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26
21
2
2
(Smith/Simon)
November 26, 1990
2 P.M.
URUGUAY
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: LEADERS DINNER
PUNTA DEL ESTE, URUGUAY
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1990
President and Mrs. Lacalle, honored guests. As this day
draws to a close, Barbara and I are especially grateful for the
chance to share this magnificent setting. //
10-1-90
Fortunately for us, President Lacalle -- in our discussions
meeting
in New York earlier this year -- was persuasive about our
state Dept. drugt
State
spending the night here. // This is my first trip to Punta Del
Dept. Este. Paraphrasing Mark Twain, reports of its beauty have not
draft
been exaggerated. // It is also my first visit to Uruguay -- yet
I feel that already I know your President. //
February
2-5-90
We met in Washington last April -- and again in October at
10-1-90
pres.
the United Nations. Today, again, I have had the chance to
does
observe his insight and eloquence. //
Thirty years ago, one of the greatest men of the Twentieth
Century uttered words which eclipse any language. "I bring you
this heartfelt message from all the people of my country," he
said on his arrival in Montevideo. "We treasure our partnership
with you, and all our sister Republics in this hemisphere."
Dwight Eisenhower knew that Uruguay is a Nation large in
Not il. size and large in dreams. A writer once professor remarked, "You could
Geographic
put Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Switzerland inside
11/48 [it] and still have plenty of room left over. //
2
Today, Uruguay has been enriched by the political and
economic freedom now sweeping the globe. // And I salute
President Lacalle's efforts to use freedom to reform your economy
-- and to help free markets make the individual -- not state --
the voice of today and tomorrow. //
Six
June 27,90 90
Seventeen months ago, we unveiled an initiative to endorse
those efforts -- our "Enterprise for the Americas" Initiative --
Pohnson
and the day of its announcement, President Lacalle was the first
NSC
leader to call me with his support. // Like me, he believes that
the hope of this region is trade, not aid. Accordingly, we will
State
do all we can to help Uruguay in concert with Brazil, Argentina,
Dept
draft
and Paraguay reach a framework agreement with the United States.
Affirming free government and free trade. //
One of my most admired predecessors, Theodore Roosevelt,
american
spoke about this just prior to a visit to this continent in 1913.
Problems
p.294
"We wish to open the countries of South America to new business,"
see
he said, then concluded: "This cannot be done unless it is to
file
the advantage of the various peoples of South America to have
[their] products.' //
Teddy Roosevelt knew that the exchange of goods and ideas
would benefit this hemisphere. He knew, too, that naked
aggression could imperil not only commerce but the dignity of
man. Which brings me to events on all our minds: I refer to the
Persian Gulf. //
Both our countries have endured hardships: The injury to
our economies due to oil prices and loss of trade. // It is not
3
an easy price -- but one we will pay. I would like to thank
state
President Lacalle and the people of Uruguay for their unwavering
Dept.
support for the measures adopted in the Security Council to
draft
counter Iraq's brutal annexation of Kuwait. 11 With your
backing, Iraq's annexation will not stand.
Both abroad and at home, Uruguay and America have never been
more united, or better allies and friends. In that spirit, I ask
our guests to rise and raise their glasses:
-- To the great Nation of Uruguay;
-- To Uruguayan-American friendship;
-- And to the health of my friend and colleague, the
President of Uruguay.
#
#
#
#
70 cabinet
private business
legislator
political leaders
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
Cart-
This is a little long.
Use what you want.
I would intro the
quote by saying;
"O One of my most admired
theodore Roosebelt,
spoke about the prospects
for business between our countring
and the countries of S. america
just prior to a visit to your
continent in 1913. He
said.
311
American Problems
By
Theodore Roosevelt
New York
Charles Scribner's Sons
1926
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
293
the relations of the various civilized nations with one another.
In the western hemisphere each nation has been in the past SO
busy developing the new resources of its own new soil that it
has tended to let the representatives of Old World peoples
37
have complete charge of what these resources produced in the
way of commodities in international business. This period is
THE UNITED STATES AND THE SOUTH AMERICAN
now drawing to a close. We are no longer content to see all
REPUBLICS'
the international business of all the American commonwealths
APPRECIATE very deeply this farewell dinner given
transacted through European hands. In particular we feel
that there should be closer business and economic relations
I
to me on the eve of my departure for South America.
I am going in response to the invitations of certain
between our own great business Republic, our great industrial
Republic, of the United States, and the republics that have
learned bodies in the three great republics, the three pros-
and progressive commonwealths of Brazil, the Argen- I
been growing so fast in prosperity and stability and power in
South America.
perous tine, and Chile. I gladly accepted the invitations when once
understood that I was asked because these great democracies
Our forefathers were wise and foresighted in laying the
wished to hear my views on democracy, and in addition wished
foundations for our great internal development. The time
to hear me, as a private citizen who once held a position of
has clearly arrived when we must be equally wise and fore-
prominence in this Republic, speak of the questions that pecul- To-
sighted in laying the foundations for our external development.
