSTORMS, 103; - at Bahia Blanca, 177 - - SAN Juan, fruit culture school at, 60; - School of Mines at, 80; - progress of, 204 - - SAN Luis, 147 - - SAN Martin, statues of, 37, 160-1 - - SAN Pablo, sugar mills at, 252 - - SAN Rafael, progress of, 205 - - SAN Salvador, 1 - - SANTA Catalina, agrarian and veterinary school at, 80 - - SANTA Cruz, dreariness of, 246 - - SANTA Fé Province, cattle raising in, 130; - development of, 265 - - SANTOS, 17, 18 - - SAVOY Hotel, Tucuman, 250 - - SCHOLARSHIPS, at Agricultural Schools, 58; - for European study, 81 - - SCHOOL of Mines, San Juan, 80 - - SCHOOLS, religious instruction in, 77; - primary, for adults, 77; - secondary, 78; - equipment of, 79; attendance at, 79, 81; - technical and commercial, 79; - physical drill in, 80; - in Mendoza, 205 - - SENATE, the, constitution of, 73 - - SENATOR, qualifications of, 73; - salary of, 74 - - SERVANT problem, 108 - - SHEEP, development of local characteristics in, 94; - introduction of, 117; - increase of, 123; precautions against disease in, 130; - for freezing works, 130; - on the _pampas_, 232 - - SHEEP-BREEDING, decline of, 67 - - SHEEP market in Buenos Aires, 130 - - SHEEP-REARING, drawbacks and possibilities of, 182-3 - - SHOE factories, 84 - - SIERRA de Cordoba, 158 - - SIESTA, abandonment of, 40 - - SMALL-HOLDING, difficult of securing, 225 - - SOCIALISTS, cohesion of, 75 - - SOUTH America, possibilities of, 4 - - SPAIN, and Argentina, 98-9, 116; - and frozen meat, 133 - - SPANIARDS, and early colonisation of Argentina, 94, 116 - - SPANISH, necessity for use of in commerce, 87, 110-12; - firm hold of, 271 - - "SPECIAL Cars" on railways, 135, 166-7, 213 - - SPORTS, Argentine's adoption of, 271 - - STEVENS, Mr., and Puerta Galvan, 179 - - STOREKEEPER, as "middleman," 55 - - STRANGERS' Club, Rosario, 157 - - STUCCO, use of, in "B.A.," 30, 36 - - "SUESTADAS," the, 91 - - SUGAR industry, school for instruction in, 58-9 - - SUGAR growing, at Tucuman, 250; - possibilities of development of, 253-5, 262 - - SWITZERLAND and frozen meat, 127, 133 - - SYDNEY Harbour compared with Rio, 14 - - - TANGO, the, 235 - - TARIFF on sugar, 255 - - TARIFFS on manufactured articles, 82-3 - - TAXATION, methods of, 82-3 - - TECHNICAL education, attention to, 79 - - TEXTILE industries, possibilities of, 262 - - "THE Argentine as a Market," by N. L. Watson, 255 - - "THE Naturalist in La Plata," by W. H. Hudson, 93 - - TIGRE, the, boating on, 27 - - TOBAS Indians, 266 - - TOTALISATOR, use of, at Palermo, 28 - - TOWER, Sir Reginald, 98, 278 - - TRADE, British and German methods of, compared, 85-6 - - TRADE Unions and Government, 84 - - TRANSANDINE Railway, 147; - Summit tunnel of, 148 - - TUCUMAN, 43, 49; - arboricultural school at, 58, 59; - and Central Argentine Railway, 144; - aspect of, 248; - historic house at, 249; - life in, 249-50; - sugar harvest at, 250; - development of sugar industry at, 251-6 - - TUNUYAN River, 147 - - - UNDERGROUND Railway of Buenos Aires, 27 - - United Kingdom and Argentine cereals, 67 - - UNITED States and Argentine development, 7, 22, 64; - and Argentine Railways, 139; - influence in Argentina of, 271, 272, 275; - wheat supply of, 186 - - UNIVERSITIES, qualifications for and localities of, 78 - - UNIVERSITY lectures in agriculture, 57 - - URUGUAY and Argentine cattle, 128 - - USPALLATA Valley route, 147 - - - VALPARAISO, railway connection between Buenos Aires and, 146-7 - - VICTORIA Wool Market, Bahia Blanca, 180 - - VILLA Maria Rufino Railway absorbed by the Buenos Aires and Pacific, 145 - - VINEYARDS of Mendoza, 199, 206 - - VITICULTURE, college at Mendoza for, 57-8, 80 - - - "WATCH Bird, The," 92 - - WATER supply on the pampa, 233 - - WATER-WHEELS, American, 44 - - WATSON, Mr. N. L., "The Argentine as a Market," 255 - - WHEAT, the Jews and, 23, 55; - influence of railways on exportation of, 43, 51; - average yield of, 70; world's supply of, 186; - Argentina and, 190-2; - the world's production compared with Argentina's, 193 - - WHEELWRIGHT, William, and foundation of Argentine Railways, 138 - - WELSH Colony at Chubut, 225; at Port Madryn, 225, 241 - - WESTERN Railway of Buenos Aires, returns of, 140 - - WILSON, President Woodrow, and South American Republics, 273-6 - - WINDMILLS for pumping purposes, 233 - - WINE, production of, in Mendoza, 206-11 - - WOMAN, position of, in Argentina, 28, 29, 33-51 - - WOOL, low quality of Argentine, 183-5; - prospects of improvement of, 184-5; - values of exportation and importation of, 262 - - WOOLLEN industry, possibilities of, 259 - - WOOLLEN manufactures, crudeness of, 84 - - - YPECAHA, the, 93 - - - ZANJOU Amarillo, 218 - - "ZONDA," the, 91 - - - - - PRINTED BY - CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED, - LA BELLE SAUVAGE, LONDON, E.C. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Amazing Argentine, by John Foster Fraser - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE AMAZING ARGENTINE *** - -***** This file should be named 41104-8.txt or 41104-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/1/1/0/41104/ - -Produced by Adrian Mastronardi, Matthias Grammel and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net -(This file was produced from images generously made -available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you -charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you -do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the -rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose -such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and -research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do -practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is -subject to the trademark license, especially commercial -redistribution. - - - -*** START: FULL LICENSE *** - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at -http://gutenberg.org/license). - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy -all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. -If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" -or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the -collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from -copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative -works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg -are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project -Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by -freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of -this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with -the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by -keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project -Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate -access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently -whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, -copied or distributed: - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived -from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is -posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied -and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees -or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work -with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the -work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 -through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional -terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked -to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the -permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), -you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a -copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon -request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other -form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided -that - -- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is - owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he - has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the - Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments - must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you - prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax - returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and - sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the - address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to - the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - -- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or - destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium - and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of - Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any - money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days - of receipt of the work. - -- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set -forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from -both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm -collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain -"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or -corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by -your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. -To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 -and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at -http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent -permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. -Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at -809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email -business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact -information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official -page at http://pglaf.org - -For additional contact information: - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To -SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any -particular state visit http://pglaf.org - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. -To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. -unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - http://www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |