Many technical schools are also maintained by the national government. Among these one of the most practical is the Industrial School of the capital. This institution has elaborate workshops which are well equipped with machinery and appliances, in which the trades and crafts are taught. The National Conservatory of Music, the School for Drawing, the School of Art, and the School of Commerce, in which instruction is given accountants and translators, are situated in Buenos Aires, and there are commercial schools in Cordoba and Bahia Blanca. There is an agricultural school in Santa Catalina, province of Buenos Aires, and agricultural experiment stations have been established at Tucuman, Bella Vista, San Juan and Tenna.

Argentina is, at the present time, spending a great deal of money for education. In the city of Buenos Aires there are sixty-seven buildings devoted to educational purposes. Many of these are very attractive structures and the total cost has run up into the millions of pesos. The general plan of education is being modelled very much after that of the United States. System and practice, however, are often two different things, and so it oftentimes happens in Argentina. In actual practice there is often a misconception of what real education means. Superficiality is too often a characteristic of the education offered. There are many finely educated persons in the country, but not many of them teachers. The positions are too often the reward of politics, although there are many very efficient women who are teaching. Graduation is easy for the scholar with a pull, for the students will bring in recommendations at graduation time in order to be sure of passing, especially if they have not been very diligent. A glitter is too often allowed to take the place of real scholarliness and learning. This superficiality is too often allowed to pass muster where solidarity should be demanded.

The University of Buenos Aires is one of the great educational institutions of the New World. It is not quite so old as the one in Cordoba, which was founded in 1613, but it has a much larger attendance of students, probably because of its location in the capital. The buildings are scattered over the city in different sections, as the various departments have been added from time to time. A few of the oldest buildings are very venerable looking indeed, and are among the oldest structures in the city. It is planned to rebuild much of the University in the suburban sections in the near future, so that more space can be utilized in quadrangle and park. Almost five thousand students receive instruction in the various departments, of which the largest number, about one-half of the whole, are matriculated in the College of Medicine, which is a large and well-equipped institution. Many departments are included in the institution, however, which do not strictly come within the designation of a medical institution proper, and that accounts for the numerical enrolment. The next largest department is that known as the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences. A recent addition to this ancient university is the National Agronomic and Veterinary Institute, which is devoted to developing what are, and perhaps always will be, the greatest sources of the national wealth of Argentina. The courses of study of the University are very complete, and contain what is best in Argentine education. It is by far the best and most thorough educational institution in the republic.

It is not to be expected that one would find in Argentina a very great number of writers. The greatest incentive to a writer, as well as to a publisher, is that a book will be read by many people. In the republics of Spanish America, with education only imperfectly spread among the masses, the number of readers has been necessarily small. Another obstacle to the development of literary activity has been in the frequent wars and revolutions which have kept most of those nations in a state of political turmoil. Furthermore the comparative isolation of those republics prevented a coöperation among them even though there was a sameness of language. Therefore the editions were necessarily small, and the remuneration consequently inadequate to encourage a literary career. In the face of these disabilities it is to the credit of Spanish-American writers that their activities have been so considerable.

Politics and journalism have always been intimately connected in Argentina, for the editorial has oftentimes been of greater interest than the news columns. Many of her writers have been intimately associated with this form of activity. Avellaneda, Pellegrini, and Bartolomé Mitre, all of whom occupied the presidential chair, first made their mark in the journalistic field. The last named wrote an able work on the history of the emancipation of South America and a biography of the Argentine patriot, San Martin. Vicente Fidel Lopez, another historical writer, gave to the world a “History of the Argentine Republic,” which has taken its place among standard historical works.

Poetry and the drama have always been favourite forms of writing among Spanish writers. Perhaps no language can boast of so many dramas as the Castilian. Argentina has nourished a number of these, among whom might be named Tomas Gutierrez, Rosa Guerra and Juana Manso de Noronha, the latter writing a drama called “The Revolution of May,” which is very popular in that country. There are few Spanish writers who do not at some time stray into poetic writing to which that tongue is so well adapted. Although none of the poets have secured a world-wide hearing, some very sweet poems have been penned by Echeverria, Lafinur and Figueroa. In fiction translations of French writers have generally been demanded. Only one novel by an Argentine writer has received a favourable hearing in Europe, and that was “Amalia,” by José Marmol. It is an historical novel treating of the dictatorship of Rosas, and has been very highly commented upon by competent critics. It probably gives the best picture of the stirring events of that interesting period in the history of Argentina. In more recent years, since the population has increased, and better political conditions prevail, and the reading public has been so greatly augmented, writers in all fields, including philosophy and political economy have become more numerous, and the next decade will probably be marked by much greater literary activity.