We are now a people of one hundred million. We are a
iarly concern all the peoples of the western hemisphere. it is
night I wish to say a word to you on these questions and
nation among the nations. Our forefathers could but dimly
particularly appropriate to speak to the Progressive attitude party,
see how great a place we were to hold yet they builded wisely;
and now in our turn let us build no less wisely for our children
because that party alone is now taking the proper
and our children's children.
toward foreign questions; for our position is sound in regard
to foreign as in regard to domestic affairs; and unfortunately
As all inhabitable parts of the globe are now known, this is
for the last four years and a half the attitude of both the old
pre-eminently the time for us to gain, and not release, wher-
parties in foreign affairs has been discreditable to our national
ever we can, a commercial footing on a "live-and-let-live"
basis; a footing that will furnish an outlet for the most char-
self-respect and to our ability to serve either our own true
acteristic trait of our American men, namely, executive and or-
interests or the true interest of foreign powers.
ganizing ability in business. There is no better or more worth-
It is continually growing less and less possible for any great
while field for this than in Latin America and the Far East.
civilized nation to live purely for and by itself. Exactly as
steam and electricity and the extraordinary agencies of modern
Other nations are already keenly alive to their need for com-
industrialism have rendered more complex and more intimate
mercial outlets. Already we are behind the European coun-
the relations of all the individuals within each nation, so the
tries in our trade and commerce with the countries to the
same causes have rendered more complex and more intimate
south of us. The latest figures I have been able to obtain
show that in I9II the sales of Mexico, the West Indies, Cen-
1 Address at New York, October 3, 1913.
tral and South America to the outside world aggregated over
292
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
AMERICAN PROBLEMS
295
294
best customers are those whose prosperity increases so that
one billion three hundred million dollars; while the sales of
they can get a great deal; in other words it is self-evidently
the outside world to those countries aggregated about one bil-
to the advantage of every business man to have a prosperous
lion two hundred million dollars, a credit balance to those
community with which to do business.
countries of over one hundred million dollars. And yet in
In just the same way it is to the advantage of us as a nation
the same year the sales of those countries to the United States
to see the nations with which we do business thrive, prosper,
aggregated over four hundred and fifty million dollars, while
and enormously to increase their material well-being, and
the sales of the United States to them aggregated only two
therefore their wish and their ability to enter into business
hundred and ninety million dollars, a balance against the
relations with us. If we are decent people we ought in any
United States of one hundred and sixty million dollars.
event to be glad to see prosperity come to our neighbors. But
There are many reasons why this condition should be changed,
in addition to this, if we possess an intelligent appreciation of
and pre-eminent among them is the importance of more per-
our own material self-interest, we shall rejoice for our own
manent employment and better wages for those actually en-
sakes at the marvellous economic and political growth in such
gaged in raising and making the wares that we have for sale.
nations as the three I have mentioned and am about to visit,
Our relations with the other republics of this hemisphere
Brazil, the Argentine, and Chile. We could not be useful to
must necessarily be both political and economic. As, in the
them if we were not ourselves prosperous, and their usefulness
years now opening, they will certainly be closer than ever
to us in return is largely conditioned upon their prosperity.
before, it is eminently desirable that they should be on a better
The material well-being of both sides is helped by any increase
basis than ever before. Let me speak of the economic rela-
of material well-being on either side.
tions first. Fortunately, the time has gone by when it was
Don't misunderstand me. I am the last man who would
believed that a business transaction was normally beneficial to
preach the doctrine, and this is the last audience that would
one party and detrimental to the other. Exactly as no private
tolerate the doctrine, that material prosperity is or can ever be
business is healthy unless on the average both parties to the
the be-all or end-all of national life, or that international rela-
transaction are benefited, so no international business can ever
tions should be based only on material considerations. But it
be on a really flourishing basis unless it is to the advantage
is absolutely necessary that there should be a foundation of
of both the nations engaged.
material prosperity in order to achieve greatness, national or
We wish to open the countries of South America to our
international. Sane and healthy material prosperity in a man's
business, we wish to create a market for the products of our
neighbors benefits the man; and prosperity in neighboring
business men, the farmers, and wage-workers in South
countries benefits the country that deals with them. We Pro-
America. This cannot be done at all unless it is to the advan-
gressives preach within our own nation the doctrine of social
tage of the various peoples of South America to have such
consciousness, the doctrine that in the long run each of us is
products. It cannot be made a striking success unless the
helped to go up if all of us are helped to go up. So likewise
South Americans find that it is very much to their advantage
we preach the doctrine of an international social consciousness,
to deal with us, and unless they so thrive and prosper that it
the doctrine that teaches us, not a spirit of sentimentalism
will be greatly to our advantage to extend our dealings with
them. In private life a man's only customers who are worth
but with cool-headed sanity, to understand that in the long run
it is good for each nation of mankind to see the other nations
anything are those who can pay for what they get, and his
296
AMERICAN PROBLEMS
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
297
of mankind go up and not down. We no more believe in
in one case as in the other the relations should be based on the
weakness in dealing with international offenders than in deal-
spirit of justice and of fair play. In the present stage of the
ing with criminals within our own limits. We no more intend
world I do not believe that any foreign policy will be perma-
to do away with the American navy and abandon the fortifica-
nently advantageous to any country, unless together with the
tion of the Panama Canal, than we intend to do away with
proper and necessary regard for its own interests it combines
the New York police. But we do intend to do all we can to
regard for the interests of the other country to which the
help all the nations of mankind, including our own, to rise,
policy applies. I do not mean that there should be any neg-
away from barbarism and savagery and the brutalities of
lecting of our own interests. In actual practice it would be
physical violence, toward an orderly self-respecting and law-
hypocritical to say that there should be such neglect, because
abiding civilization, to which brutality and fraud are as alien
no policy could be permanently maintained that did not contain
as weakness, and where justice and fair dealing are accepted
an element of benefit to our own people. But I do most em-
ideals not only as among the individuals within the nation but
phatically say that in international policy, the nation, while
in dealing with all other nations.
