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The National Geographic Magazine 



be absolutely intact. Insignificant as the 

 elephant's tail is, the want of it renders 

 the creature impossible and ridiculous ; 

 and many a promising elephant is re- 

 jected at the kraal because he has lost his 

 tail in some jungle fight. A steady, even 

 gait is necessary for the elephant to be 

 used in traveling. 



When the wild elephants have been 

 chosen and made fast to stakes, they 

 sometimes break loose and wreak their 

 frenzy on the first animal in sight, and 

 battles royal between fierce tuskers often 

 enliven the after-hunt. Then the air 

 rings with the shouts of the people and 

 the Siamese thinks he has had a royal 

 holiday indeed. 



When the final choice has been made 

 and the rejected elephants are turned 



back into the meadow, fed and freed, the 

 King rises and goes to his boat. The 

 King of Siam is one of the most kingly- 

 looking men now gracing a throne — 

 "the handsomest man in Asia," many of 

 the diplomats call him — and in his white 

 military uniform he steps off at a pace 

 that puts the royal umbrella-bearer at a 

 dog-trot to keep up with the strenuous 

 ruler. At sight of the King in his Euro- 

 pean clothes, under his Asiatic umbrella, 

 the people sink on their heels and remain 

 in pose of reverent humility until he has 

 passed. Then the people, who have en- 

 joyed the holiday to the full, take a fresh 

 betel quid, tuck up their panungs, paddle 

 away or wade the stream, and Ayuthia 

 becomes again but a busy water village 

 near some ruined temples in the jungle. 



LATIN AMERICA AND COLOMBIA 



By Hon. John Barrett 



United States Minister to Colombia 



WHILE appreciating greatly the 

 honor of an invitation to 

 open the lecture course of 

 the National Geographic Society and 

 thanking you for giving me that honor, 

 it is necessary to express a word of ex- 

 planation and excuse. Although I have 

 studied South America in general and 

 Colombia in particular with great care 

 for many years, I honestly feel that there 

 must be many people in this audience who 

 are more familiar with the subject and 

 who could give you a better discussion. 

 For example, I see present here tonight 

 the new Minister of Colombia, Senor 

 Don Enrique Cortes, one of the most 

 distinguished men of that country, who 

 could entertain you with a more accurate 

 description of his wonderful republic 

 than it is possible for me to do. 



Inasmuch as your course includes other 

 addresses on South America, such as 



those of my colleague, Mr Tee, Minister 

 to Ecuador, on that country; Dr Cal- 

 deron, Minister of Bolivia, about his re- 

 public, and Mr Johnson, concerning the 

 Panama Canal, it has seemed fitting that, 

 in the first part of my talk tonight, I 

 should take up some general references 

 to all Latin America, and more particu- 

 larly because South America has come 

 so prominently before us on account of 

 the remarkable visit of Secretary Root 

 to the capitals of that part of the world. 



the; visit of secretary root 



Too much emphasis cannot be laid 

 upon the character and significance of 

 Mr Root's tour of South America. It has 

 not been fully appreciated in the United 

 States. The natural modesty of the Sec- 

 retary of State has kept him from de- 

 scribing the cordiality of the treatment he 

 received at the hands of the South 



An address before the National Geographic Society, November 9, 1906. 