The press is well represented in Argentina, for there is scarcely a town of any size that does not support a newspaper. They are well patronized too, and the towns take a pride in their publications. The press of Buenos Aires is one of the most polyglot in the world. There are in that city almost five hundred different publications, of which four hundred and twelve are printed in the Spanish language, twenty-two in Italian, eight in French, eight in English, eight in German and one in Arabic. Then the Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Roman and Dutch tongues each have at least one representative. There are sixty-six dailies, sixty-four monthlies and almost two hundred weeklies.

La Prensa, which means The Press, is a newspaper of which any country or city might be proud. Although not a government organ, for it remains independent, this newspaper undoubtedly exerts the widest influence of any newspaper in Argentina, and perhaps in South America. It is most frequently quoted by the people and its statements are taken as facts. It has a circulation of over one hundred thousand. In appearance it is a large metropolitan sheet seldom containing less than sixteen or twenty pages. Its news columns are well written and newsy, and its editorials are weighty and well-digested. La Prensa publishes more foreign news than any newspaper in the world. This is its claim—certainly more than any daily in the United States. There are seldom less than two pages of foreign cablegrams from all parts of the world, principally Europe, of course. The establishment of this newspaper is on the Avenida de Mayo, in an imposing building which cost three million dollars and is one of the finest newspaper homes in the world. Here will be found not only a complete and modern newspaper plant, but a number of unique features for the good of the public and the glory of the city. At its own expense a free consulting room is provided where an able physician, aided by several assistants, administer to the sick without charge; there is a law office where, during certain hours, indigent persons can secure free legal advice; a large, well-stocked library is open to all without payment; there is a large hall for public meetings and where fine musical entertainments, as well as private operas, are sometimes given for the force. Another unique feature is a suite of finely furnished apartments where distinguished foreigners are gratuitously entertained. There are private grill rooms for the reporters and other employees, and the proprietor has a fine office which he does not occupy more than once in six months. The owner of the La Prensa is a very wealthy man, but he takes absolutely no part in the conduct of the paper. He engages an editor-manager, and the entire management and policy of the paper is turned over to this one man. If this man makes good he retains his position; if not, he is at once supplanted. In a long period of years there have been but four editors, which speaks well for the care with which these men have been chosen. They have all been men of prominence, and their ability is shown by the high standard of the paper which has been maintained during all of these years.

After La Prensa, La Nacion, which was founded in 1870 by the famous Argentine statesman, Bartolomé Mitre, is second in importance, and has a large as well as distinguished clientele. It is large and metropolitan in appearance, and might be called the government organ. The principal evening paper is El Diario. La Argentina, El Pais, La Razon, El Tiempo, El Pueblo, Tribuna, etc., are the names of some of the other leading dailies. There are two English daily newspapers, the Standard and the Buenos Aires Herald, each of which has a good circulation. They are both typical English papers in appearance and general style, although the Herald was founded by an American. The Review of the River Plate and The Times of Argentina are weekly publications devoted to shipping and the general financial news and interests of the country. The former has a well-established reputation as a financial authority in British commercial circles. Caras y Caretas is a unique illustrated weekly which has a large circulation and is exceedingly popular. La Illustracion Sud-Americana is a handsomely illustrated monthly, one of the best published anywhere. La Revista de Derecho, Historia y Letras is a literary periodical of high character.

The Spanish cavaliers left Europe just prior to the Renaissance, when the dark ages were nearing their end. Europe was then striving with the life which was soon to burst forth. The wealth of knowledge and art, which had heretofore been confined within the dark and forbidding walls of monasteries and convents, was about to be given forth to the world to which it belonged. St. Peter’s was then in the hands of architects full of new ideas, the great cathedral of Seville was nearing completion and work was in progress on many of the other famous cathedrals of that continent. This genius for building crossed the seas with the new colonists, and they soon turned their attention to the upbuilding of great temples dedicated to the Almighty. It was an age of wonderful activities in art and architecture, and the New World profited by it. It was not long until hammer, chisel and trowel were busy in all the new settlements, and their accomplishments now gladden the eye of the people of this age. The oldest Spanish cathedral in the Americas is probably at Santo Domingo, as that was first settled. It was here that the body of Columbus rested for a time. Cortez marked his subjugation of Mexico by the inauguration of great public works on which the newly-enslaved inhabitants of the country were employed, as did Pizarro in Peru. The great cathedral of the City of Mexico, the most stupendous of the New World, was begun in 1573, on the site of the ancient altar of sacrifice of the Aztecs. This is said to be outranked by only three cathedrals in the world, St. Peter’s, St. Paul’s of London, and that of Seville. The cathedral of Lima, Peru, is the earliest and largest in South America, and was founded on the same day as the city itself, by Pizarro. The corner-stone of this magnificent structure was laid on the 16th day of January, 1535, and the bones of the founder now rest beneath its roof and are shown to the curious visitor.

