rEBEUABT 12, 1915] 



SCIENCE 



237 



tions of the warm-hearted, polite and gener- 

 ous hospitality of the Latin peoples our repre- 

 sentatives accept as evidences of the " vraking 

 up " of South America, and as tributes to 

 our general superiority, sagacity and super- 

 humanity. 



Thus encouraged, these representatives of 

 ours — ^these innocents abroad — generally open 

 their hearts and give their hosts the benefit of 

 their vcisdom and patronage. In the present 

 case it was suggested to a minister and also to 

 a president that a certain group of teachers 

 would like to visit the United States and the 

 Panama Exposition, " and they seemed pleased 

 with the idea" (p. 12). And such a new idea 

 too, and one that would cost so little — to us! 

 Of the city of S. Paulo, Brazil, it is said that 

 the " people show intelligence and purpose in 

 all their movements" (p. 8). How it must 

 please the people of Brazil to be told that they 

 show intelligence and purpose! It is frankly 

 stated that the chief aim of the party was to 

 " make favorable impressions everywhere," 

 and it is believed that the general impressions 

 on both sides were good (p. 20), while every- 

 where they found eagerness for " closer intel- 

 lectual and cultural relations with the people 

 of the United States" (pp. 8, 15, 19). 



Is it any wonder that the utility of such ex- 

 peditions is questioned ? What do these young 

 men know, and what can they reasonably ex- 

 pect to learn in the few strenuous days spent 

 among them, of the grain, the traditions and 

 the point of view of the people of South 

 America? This particular expedition spent 

 eight days in Brazil, three days in Uruguay, 

 six days in Argentina, nine days in Chile, and 

 one day in Peru — just twenty-seven days "on. 

 the continent of South America! The author 

 of the report lays stress on "the experience 

 and knowledge gained on this trip" (p. 20), 

 while some fear is expressed lest "this golden 

 opportunity for mutual service may pass 

 without profit " (p. 20) — a fear that we cor- 

 dially share with the members of the party. 



Evidently it is not realized by those who 

 are responsible for them that such excursions 

 tend to discredit the very men — their fellow- 

 countrymen — who have lived for years in 



South American countries, who must of a 

 necessity form the very groundwork of any 

 future business we can reasonably hope to 

 develop; for they are the ones who have built 

 up good reputations and sound business by 

 right living and right dealing, and who do 

 more for North American trade than all the 

 junketing expeditions and drum-beating dele- 

 gations ever sent out either by public or by 

 other organizations whose judgment is not on 

 the proper footing with their good intentions. 



Our profound ignorance of Latin America 

 is not to be whitewashed over by such proc- 

 esses; nor are the people of South America 

 of the kind to be taken in with a lot of colored 

 glass beads or palaver. 



There are a few fundamental principles that 

 should be called to the serious attention of 

 those who are responsible for such expeditions 

 as this one, or for efforts of any kind to cul- 

 tivate trade or friendly relations with South 

 America : 



First, business relations and business con- 

 fidence in South America are things of slow 

 growth, just as they are in other parts of the 

 world. 



Second, the experience of residents, and 

 authorities who have spent their lives in study- 

 ing and meeting the conditions of commerce 

 and intercourse can not safely or justly be 

 brushed aside and disregarded. 



Third, if the people of Latin America are 

 to be patronized and talked dovni to, our 

 efforts to gain their confidence or to establish 

 cordial relations with them will never meet 

 with any genuine success. 



John Casper Branner 

 Stanpobd Untversity, Calif., 

 January 8, 1915 



A NEW FIELD SCHOOL OF GEOLOGY FOB 

 HASVABD UNIVERSITY 



At a meeting of the visiting committee of 

 the department of geology and geography held 

 with the members of the staff on January 30, 

 plans were presented and approved for ex- 

 tending the field work conducted by the de- 

 partment during the summer months. Pro- 

 fessor Wallace W. Atwood, who recently re- 