free from every taint of weakness, or of that foolish senti-
A concrete instance of what I mean and the way it benefits
mentality that sacrifices reality to pretense, should also show a
others by benefiting ourselves is afforded by the Panama
genuine and effective regard for the rights of others, genuine
Canal. The digging of that Canal will be a help to this coun-
heed to what I believe to be the sound principle of mutuality
try as a whole, and of course notably to the Pacific coast and
of benefit and obligation in international precisely as in internal
the Gulf and South Atlantic States. But it is almost or quite
dealings. Above all we should make no promises that we do
as great a benefit to other countries as it will be to us. I
not keep. It is dishonorable for a nation as for an individual
gravely question whether the United States itself will benefit
to break promises; and the most dishonorable way is both to
more by the building of the Canal than such countries as, for
break them and at the same time to make mere promises which
example, Chile and Australia. It will be our own fault if to
cannot and ought not to be kept. This especially applies to
the great benefit that Chile gains from speedier communication
international questions such as arbitration treaties. At this
with Europe is not also added the great benefit both to Chile
moment we are not living up to the treaties we have made, and
and to ourselves of speedier and better communication between
yet are indulging in magniloquent talk about making new
our Atlantic coast States and the coast of Chile, and indeed all
treaties, which in their turn would be promptly repudiated if
of the republics along the Pacific coast of South America. In
ever the time came to reduce them to practice. Such a course
matters of this kind our nation should copy the example of
justly exposes us to derision. It is as if in the business world
Germany. The German Government has made itself a most
a merchant repudiated his just debts, and at the same moment
efficient influence in developing markets for German merchants
announced that he would like to incur new debts which there
and business men, and our own National Government should
was no possibility of his paying. Only very silly people would
in similar fashion be turned into an instrument for developing
be taken in by or approve such conduct. So it is with our
and helping American business everywhere, but especially in
nation and the question of arbitration treaties. We already
the countries of South America.
have arbitration treaties. Let us continue them and live up to
When countries are thrown into economic relations, it is
them, and until we have done so let us remember that it is idle
inevitable that they should have political relations also, and
folly to talk of making new treaties-that is, new promises—
298
AMERICAN PROBLEMS
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
299
especially when these promises are themselves foolish. It is
power in the face of other nations vanished and became for the
a mean morality which breaks a promise, and then as a sub-
time being a negligible quantity, all respect for the Monroe
stitute for keeping it proposes to make a new one which would
Doctrine also vanished. European powers invaded and took
certainly in its turn be broken.
possession of American soil, and finally they actually set up a
I ask your especial attention to the Monroe Doctrine. That
foreign empire just south of us, an empire that fell as soon as
doctrine has been formulated for some eighty years, and al-
the United States again became an undivided nation.
though unformulated it was to a certain extent appreciated
In the past then, it was an absolute necessity that the United
and acted upon for eight or ten years previously, that is, ever
States should treat the Monroe Doctrine as being within its
since the time when the Latin-American colonies began to
special custodianship and to be invoked by it as regards all
assert their independence. The central thesis of the doctrine
sections of the continent. As rapidly, however, as the other
is that this hemisphere shall no longer be treated as a region
nations on this continent achieve political and social stability,
in which Old World powers shall seek territorial aggrandize-
and the economic prosperity that goes hand in hand with such
ment. There are certain necessary implications in this doctrine;
stability and power, the need for treating our country as the
such as, for example, that Old World powers shall not be per-
sole and special guardian of the Monroe Doctrine just to that
mitted to enter on a course of action which will be likely to
extent decreases. I believe that the century that is opening
lead to territorial aggrandizement on their part; and that New
will see South America, will see Latin America, so grow in
World powers shall not be upheld in wrong-doing which will
power and prosperity as to make this growth the central feature
provoke and justify such territorial aggrandizement. But these
in the growth of the world in the twentieth century, precisely
are mere necessary details of the application of the theory with
as the growth of North America was the central feature in the
which we need not at the moment concern ourselves.
growth of the civilized world during the nineteenth century.
The main thesis was that there should be no territorial ag-
As the several countries of Latin America thus grow in orderly
grandizement on this continent at the expense of or to the jeop-
strength and well-being, they will themselves naturally and
ardy of any commonwealth by Old World powers; this doctrine
inevitably assume for themselves the guardianship of the doc-
being advanced both in our interest, in the interest of our own
trine; and if, and so long as, this orderly growth continues,
safety and protection, and also in the interest of the other
our responsibility for the doctrine and the need for exercising
peoples of this hemisphere. Now no such doctrine, no such
the responsibility will gradually, step by step, cease until we
policy is worth the paper on which it is written unless there is
either share it with many others or the need for its assertion
ability to back it up. The one efficient guaranty of the Monroe
altogether vanishes. As yet such result is not within the ken
Doctrine in the past has been the more or less general accep-
of our vision for large portions of the territory in question:
tance abroad of the belief that the American people were willing
including for instance the lands and waters through which the
and able to back it up. If the United States stopped building
Panama Canal and its approaches run, where our interests are
up its navy, the Monroe Doctrine would be the emptiest of
vital, and can be defended only by a power of the first class.
empty phrases. At the time that the doctrine was promulgated
But already this result has in my judgment actually come
the only power on the western hemisphere to which foreign na-
to pass in the southern half of South America. Brazil, the
tions paid any heed at all was the United States. As soon as
Argentine, Chile, have achieved positions of such assured mate-
the United States became involved in Civil War, so that its
rial and political progress, of such political stability and power
AMERICAN PROBLEMS
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
300
301
and economic prosperity, and have shown by their actions in
three countries I have already mentioned in this speech, if
reference to one another such power of efficient and unified
Chile, if the Argentine, if Brazil, had possessed the Isthmus,
effort for a just and common end, that in my judgment it is
the Canal would undoubtedly have been built under the direc-
safe to say that there is no further need for the United States
tion of the government owning the Isthmus, and with a hearty
to concern itself about asserting the Monroe Doctrine so far
Godspeed from the United States. In the actual event I was
as these powers are concerned. Their progress in all ways
finally faced by the alternative of seeing the building of the
has been so great that they neither invite attack by wrong-doing
Canal indefinitely postponed, or else of having America, in the
to others and by disorder, nor yet invite it by inability to defend
interest of the people of Panama through whose territory the
themselves. Under these conditions, the enforcement of the
Canal was to pass, in our own interest, and in the interest of the
principle of the Monroe Doctrine as far as they are concerned
nations of mankind, take hold and build it.
