SOUTH AMERICAN CONTRASTS
iss.) THESE books are reviewed together because they illustrate very clearly two methods of approach to South America. In fact, they do more than this. They explain why our British interests are rapidly slipping away before the imaginative and cheerful onslaught of Americans and Germans.
The Republics of South America is anonymous. It was prepared by a study-group of members of the Royal Institute of International Affairs. It is magnificently informed, magni- • ficently up to date and also, I am afraid, more magnificently unreadable than a volume of ancient sermons. The subject is interesting in itself, for it covers the whole range, historical, political and commercial, of every country in South America. But it is told at so flat a pace and with so little regard for human values that it sounds as if endless blue-books were being recited in an even voice. The authors might reply to this criticism that it was meant for a text-book. Very likely it was, and as such it might be valuable for a few months. The tone of the writing, however, and the expensive make-up suggest that it was meant to be permanent. It is useful to note in this connexion that the only permanent literature on South America was written by men who were artists.
South America is one of those places where the inhuman will not do. More trade is lost and more connexions broken for reasons of personal animosity than for any other. It is useless for any business man to know the history, trends of thought and statistics if he does not cultivate politicians and, sometimes in a platonic way, their mistresses. It is vastly more important to drink a friendly cocktail in the club than to keep strict office hours. It is this characteristic aloofness which makes The Republics of South America so disappointing. The members of the group have gone to an immense labour to collect their facts. They must have travelled the length of the lands and spoken to many people. Yet, not one hint of this emerges. The colour and charm of South America, which is lesS of a background than an integral part' of its being, is neglected altogether. And this is dangerous, because men are business in all those puzzling countries between La Guaira and Cape Horn.
How different and how stimulating is Mr. Hudson Strode's approach. He has a modern American mind, alert, objective, witty, eager for facts but not bound to them and, above all, an open vision. He started from Miami, flew to Havana, thence south along the west of the continent, across the Andes to Buenos Aires and up the east coast home. There was nothing heroic in his journey. He would be the last to claim that there was. Thunderbirds (the name which Colombian Indians have given to aeroplanes) are far too common in the United States to make travel by them conspicuous. Yet there was, perhaps, something of the heroic in the way he pursued his copy, squeezing each ounce of joy out of his trip. After a long day in the plane he would follow any man who seemed interesting and extract a story from him before going to the aerodrome at dawn.
Mr. Strode is quite frank about his motives. He had no axe to grind but he thought that a book might be made out of the journey. He wanted to discover for himself how the peoples, lived, to speak to them in their homes, to crystallise the spirit of each country. In this he has succeeded, for, apparently, he has a large sympathy and a knack of arousing conversation. His talks with the pilots who brought him, with the commercial travellers he met, with the members of Country Clubs and a few enlightened politicians are a pleasure to read. He divides his countries into chapters and, like the artist he is, gives a convincing and recognisable picture of the customs and back- grounds of the nations. Colombia with her future before her, Peru with her future behind, Chile, energetic and confident, are dealt with in brilliant paints. His writing, too, is excellent, especially in describing men. I particularly like one companion " whose hair curled like hyacinths." This book is full of such descriptions.
But, quite apart from his happiness of phrasing, his sure touch with the pen, Mr. Strode is a definite landmark in the interpretation of South America. The land of the Conquis- tadors has vanished, but no more than has that of Humbolt and Cunninghame Graham. The race for trading spheres of influence is in full cry. In the last few years the aeroplane has opened up the country, brought gold-mines within reach of markets as never before. Even in the northern Chaco, which is more inaccessible than the Amazon and which took me three months to cross only nine years ago, there is a regular schedule of air-liners. It is possible to fly from La Paz, in Bolivia, to Rio de Janeiro in less than three days. This change is more dramatic and important than anything that has happened in South America since Pizarro landed.
Mr. Strode faces it squarely. What, he asks, will result and who will benefit ? - The continent will be opened, he answers, and the United States will gain. I think he is right. Some years ago our British stolidity was condoned by an absence of competitors. The Americans were at a disadvantage because they did not understand the holy word " manna " and were inclined to an aggressive impatience. The United States, through its business men, were more than a little suspect from a habit of poking fingers into fiercely national pies. Mr. Strode recognised this and was keen to see how the advances of President Roosevelt and Mr. Cordell Hull had been received. On the whole, they had been received very well. South Americans had come to the conclusiOn that if Europe were foolish enough to blow itself up in anger the western continent could survive the catastrophe. It could, undoubtedly, and although war is by no means certain on this side of the Atlantic, the closer co-operation of the Americas is. If British interests wish to continue in South America they will have to take a leaf from Mr. Strode's very excellent book and become more limber-minded.
South by Thunderbird is entertainment enough by itself to justify its price. But I should like to see it on every business desk which has to do with South America and the cost entered to necessary expenses. It has far more value in its pleasures . .
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