There are some old churches in Argentina which one will find in Cordoba and other old towns. The cathedral, however, is more modern, as it was not begun until comparatively recent times, although erected on the site of a chapel that was founded in 1580. Were it not for the dome surmounted by a cross its appearance would not necessarily suggest a religious edifice. The twelve massive Corinthian columns suggest the Church of the Madeleine in Paris. It shows a tendency to depart from the old models and adopt newer schemes of embellishment, just as has been the tendency in North America. Its façade, however, is imposing on the Plaza de Mayo, around which centre the commercial and political activities of this great city. It is perhaps emblematical of the new forces which are at work in Latin-America. The interior of this cathedral is commodious and will accommodate several thousand people. The Church of San Francisco is a fine example of church architecture, and has just been almost wholly remodelled. San Domingo is an historic old church, in the tower of which a number of cannon balls are imbedded, which were fired into the city by the British fleet.

The principle of subsidy to art still retains its vitality in South America. In Argentina there are several municipal theatres, or opera houses, and the finest of which is the Teatro Colon, or Columbus Theatre, of Buenos Aires. This handsome structure was erected by the municipality at a cost of two million dollars. It is three stories high. The first story represents the Ionic, the second the Corinthian and the third the Doric style of architecture. It is of recent construction and will seat nearly four thousand persons. The very best artists of the world are brought here, as the annual allotment from the municipal budget enables the management to do what the box receipts alone would not warrant, because of the long voyage necessary to bring these high-salaried artists to Buenos Aires.

CHAPTER XII
THE FORCES OF DEFENCE

No modern institution has been more talked about and written about than that of the police. The police problem is, in all cities, one to which continual thought is given by citizens as well as officials. The debt we owe to the police can more easily be understood by thinking for a moment of what city life would be without that body. In Greater New York, with a population of five millions, there are about ten thousand policemen, or one to every five hundred inhabitants. In London the proportion is one policeman for every four hundred and ninety-six dwellers in the world’s metropolis. In Buenos Aires there are twice as many in proportion to the population as in New York. If these guardians of the peace were to be suddenly withdrawn, no man’s property or person would be safe at any time of the day or night in these great congested centres. Men would be obliged to go armed; business places and dwellings would have to be barricaded by night; no one could leave his home with a feeling of security as to what might happen during his absence. It was so during the middle ages when the people locked and bolted their massive doors and remained at home, or went about at night in companies in order to insure safety.

In ancient times many of the duties of the modern police were performed by the soldiers. In the early days of Persia and ancient Greece guards were stationed at the gates, and at night military watchmen were placed on the walls. Rulers and persons of affluence had in addition their own personal body-guards. It was not until the days of Augustus Cæsar that the idea of a body of men trained and disciplined to maintain order for the benefit of the citizens at large was developed. The Romans were averse to the presence of soldiers within the walls, for fear that they might become a menace to public liberty. As a result of this prejudice a body of civil police grew up, a part of whose equipment were buckets of rope made waterproof with tar, for they were the firemen as well. Because of this outfit the people in derision called them “squirts,” or “bucket-boys.” The Anglo-Saxon system of police was not perfected until in the time of the eminent Sir Robert Peel less than a century ago. After several years of strenuous work in Parliament he succeeded in passing a law organizing the Metropolitan Police of London. Although this body of men gave security and protection to the citizens of that city it was considered an inroad upon personal liberty and the members of the force were termed in derision “bobbies” and “peelers,” names which have clung to them ever since.

It has often been a query in my mind whether we fully appreciate the work of the policeman. The soldier’s praise has been sung in every land and in every tongue, but the man who walks the city’s streets has not succeeded in inspiring the muse to any extent. The police are a mighty army in themselves. If one could shout the one word “Police!” so that it might be heard the world over, it would call together an army of more than a million men. Among these would be the stalwart “bobbie” of London, giant Chinese policemen from Hong Kong, barefooted Zulus clothed in English helmets and suits, tens of thousands of American “cops,” and last, but not least, the little brown policeman of Argentina. Buenos Aires alone could furnish five full regiments of a thousand men each.