can be safely left to their own initiative and interest; and in
I have not the time this evening to go into details of my
this matter as in all other matters henceforth the dealings of
action. Any of you who are interested in those details will find
this country with them should be merely those of an equal deal-
them set forth in full in an article of mine that will soon be
ing with equals who are able to guard their own interests and
forthcoming. Suffice it to say that the course of events re-
who are desirous of dealing honorably with all men. In short,
luctantly forced on me the conviction that the then owners of
as regards these three great commonwealths our attitude should
the Isthmus, whose action was unanimously repudiated by the
be substantially what it is as regards the great Canadian com-
people dwelling on the Isthmus, were proceeding in bad faith
monwealth north of us. In the utterly, the well-nigh impos-
toward us and with both folly and prospective bad faith toward
sible event of any one of them being attacked by some outside
outsiders. We were faced by the likelihood of seeing a great
power, and in jeopardy of conquest, the United States with all
and formidable Old World power forced to take possession of
its strength would stand ready to offer its aid, but with no
the Isthmus and itself undertake the work of building the
thought of further interference than is implied in such action.
Canal; the alternative being that the Canal would not be built
I ask you, my hearers, to remember that such a policy as
at all. Under the circumstances, and in accordance with the
I have outlined must rest on a basis not only of good inten-
highest ethical conceptions of my duty toward this people and
tions and sincerity but also of strength. There is no mental
mankind, I acted. If I had not acted precisely as I did, and at
attitude more mischievous than the confounding of folly and
the precise time I did, there would have been no canal to-day,
weakness with virtue. I have spoken above of the Panama
and not only this country but the nations of mankind would be
Canal, and of the enormous benefits its building, now so nearly
by so much the poorer and more backward.
accomplished, will confer upon us and upon the nations of
So it is in other international matters. I do not believe in
mankind. Remember that the Canal could not have been built
the attitude this country has taken in the Far East during the
if I and those men about me ten years ago had paid heed to the
last four and a half years. But I am not now discussing that
counsels of folly and weakness masquerading as virtue. What
question. I am speaking of the affairs of this hemisphere. The
this country wished was to see that Canal built. It did not
United States has but one request to make of each of its neigh-
interfere as long as there was a chance that it would be built
bors, the request that that neighbor shall prosper; for such
by outside effort in such shape that it would not be in any way
prosperity can only come on a basis of order, of stability, of
under the control of any non-American power. If any of the
just regard for the rights of others, and of power to insist
AMERICAN PROBLEMS
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
302
303
upon one's own rights. In the long run anarchy reduces a
would be exhausted to protect them. Nor did I refuse to act at
country to impotence both abroad and at home, impotence to
all until foreign powers acted, nor either ask or accept their
do justice to the strangers within its borders, and impotence
co-operation in action; still less did I follow a course which was
to protect itself from aggression. No such condition can per-
certain to produce anarchy and make existing conditions worse,
manently endure in countries which are obviously within the
SO as to force intervention. I protected the rights of our own
sphere of action of the United States. The United States is
people, while nevertheless examining their claims so carefully
disinterestedly anxious to see its neighbors do well. All it
as to insure us against protecting any of them in wrong-doing.
asks of them is that they do well, that they themselves show
I no less carefully acted in the interest of the people of San
the qualities which will enable them to grow and to prosper.
Domingo. Every step I took was carefully considered so as
But this much it must ask, and with less than this it cannot
to strengthen and not weaken the government of the country,
permanently be contented.
and to make it easier for the country to pay its debts, to main-
Mind you, the words that I now use have been made good
tain order, to preserve its integrity, and to avoid outside inter-
by my deeds while I was President of the United States. We
vention. I arranged for the administration of the custom-
had freed Cuba from a foreign yoke, and had said that we
houses under one or two trained experts, guaranteeing the
would make it an independent nation. While I was President
custom-houses against any interference. Of the amount col-
this promise was made good. We started Cuba on her career
lected forty-five per cent. was turned over to the government to
of self-government. Then there came a revolution, and an-
enable it to run, and the remaining fifty-five per cent accumu-
archy threatened the island. We interfered, restored order,
lated to pay off the various debts and the interest on the debts.
stayed in the island until it was once more started on a career
This arrangement produced peace in the island, was of im-
of stability and prosperity, and then left it so that it was again
measurable benefit to the people of the island, and it secured
an independent and sovereign republic.
justice for the strangers in the island. I at once deprived the
Again, take what happened in San Domingo. In that island
foreign powers (which were preparing to take the custom-
revolution succeeded revolution until the position became one
houses) of both the opportunity and the need for so doing,
of utter anarchy, and American interests and the lives of the
and thereby prevented any outside interference with the island.
Americans in the island were jeopardized. Remember that I
The action greatly reduced the likelihood of revolutionary dis-
never said that I would refuse to run the risk of shedding a
turbance by withdrawing the chief hope of pecuniary reward
drop of blood to protect American property, that doctrine if
from possible revolutionists. It saved us from any need of
carried out logically would mean that no policeman ought ever
military interference in the island, enabling us to withdraw our
to arrest a burglar or a pickpocket, for burglary and highway
war-ships from the waters after a very brief period, so that
robbing are only offences against property, whereas interfer-
we only had one or two custom-house officers left, these officers
ence with them undoubtedly means incurring the risk of blood-
being in the service of the native authorities. We immensely
shed. Nor did I say that all American citizens should leave the
benefited the government, not only by giving it stability, but
country, abandoning their property to the good-will of the con-
because forty-five per cent of the revenues efficiently and hon-
tending factions. My position was the direct reverse. My
estly collected by us actually surpassed the total amount that
position was that if Americans had a right to be in a country,
had formerly been collected when all in theory went to the
they could stay there, and every resource of the government
then government. Finally, it satisfied all honest creditors, and
304
AMERICAN PROBLEMS
made the dishonest creditors understand that they would not
be allowed to get a penny to which they were not entitled.
I have mentioned Panama, Cuba, and San Domingo because
the incidents took place under my administration. Not a drop
of American blood was shed in any one of the three cases, nor
38
was a drop of blood shed by any American. Absolute justice
was done in each case. Cuba, Panama, and San Domingo
INTERNATIONAL PEACE'
were all alike immensely benefited by what we did, all excuse
for interfernce in American affairs by foreign nations was
I
T is with peculiar pleasure that I stand here to-day t
removed, justice was done to all foreign nations, the rights
express the deep appreciation I feel of the high honc
of every American citizen were protected, the interests of the
conferred upon me by the presentation of the Nobel Peac
American nation were preserved, and all this was done in
Prize. The gold medal which formed part of the prize I sha
strictest compliance with the eternal laws of righteousness and
always keep, and I shall hand it on to my children as a preciou
of honorable dealing as between man and man, nation and
heirloom. The sum of money provided as part of the prize h
nation.
the wise generosity of the illustrious founder of this world
famous prize system I did not, under the peculiar circum
stances of the case, feel at liberty to keep. I think it eminentl
just and proper that in most cases the recipient of the prize
should keep for his own use the prize in its entirety. But in
this case, while I did not act officially as President of the
United States, it was nevertheless only because I was Presi-
dent that I was enabled to act at all; and I felt that the money
must be considered as having been given me in trust for the
United States. I therefore used it as a nucleus for a founda-
tion to forward the cause of industrial peace, as being well
within the general purpose of your committee; for in our
complex industrial civilization of to-day the peace of right-
eousness and justice, the only kind of peace worth having, is
at least as necessary in the industrial world as it is among
nations. There is at least as much need to curb the cruel
greed and arrogance of part of the world of capital, to curb
the cruel greed and violence of part of the world of labor, as
to tionships. check a cruel and unhealthy militarism in international rela-
Norway, May 5, 1910.
1 Address before the Nobel Prize Committee, delivered at Christiania,
305
THE NATIONAL
GEOGRAPHIC
MAGAZINE
NOVEMBER, 1948
4-H Boys and Girls Grow More Food
With 15 Illustrations
FREDERICK SIMPICH
25 Natural Color Photographs
SISSON AND ROBERTS
Portugal Is Different
With 10 Illustrations and Map
28 Natural Color Photographs
CLEMENT E. CONGER
Trial by Jury
The Purple Land of Uruguay
With 10 Illustrations and Map
20 Natural Color Photographs
LUIS MARDEN
It's no accident that you hear so clearlv
represent you and many millions
when you pick up your telephone. Bell
other telephone listeners. Their trained
The Fire of Heaven-Electricity
Laboratories engineers are constantly
ears check syllables, words and sen
With 15 Illustrations
ALBERT W. ATWOOD
at work to make listening easy for you.
tences as they come over the telephone
When these engineers design a method
While they. listen, they write down
Sailing with Sindbad's Sons
to bring speech still more clearly to
their "verdict."
With 9 Illustrations and Map
ALAN VILLIERS
your ears, the new circuit is given
They vote approval only when the
many scientific tests. Then it is put
are sure that the voice they hear
Fifty-six Pages of Illustrations in Color
on trial" before a Sound Jury like the
natural in tone, clear in quality an
one shown above.
easily understood. Only when they are
This is a test of the way the system
sure the circuit will suit your ear is
will work in actual use. The jurors
put into use.
PUBLISHED BY THE
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The Purple Land of Uruguay
BY LUIS MARDEN
With Illustrations from Photographs by the Author
OME three-quarters of a century ago,
South America during World War I. Old-
S
W. H. Hudson rode the rolling plains
age pensions were established later. The
of Uruguay and later described them
State also issues insurance and operates the
in his unforgettable novel The Purple Land.
railroads.
The Uruguay he saw was a trackless and
In addition to private broadcasting stations,
fenceless land of cattle ranches. Vast estancias
a Government transmitter in Montevideo
receded into the purple land of distance. To-
plays popular and serious music almost con-
day, this smallest republic of South America
tinuously, without commercials. Thus the
has become the most densely populated. Yet
listener may choose between Beethoven and
the traveler can still ride for miles in the
an ode to hair tonic.
interior without seeing a house or a human
One night I sat on the terrace of a Monte-
being.
video club with my geographer friend, Prof.
Smaller ranches predominate now, though
Juan Lagomarsino. Across the indentation of
there are plenty of big ones left. Agriculture
the city's harbor we could see the low outline
grows increasingly important, but 80 percent
of the hill that gives the capital its name.
of the land is still given over to the cattle
Only 450 feet high, El Cerro, the Hill, looks
industry.
much higher in this flat region and must have
A professor of geography at the University
been a prominent landmark when, in 1520,
of Uruguay told me:
according to the story, one of Magellan's
"Don't forget, our smallness is in great
sailors first cried, "I see a hill!" (Monte vid'
part relative. You could put Belgium, the
eu). (Page 654.)
Netherlands. Denmark, and Switzerland inside
Paris, not New York, was the model for
Uruguay and still have plenty of room left
Montevideo. From the roof terrace we looked
over. We look small on the map because
down on the spacious avenues and palm-
maps of this hemisphere use a smaller scale
shaded squares of the capital (page 631).
than those of Europe, and also because of our
Sidewalk cafes line the main thoroughfare,
tremendous neighbors."