These dark-skinned, undersized men are always on duty. At regular intervals a sergeant comes along and signs the officer’s book, which is his record of service. The summer uniform is white, helmet and all. At night you will see one of these officers at every street intersection. As far as you can see down the narrow thoroughfares one of these white sentries may be seen on duty at every corner. Should a disturbance occur he will blow his whistle and this will be answered for many blocks. Soon policemen will be seen running from the four directions, and in a few minutes quite a force can be collected. A call to the central station would bring an additional force. In this way an incipient disturbance could soon be checked. As these men are under the pay of the national government, they form a part of the defensive forces of the country and are a really creditable body. The mounted men are well mounted and have a very smart appearance as they canter through the streets.

Since the probability of war with Chile passed away the army of Argentina has not been kept as full as prior to 1904. The proportion of soldiers to the population is perhaps less than in any other republic of South America, except Brazil. There are thirty infantry battalions, nine cavalry regiments, eight regiments of the various branches of artillery, besides the numerous special features. The cavalry in particular will compare most favourably with those of any other nation. They are recruited principally from the gauchos, the cowboys of Argentina, who are born to the saddle and sit upon the horses with a grace and naturalness that only comes with familiarity to such form of locomotion from the very cradle itself almost. The infantry are well equipped with modern arms and accoutrements, but they will not bear comparison with the troops of Uncle Sam, Germany or France. They are fighters, however, when once aroused and interested in the cause for which they are fighting. There is in addition to the permanent army a reserve army of about one hundred and fifty thousand. By the provisions of the law every Argentine citizen, from his twentieth to his forty-fifth year, a period of twenty-five years, is subject to compulsory military service. Actual service, however, except in the navy, rarely extends beyond one year. Naturalized citizens are exempt from military duty for a period of ten years after their naturalization. The fact that every one born on Argentine soil is considered an Argentine citizen has led to some unpleasant experiences among the foreign population, whose children have been born in that country. Many women have gone back to the home land so that their children would not become Argentine subjects.

General Leonard Wood, of the United States army, makes the following comment upon the Argentine army following a recent official visit to that country.

“Instruction in this army is vigorous and thorough during the entire period of service. They have a good general staff organization, and a superior school of war for training staff officers and special training of line officers, under the care of specially selected line officers. In Argentina there are excellent relations between the officers and the men. There are few court-martials and insubordination is rare. Their infantry is of a sturdy type, good marchers, well uniformed and equipped. The cavalry is well mounted and they are good horsemen. The bulk of the cavalry is armed with sabre and carbine, and there is also one regiment of lancers and one heavy regiment of cuirassiers. They are all very smartly turned out and make fine troops. Compulsory service, it has been found in Argentina, as elsewhere, is useful not only in making good soldiers, but also good citizens are so made. Men from remote districts, after a year’s service with the colours, have a greater respect for the flag, for the authorities, and the national government. These men have also benefited physically and acquired habits of promptness and exactness. They return to their communities in every way improved by the service. All who enter unable to read and write are taught during their service. After the year’s service with the colours men are called out at intervals, gradually decreasing in frequency, for short periods of service with the colours during manœuvres, usually about six or eight days a year. Careful track is kept of the reserves, who are almost immediately available in case their services are needed. Sufficient equipment for them is held in reserve.”

In travelling over Argentina one sees very few soldiers. A man in a navy uniform will be encountered much more frequently. The standing army only numbers twenty thousand men, while the active naval force is not less than twenty-five thousand, most of whom are young men of twenty and twenty-one years of age. This force is kept recruited by conscription. All citizens are registered at birth and a number placed opposite the names on the register. Numbers are drawn each year of the young men who have reached the age of eighteen. The higher numbers pass into the navy for two years, and the lower numbers enter into the army for one year. Then after their discharge from active service these men pass into the reserves, where they are kept enrolled until they are thirty years of age. This keeps a large reserve force ready for duty in both army and navy. The Escuela Naval Militar, a naval college, is maintained where young men are trained to take positions as officers in the navy, similar to our own naval school at Annapolis. In nearly all the public schools the boys are given a military training under the direction of retired naval and military officers, and are allowed the gratuitous use of firearms and ammunition. Nearly every city and town has a shooting range where target practice is carried on under the direction of officials. The tactics are German, but the uniforms in both army and navy are of French design.

The Argentinians are very proud of their navy. There is a great jealousy between that republic and Brazil, and a consequent rivalry in building up a navy. A few years ago Brazil ordered three Dreadnaughts from English builders, the first two of which have just been received, and the other one will be delivered very soon. These boats were supposed to be the most powerful representatives of this style of war vessels ever constructed, but the Argentine naval experts believe that their new marine monsters will be still more effective. They considered the proposition for a long time, and maintained a committee in Europe for a year in order to peruse plans and keep in touch with the very latest developments in naval construction. The plans finally adopted were the result of this careful and painstaking study. The boats will be seventy feet longer than the Brazilian Dreadnaughts, twenty-five hundred tons greater displacement and will have a guaranteed speed of one additional knot.

A twenty-two million order for battleships was not a bad thing for American ship builders. And yet that was the contract given them by the Argentine Republic, after a fierce competition in which twenty-five firms from five of the leading nations of the world were engaged. The Eagle may well scream a little, for it is the first time that the United States has been considered a serious competitor in the building of battleships. The European nations used every influence, including that of their diplomatic representatives and a “knocking” of American manufacturers, to secure the order, but all to no avail. The American builders were the lowest bidders; they promised the boats in a shorter time; and the visit of the fleet a few years ago showed the Argentinos that we could build first class battleships. The writer was in Buenos Aires when the contract was let, and it awakened the people of that section of the world to the fact that the United States has become an active competitor in all lines of business.

These “Dreadnaughts,” which will be known as the “Rivadavia” and “Moreno,” will be 604 feet long, with a displacement of 20,500 tons, and a speed of 22½ knots will be generated by engines of 40,000 horsepower, and the normal draught will be 27 feet. The height of the turret above the water will be 26½ feet and at the poop it will be 17 feet. The armour will extend for 250 feet in the centre, 4¾ feet above and 3⅓ feet below the normal water line with a uniform thickness of one foot. The total weight of the armour will be 7,000 tons. The outward appearance of these two leviathans will be very similar to the “Arkansas” and “Wyoming,” of our own navy. The armour both above and below the water line will be heavier than has heretofore been in use, while the bottom will be well protected against submarines by nickel steel. The armament will consist of twelve thirteen-inch guns in six turrets, twelve six-inch guns in the central casement and an equal number of four-inch guns well located. The coal bunkers will have a capacity of four thousand tons, besides several hundred tons of petroleum. Both of these leviathans of the deep will be delivered early in the year 1912.

The navy of Argentina aggregates over thirty vessels, and some of them are very good boats. Among these are four armoured cruisers, all of which are 328 feet in length. Two of these, the “General San Martin” and “Pueyrredon,” are twin ships of 6,773 tons displacement; the “Garibaldi” and “General Belgrano” have a displacement of 6,732 and 7,069 tons respectively. The oldest one, the “Garibaldi,” was launched in 1896, and the newest one, the “Pueyrredon,” in 1901, all of them being built in Italian yards. They develop 13,000 horsepower with a speed of twenty knots, and have a daily coal consumption of one thousand tons. All carry a crew of five hundred men, except the “Garibaldi,” which carries only three hundred and fifty men. The cost of these vessels averaged about $3,500,000 each. The “Almirante Brown,” named after the famous English-Argentine admiral, an older boat, is what is generally known as a central battery ship, and is a considerably smaller and less effective boat. There are also four cruisers. Three of these, the “Buenos Aires,” “Nueve de Julio” (Ninth of July), and the “25th of May,” have a speed exceeding twenty-two knots; the “Patagonia” is a smaller vessel with a speed of only thirteen knots. The coast defence vessels number two, the “Independencia” and “Libertad.” The “Espera” (hope), “Patria” (fatherland) and “Rosario” are torpedo boats with a speed of twenty knots. The “Sarmiento” is a training ship which has twice visited the United States in recent years. Fifteen new torpedo boat destroyers have also been ordered which, with the new battleships, will place the Argentine navy in a very effective condition.

The entire fleet is mobilized for four months each year. An annual review, which is held about the first of June, is made the occasion of great display. The President boards one of the vessels, which is then made the flagship, and the other vessels pass in review before it and manœuvres take place. Target practice is held and mimic engagements are “fought.”

What to do with these big monsters now building is a problem which is seriously engaging the minds of the naval department. At the present time there is only one port in the republic which they can enter, and that is the Puerto Militar, at Bahia Blanca. They will not be able to reach Buenos Aires, because the waters of the La Plata are too shallow. The same is true of the other naval bases. It looks as though they will be obliged to stay near Bahia Blanca, or else anchor out on the broad Atlantic the most of the time.