Eighteenth of July Avenue, and many statues
Two Great River Systems
and public monuments increase the resem-
blance to the French capital.
South of the Amazon Basin, the green conti-
Though tall office and apartment buildings
nent of South America swings inward from the
rise above the downtown area, most buildings
Atlantic and spills its water mainly into two
in this city of 800,000 are low, and we could
great river systems: the Paraná-Paraguay and
see over them to the broad muddy background
the Uruguay.
of the Río de la Plata. The "unlovely red
Winding southward for more than a thou-
billows" of the Plata have the quick, restless
sand miles, the brown and blue waters drain
chop of enclosed waters, rather than the slow
half a continent and rush together at last to
swell of the open sea.
emerge. wide and red, as the Río de la Plata-
river. bay, or estuary-the geographers are
What Is the Río de la Plata?
still arguing about it (map, page 625).
As we sat over coffee I asked, "Well, Pro-
On the left bank of the Plata lies the heart-
shaped Republic of Uruguay, neatly spanning
fessor, what is it? Bay, estuary, or river?"
five degrees of latitude on the map. From its
I had always called the Plata an estuary.
position the country was long called the
The Professor's face lighted up. "Ah, that
Banda Oriental-the Eastern Shore of the
is the question. It fulfills some of the condi-
Rio de la Plata. Even today Uruguayans
tions of each. According to international law,
like to be called Orientales.
it is a river: rivers of course belong to the
The little country on the Plata has been a
countries on their banks.
leader in broadening educational opportunity.
"If it is a river, then it is the world's
All schooling is free, and a Uruguayan citizen
widest-137 miles."
may progress from primary grades to a uni-
Sketching rapidly in my notebook, the Pro-
versity degree without spending a cent, even
fessor continued: "At first glance, you might
© National Geographic Society
622
Kodachrome by Clement E. Conger
for books.
think it an estuary; but it does not fulfill all
Toy Town's Rose-trimmed Dollhouses Transport Portuguese Children to Fairyland
Uruguay enacted the first 8-hour day in
the requirements of an estuary to the exact
Children's Park, Coimbra, covers an acre with 50 Lilliputian cottages. fairy castles, and cathedrals. Miniature
geographer.
streets have tiny gates, fences, and lampposts. Statues are carved to scale.
623
624
The National Geographic Magazine
The Purple Land of Uruguay
625
Monte Caseros
Rosário
Bella
Union
Artigas
Quaral
ao Gabriel
BR
ZIL
Villa Federal
Belén
Isla Cabellos
11243
Livramento
*Arapey
Dom Pedrito
Map
Salto
Area
Grande
Concordi
Salto
.Corrales
Tacuaremb6
Quebracho
1378
Quequay
Tres
Paysandú
Arboles
Achar
Melo
Algorta
Iruquay
Uruguay
R
и
RíoBrance
And
9814
Blanquillo
aleguaychu
Rincondel
Vergara
Bonete Dam
Negro
Cerro Chato
Carmen
Mercedes
Treinta y Tres
Scriano
Durang
Yi
Sarand del Yf
seq
tória
Trinidad
Dolores
Lascano
almar
NDE
Fuerte"
Muy
Nueva Palmira
Sah Migue
Carmelo
Banado de
Fortaleza
Santa Teresa
Santa Teresa
Florida
Uribur
Rosario
San Ramon
Castillos
San ose
Minas Rocha
Colonia
SantaLucia
Canelones
Cerro de
Buenos Aires
ElCerro
las Animas
Puerto de la Paloma
SanCarlos
Montevided
Carrasco
Atlantic
Buceo
Maldonado
Ocean
Plata
Wreck of
Isla de Lobos
Canue
Graf Spee
so
Coronel
del
MILES
Brandsen
Ente
Highways
Railroads
Drawn by H. E. Eastwood and Irvin E. Alleman
North Dakota-sized Uruguay Is Squeezed Between Giant Argentina and Brazil
With her neighbor to the left. Uruguay shares the Río de la Plata, on which they have built their
capitals. Buenos Aires and Montevideo, 125 miles apart. Only recent maps show the huge lake formed by the
new dam and hydroelectric project on the Rio Negro (pages 634 and 646).
"The discoverer, Juan Díaz de Solís, in
feet. Winds influence the level much more;
1516, called it the Mar Dulce-Freshwater
strong winds, particularly the pampero, blow-
Sea: not a bad description.
ing from the southwest, may raise or lower
"So much silt has been carried out of the
the level double that amount.
heart of the continent by the two great rivers
Winds affect the Plata's salinity too. Some-
that there is a coating of fine ooze 30 feet
times it is nearly fresh; then the wind shifts,
deep on the bottom of the Plata.
and it becomes neafly as salty as the sea.
"Ships with a water intake on the bottom
I have seen the Argentine coast at Buenos
cannot enter because of this, and often vessels
Aires, 125 miles upstream from Montevideo,
run aground, slowly and insensibly coming to
one bare mud flat as far as the eye could
National Geographic Photographer Maynard Owen Williams
a stop, until the next tide floats them again."
reach. The wind had blown the Plata com-
When Sun or Rain Beats on Montevideo, Pedestrians Use the Sidewalk Arcades
Winds Affect Plata More than Tides
pletely out of sight!
The sun sank as we rose to leave, and from
This gallery is one of those surrounding Independence Plaza. Leisurely coffee drinkers frequent the sidewalk
cafes in the plaza's corners. Cambio y Loteria changes money and sells official lottery tickets. The next drawing's
Tides are not strong in the Plata, usually
the dark bulk of the Hill a lighthouse blinked
winning number will be posted overhead where the ciphers now hang.
making a difference of little more than three
against a salmon-colored sky.
626
The National Geographic Magazine
The Purple Land of Uruguay
627
Years ago, cattle in Uruguay
were bred for hides and horns.
Today. hides are still important.
but cattle produce for export
chiefly beef-chilled, frozen,
tinned, and in extract.
The tough old gauchos would
be horrified to know that sheep
now outnumber cows three to
one (pages 645, 651).
Three huge main packing
plants prepare beef and mutton
for market. One, nationalized,
sells meat domestically as well
as abroad: the others pack
mainly for export. When the
American housewife buys a can
of corned beef. she may often
find upon looking at the label
that it comes from Uruguay
(page 649).
But to savor the national
product at its best, the epicure
should eat it in one of the many
parillas, or grills, that cast a
friendly light on the nocturnal
pavements of Montevideo.
Toward the back, a big grate
leans over glowing charcoal.
On the tilted rack, steaks as
thick as they are broad drip
juice until the embers pop and
hiss. White-hatted chefs turn
the cuts lovingly and, at the
To Tighten a Drum, Build a Fire and Heat the Drumhead
precise moment, flip them off on
At Carnival time mummers roam Montevideo's streets, dancing for coins to the offbeat rhythm of drums.
to the diner's plate.
Lacking drawstrings or other stretching devices, they heat their drumheads over paper fires to raise the tone.
The succulent steak, a heap-
ing green salad, and a bottle of
being served. one of my hosts prepared to
give a friendly, convivial air to the city.
mix the salad.
Men sit inside or at tables on the sidewalk
red wine of the house-it is
enough to make a poet of a
"I'll tell you my formula for good salad,"
and consume café expreso, strong black coffee
wooden Indian.
he said, expertly wielding bottles and shakers.
in little cups, as they discuss politics, letters,
"You must use salt like a wise man, oil like
and the arts.
Orientales dine late, often not
a spendthrift. vinegar like a miser, and then
until 10 or 11. The day I ar-
Típica orchestras play in the larger cafes.
mix like a madman."
rived in Montevideo I was in-
These consist of piano, violin, bass viol, and
CONFITERIA Lns CHING
First- and second-generation Spaniards and
two or three bandoneones, the concertina that
vited to dinner by two Uru-
Italians form large elements of Montevideo's
is the typical voice of the tango.
guayans whom I had met on the
and Uruguay's population. Almost every
More nearly square than an accordion, a
airplane en route from Miami
quarter of the city has its Italian-style piz-
bandoneón has two sets of push buttons and
to Rio.
zeria, cafes and grills which serve pizza, the
no piano keyboard. It has a mellower,
At an outdoor restaurant on
hot Italian tomato pie. A generous wedge
rounder tone, less shrill than that of the
the outskirts of the capital we
costs three cents.
accordion.
coorous
HELADOS
sat at tables under a roof of
Italian surnames occur commonly in the
Típicas play chiefly tangos, waltzes, and
thatch.
Republic. particularly around Salto in the
milongas, a faster, jumpier version of the
In stalls along the wall of the
northwest. In fact, Italians are so numerous
tango.
courtyard, men in baggy trou-
in the Rio de la Plata area that the Spanish
Arthur J. O. Romero
sers barbecued beef and kid on
of the region has acquired an Italian cadence
Uruguay's Tango
Modern Is the Word for This Soda Bar-Apartment House
long swordlike skewers stuck
and lilt.
Confiteria comes from confile (bonbon) this place at Pocitos Beach,
into the ground at an angle over
But whether Spanish, Italian, or criollo
Though the tango was born in Buenos
Aires, the best-known tångo, "La Cumparsita,"
near Montevideo, sells sodas, drinks, and food. Cocktails, helados
charcoal fires.
(person of Spanish ancestry born in Amer-
is Uruguayan. The late Gerardo Matos Rodri-
(ice cream), lunch are good Uruguayan words.
While the juicy cuts were
ica), the numerous cafes of the capital
guez composed the classic when he was still a
628
The National Geographic Magazine
The Purple Land of Uruguay
629
Uruguay Tourist Commission
Santa Teresa Fortress, a Five-pointed Hedgehog, Forms an 18th-century Pentagon
White Sails Frame the Tower of the Uruguay Yacht Club: Buceo
the fashion of Vauban. the French fortification genius of the time of Louis XIV. Once abandoned and
Portuguese started the fortress in 1762. Spaniards captured it the same year and completed the job in
From the inderard side the club's façade resembles a ship's cutwater, and the jutting balconies look like
a liner's multiple decks.
quarried the for building stones. the old fortress now forms the nucleus of a Uruguayan national park close to
Brazilian border (pages 630 and 643).
important colonies of fur seals in the Southern
race their vessels up and down the coast and
youth and lived to see it played round the
Hemisphere. From Lobos the coast's most
compete in international regattas, some as
world.
Commission shows more than fifty beaches
powerful lighthouse marks the entrance to the
grueling as the Rio de Janeiro-Buenos Aires
In the back rooms of many cafes convene
along the Uruguayan Riviera. The Rambla,
Plata with a flashing finger of light.
run.
groups that meet informally for mutual enter-
a wide boulevard named in sections for various
On December 13, 1939, the hundreds of
Don Juan was the only Uruguayan to beat
tainment. In one cafe I heard a Uruguayan
countries and their patriots, connects many
fur seals and few sea elephants that inhabit
Argentina in an international race. He is one
pianist, a Brazilian soprano, and an Argentine
of the beaches near the capital. These range
Lobos must have seen the red flashes and
of the country's leading yachtsmen, as well
tenor.
from the popular inexpensive resorts to the
heard the distant thunder of the naval en-
as a geography professor.