In the writer’s opinion Argentina has little use for a big navy. It cannot be placed on a par with European navies, and it is a big burden of expense. She has only one city on that coast, Bahia Blanca, and has not many vessels engaged in commerce, except on the La Plata and its affluents. Buenos Aires is protected from the Dreadnaughts of other nations because of its shallow harbour. One great item of cost is coal, of which great quantities are consumed, and all of which is imported either from Europe or Australia, the cost per ton being very high. The new Dreadnaughts will have a coal-consuming capacity of sixteen thousand tons per day. The annual expense at the present time of the navy is $7,500,000, and the new ships will increase this by at least $4,000,000. This will make a per capita cost of nearly two dollars for each man, woman and child in the republic. It simply resolves itself into a jealousy of and rivalry with Brazil. If the United States builders will construct Dreadnaughts that will have better armour, greater speed, and more powerful guns than the new Brazilian boats, then American manufacturers can get anything they want in Argentina.

CHAPTER XIII
RAILROADS AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT

In the Argentine railway world Buenos Aires occupies the position of ancient Rome, for all roads lead to it. A glance at the map is sufficient evidence of that fact. It has become the centre of the greatest network of railroads in South America. Like the colossal web of a spider it sends out its strands of steel north to the border of Paraguay and Bolivia, east to the trackless Atlantic, south into Patagonia and west across the Andes with a terminus at Valparaiso. There are at present about sixteen thousand miles of main track in operation in that republic. This is nearly as much as all the rest of the continent combined and shows the progressiveness of the country. All of the railroads, with the exception of the national lines and the Provincia de Santa Fé, which is a French line, were built by British capital and are under British management. Nearly all of the materials and equipment have been brought from that country, and everything has a distinctly John Bull stamp. Only one exception has been made, and that is that the compartments have been abolished in the day coaches. The sleepers, called dormitorios, are made into compartments and are called “Pullmans,” but they lack the luxurious qualities of the cars after which they were named. The stations are generally very creditable and show a spirit of enterprise. Two-thirds of the mileage is of the broad gauge, nine and one-half inches broader than our own, which makes the seats and aisles extremely comfortable. The same English regard for safety is evident and every safeguard is applied toward that end. In fact they are English railroads transplanted to the pampas, with just a few concessions demanded by the nature of the country served.

The government of Argentina has been extremely liberal in its railroad policy. It has recognized the fact that there is no better way to develop its resources than by spreading the parallel bands of steel all over the republic. Perhaps nowhere in the world were there fewer difficulties or fewer perplexing engineering problems than here, for there was no grading and it was only necessary to take off the surface soil and dig ditches to carry off the water. A number of the concessions originally contained a government guarantee of six or seven per cent. on the investment, but most of these have since been altered as the receipts generally paid ample returns, and in consideration of release from the contractual obligation the government granted some other privileges. Many of the charters also granted an exclusive territory of about twenty miles on each side of the right of way.

The principle of consolidation has been going on in Argentina the same as in the United States. The large lines have been taking up the smaller ones until now three companies own one-half of the total mileage, and these three companies are very evenly matched. The original charters of the many lines differed greatly in their terms. They are now all being rapidly brought under a law passed in 1907, which is exceedingly liberal. Under this law the companies pay no import duties on construction materials and articles used in operating the lines, and are exempt from all taxes until 1947. During that period, however, they contribute three per cent. of their net receipts towards the construction and maintenance of the bridges and roads of the departments traversed by their tracks, particularly those roads leading to the stations. Furthermore they must convey free of charge the mails and men in charge of them. Government materials and articles for the construction of public works, war materials and stores, troops, government employees on public service, immigrants sent up country by the central immigration office, and employees of the provincial police shall be conveyed at one-half of the regular rates.

There is one American whose name stands high on the roll of honour in the development of South America, and in particular of Chile and Argentina. His name is William Wheelwright. This captain of industry was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, March 16th, 1798. He came from that sturdy Puritan stock which has contributed so largely toward making the United States one of the most enlightened nations in the world. Not a few of his ancestors rendered conspicuous service in the French and Indian wars, and one of them served under Washington in the war of the revolution. He began life as a sailing master in charge of a vessel trading with South America. Being stranded in the La Plata he finally concluded that his destiny lay in that part of the world. One enthusiastic Argentinian biographer calls him “a new Hernando Cortez, who remained in the land of his shipwreck to conquer its soil, not by arms, but by steam; not for Spain, but for civilization.” He first began his work at Valparaiso, Chile, where he transformed that city by constructing docks and sanitation. He was constantly engaged in voyages of exploration for the purpose of discovering natural resources and means for their development. The lack of transportation greatly impressed him, and through his efforts the Pacific Steam Navigation Company was organized, and he secured concessions for that company from a number of republics. United States capitalists turning down this proposition it was finally financed in England. The two vessels first placed on this route opened a new era on the west coast of South America, for they were the first transatlantic steamers to establish regular communication on that coast. At last he turned his attention to the wild and sparsely populated pampas of Argentina, at that time an undeveloped but fertile wilderness. Although his greater project for a transcontinental line failed, he succeeded in building the first important line in Argentina from Rosario to Cordoba, a distance of two hundred and forty-six miles. This was done after seventeen years of reverses due to civil strife and the Paraguayan war. The road was finally inaugurated on the 16th of May, 1870; and was opened with imposing military, religious and civil ceremonies. His last public work was the construction of a railway from Buenos Aires to Enseñada, the port for La Plata, which was opened just a half-century from the time of his own shipwreck in that same bay. He had further plans in mind but his health failed, and he sailed for London to secure medical attention. His great age was against his recovery and he died in that city on the 28th of September, 1873, and his remains were taken back to his old home in New England. A monument to his memory has been erected in Buenos Aires, and several streets have been named after him in Argentina, one in Rosario.

Just a half century after Wheelwright suggested to English capitalists the feasibility of a railroad across the Andes to connect the Atlantic with the Pacific, the road was opened to traffic, although not by the route contemplated by him. On the 27th of November, 1909, the last thin line of rock, which remained to complete the tunnel between Chile and Argentina, was demolished by the explosion of a dynamite charge. Through the opening thus made the workmen who had been employed on the two ends mingled, and a line of communication which has been the dream of two generations, was completed, that may change the political relations of South America, and which will have a marked effect on commercial relations throughout the world. On the 25th of May, of last year, this route was formally inaugurated, and an all-rail route was thus opened up between Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Valparaiso, Chile, thus establishing the first transcontinental railroad on the continent of South America. That date is a hallowed one in both republics, for it is the first centenary of the revolution which gave independence to both nations; and it is fitting that so auspicious an event should celebrate that occasion. To the South Americans it is as great an accomplishment as was the opening up of the first through line across the United States. At the present time the trip is made from one terminus to the other, a distance of eight hundred and eighty-eight miles, in thirty-eight hours, and the officials hope to reduce the running time to twenty-nine hours.

This through line is made up of three different systems, and there are as many different gauges of track. The longest section is that through Argentina, which is seven hundred and seventy-eight miles in length, or seven-eighths of the entire distance. All of this is now owned and operated by the Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway, although it was built in several different sections and by different companies.

From Buenos Aires to Mendoza, a distance of six hundred and fifty-five miles, this road is built on the broad gauge plan. At Mendoza a change is made to the narrow gauge railway, known as the Trasandino Argentino, with tracks of one meter (3.28 feet) width. The scenery on this line is very beautiful as it winds around bends, passes through tunnels and continues to climb up the passes of the Andes. In several sections on this side, as well as on the Chilean side, where the grade is over 2½ per cent., the Abt system of cogs and racks is used to assist the engine on the steep climbs. On the way the famous natural bridge, known as the Bridge of the Incas, is passed, and a hotel has now been built there by the railroad company. The Trasandino Argentino ends at Las Cuevas, which is the beginning of the tunnel on that side of the “cumbre.” Las Cuevas is 10,468 feet above sea level. The tunnel, which passes almost directly underneath the “Christ of the Andes,” is 10,385 feet in length, of which a little more than half is on the Argentina side, which is just a few feet less than the altitude above the sea.

The Chilean terminus of the tunnel is at Caracoles, which is nothing more than a camp for labourers, and is a few hundred feet higher than Las Cuevas. From here another railroad of meter gauge, called the Trasandino Chileno, carries the traveller to the station of Los Andes, a distance of forty-five miles. It has been found necessary to construct snow sheds in many places in order to protect the track from snow slides, which are likely to occur in August and September. From Los Andes to Valparaiso the route is over the state railroad of Chile, which is of standard gauge (4 feet 8½ inches), and passes through some rich and fertile valleys on its way towards the Pacific.

This project, which has now reached completion, has had many vicissitudes. Its real history may be said to date from 1873, when the first practical step was taken by two brothers named Clark. It was while engaged in connecting Chile and Argentina by telegraph in 1869 that these brothers conceived the idea that this route was the most feasible for a transandine railway. The Clarks obtained a concession for a railroad between Buenos Aires and the Chilean boundary from the Argentine government, and were soon afterwards climbing over rock and ridge in the work of surveying these desolate mountains. Several routes were considered, but the most practical one seemed to be the old Inca trail across the Andes, and this was the shortest as well. Along this trail innumerable hordes of the primitive races have passed for unknown centuries. The Spaniard named it Camino de los Andes, the Andean Trail. For almost four centuries since the white men found this route, they have followed it on foot or on mule between the two countries. The first section was built from Mendoza to Villa Mercedes, a distance of two hundred and twenty-two miles, and completed in 1880. Three years later this line was continued to Buenos Aires. In 1887 work was begun from Mendoza toward the Chilean frontier and new sections were opened up every few years, but progress was very slow.

On the Chilean side the work progressed even more slowly because of financial difficulties. Several times construction was begun, and then stopped because money was not forthcoming from the government, as it was too costly an undertaking for private capital. In 1901, however, the financial arrangements were completed through the American firm of W. R. Grace & Co., and the final work was undertaken in an energetic manner. Argentina also took up her part again as soon as ultimate success was assured, and from that time until now the progress has been steady, but the difficult character of the work necessarily made it slow. Work on the tunnel was prosecuted from both ends, and it was a difficult undertaking because of the high altitude. Several lives were lost during its construction. It was found necessary to line the entire tunnel with a two-foot facing of cement because of the crumbling nature of the rock when exposed to the air. It is eighteen feet high and wide enough for a double track of the broadest gauge. The Chilean government guaranteed five per cent. on the capital invested in the Trasandino Chileno, almost seven million dollars, and the Argentine government practically constructed the Trasandino Argentino Railway. Thus, after thirty-seven years of work and planning, vicissitudes and discouragements, this railroad, which promises so much not only for the two governments but also for the whole of South America, has become an accomplished fact.

Heretofore it has been necessary to go around through the Straits of Magellan, a voyage of ten days, in order to reach the west coast of Chile from Buenos Aires, the metropolis of the southern hemisphere. This has been reduced to a little over a day. It brings Chile nearer to London by nine days. It is almost in the same latitude as Cape Town and Melbourne, and may eventually provide a shorter route to Australia from England, if steamers on one coast should run in conjunction with those on the other. With the present steamship connection, via the west coast and Panama, it will be possible to go from New York to Buenos Aires, or vice versa, in twenty days, and this will probably be reduced to at least eighteen days before a great while. At present the best time made is twenty-four days by the east coast route, and it generally requires more, as the boats stop for two or three days oftentimes at Rio de Janeiro and Santos on their way down and back. When the Panama Canal is completed, there will no doubt be a direct line of good steamers that will run from New York direct to Valparaiso. This route will be then still more desirable and the trip will be made to Valparaiso in not more than two weeks.

North of Mendoza the Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway has pushed a line to San Juan, capital of the province of the same name. This region is rather sparsely settled, but it has a good irrigation system and will no doubt attract settlers because of the profits in fruit culture. South of Mendoza a branch has been built to San Rafael and another is being constructed to San Carlos. Although most of the country traversed by these branches presents the appearance of a hopeless, flat and unproductive desert, it possesses some of the finest soil in the republic when once irrigation is introduced. Two and even three crops of cereals can be produced, so it is said, and it is especially well adapted for grapes and alfalfa. With these and many other branches, and the extension of its lines to Bahia Blanca, the Pacific road now has the greatest mileage of any of the Argentine railroads.

The Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway may be said to bisect the country into two parts. North of this line by far the most important railroad is the Central Argentine. This company controls two thousand five hundred and thirty miles of track, and is the third system in number of miles in the republic. By the absorption of a number of smaller lines it now has a network of main lines and branches which serve that section of Argentina. The last absorption was of the Buenos Aires and Rosario Railway, which added more than a thousand miles to its lines and gave it a monopoly of railway service from the metropolis to the northwestern provinces. It now operates two main lines between Buenos Aires and Rosario. It also has under construction extensions and branches which will add nearly six hundred miles of track to its mileage.

The original section of the Central Argentine Railway was from Rosario to Cordoba, a distance of two hundred and forty-six miles, for which a concession was granted to Wheelwright and his associates. From Rosario it began to construct extensions northwards, southwards and westwards. It purchased the tracks of the Western, old Northern and lastly the Buenos Aires and Rosario Railway, until it reached its present commanding place on the railway map of Argentina. Its southern branches touch the Buenos Aires and Pacific in several places, and its western feeders reach out through the provinces of Cordoba and Santa Fé in a number of places. Northward it reaches the city of Santa Fé.

This railroad is now building a magnificent new station in Buenos Aires which will cost several millions of dollars, and which will be jointly used by it and the Pacific line. It is also making great improvements in its suburban service and dock frontage by filling in the shallow muddy shore of the river. Furthermore, it has made application to the National Congress for a franchise, or concession, to construct an underground electric railway to connect its station with those of the Southern Railway at Casa Amarillo and Plaza Constitucion. It is also elevating its tracks in Rosario so as to avoid all level crossings, and is building a large new station at Cordoba.