There is another Uruguay, undreamed of
glitter and formality of Carrasco's twin-
gagement between the German pocket battle-
"My friend Pepe Gainza will lend us his
in Hudson's day: the summer-colony Uruguay
towered hotel and Casino (pages 647, 648).
ship Admiral Graf Spee and the British
schooner for the run," he had said. "He and
of white beaches that stretch in a nearly un-
Beaches near the capital show the red-
cruisers Ajax, Achilles, and Exeter.
I limp on the same foot"-a way of saying
broken chain from Montevideo to the Bra-
tinged half-fresh water of the Río de la Plata.
The wreck of the Graj Spee still lies where
"we have the same hobby."
zilian frontier, about 200 miles.
Eastward along the coast, the water becomes
she was scuttled in shallow water off Monte-
As we sailed toward Montevideo from the
clearer and saltier until at Punta del Este
video. With Prof. Juan Lagomarsino I sailed
little port of Buceo, we saw the black outline
Tourism Nation's Second Industry
the open blue Atlantic breaks in heavy surf
to the wreck one evening from the Uruguay
against the promontory.
Yacht Club, a tall white building with bal-
of a freighter, immobile as if nailed to the
Bolstered chiefly by a spate of Argentines
conies like a bridge and a profile like the
orange sky. A small pilot boat scuttled about
from nearly beachless Buenos Aires, tourist
The inner sheltered beach at Punta del Este
cutwater of a ship.
like a water bug.
trade has grown into the Republic's second
is called Playa Mansa, Tame Beach: the heavy
Suddenly the freighter gave three short
surf on the east side earns it the title of
industry. Last year visitors spent more than
$25,000,000; only wool and meat bring more
Playa Brava, Rough Beach. Swimmers may
Uruguayans Love Yachting
blasts on her deep-toned whistle; milky water
suit abilities or mood.
With more than half their national bound-
churned up at her stern and she moved slowly
into the country.
Off Punta del Este lies the small rocky
ary made up of navigable coastline, the Orien-
off, laying a scalloped cloud of black smoke
A map published by the Uruguay Tourist
tales are seagoing people. Ardent yachtsmen
along the horizon.
Isla de Lobos, home of one of the two most
Pointing, Don Juan asked, "See that last
630
The National Geographic Magazine
The Purple Land of Uruguay
buoy flashing off there to the left? We call
that the Buoy of the Good Voyage. It's the
Designed in the style of Vauban, cele-
last you see as you leave these shores.
brated French military engineer, the star-
"That reminds me," he went on, "I must
shaped fortress was captured by the Spaniards,
who redesigned and enlarged it.
telephone to find out the arrival time of a
ship when we get ashore."
Later the fortress was taken and lost suc-
cessively by the Portuguese, Spaniards. Bra-
"Do you call the lookout on the Hill?" I
asked.
zilians, and Uruguayan patriots before it fell
finally to the newly constituted Republic of
"No, I'll dial 213, and the operator will
Uruguay (pages 628 and 643).
tell me."
Spanish and Portuguese possessions changed
"You mean 'information' lists ship sched-
ules?"
hands rapidly in those days. The Director
"Oh, yes," said the professor. "And not
of National Parks, Don Horacio Arredondo,
with whom I drove to the fortress; said, "The
only ships. This number tells you tarrivals
Spaniards won the fights, and the Portuguese
and departures of trains. airplanes. and buses:
gained the diplomatic victories."
what drugstore is open in your neighborhood
Don Horacio first proposed the restoration
at night: notices of sports events: the weather:
of the historic redoubt after World War I.
and what is showing at the local movie. If
Now a rebuilt Santa Teresa forms the center
you hear a fire siren, 213 will tell you where
the fire is!"
of a magnificent national park, with forests,
bathing beaches, camp sites, flower gardens,
Later I learned of other services furnished
and a zoological park.
Uruguayan telephone subscribers at no extra
charge. A special operator on 214 answers
The Highest Point in Uruguay
the subscriber's telephone while he is on vaca-
As we drove eastward out of Montevideo,
tion, takes all messages, and refers callers to
the country grew more rolling until, near
his new address. The same operator will also
Piriápolis, we saw the highest point in Uru-
wake up patrons in the morning!
guay, the Cerro de las Animas, 1,644 feet.
In a light breeze we sailed round the point
Near Santa Teresa isolated clumps of
and past Montevideo. Through glasses we
feathery palms appeared in the fields. Soon
could make out the white curl of breakers
they closed ranks and became a solid forest.
over the low-lying wreck. Slowly we drew
"We do all we can to preserve the palms,"
near to all that is left of the Graf Spee.
said my companion. "Unfortunately, cows
Almost awash, the rusty hulk lies canted
eat the young plants and shoots, and since
over, one gun still pointing to the sky. Seas
cattle were introduced into Uruguay in large
swell and break over the wreck, dropping away
numbers no young. palms have grown up."
to reveal the gaping black ports which an
The stately trees are long-lived, but local
instant later spout fifty simultaneous jets of
people frequently defy the law by cutting
white water.
them down to make palm honey. Felling the
As we circled and started back to Buceo
tree, they lop off the top and lay the trunk
in the gathering darkness, Don Juan said:
on an incline, top down.
"For days after they blew her up, I could
Boiling off the water from the sap that
see the red glow from my apartment window.
drains out, they get a little more than two
Shortly after the scuttling, divers salvaged
quarts of honey in return for the sacrifice
guns, samples of armor plate and equipment,
of a whole tree.
and sent them to England for study.
Santa Teresa stands on an eminence, in an
"A sand bank is slowly forming around
ideal position for defense. Sand dunes and
her now; I suppose it will eventually bury
beaches lie before it, and behind stretches the
her."
sedgy expanse of the Bañado de Santa Teresa,
Santa Teresa National Park
an area of marsh and inundated land. A
shallow tidal lake, one of several along the
Beyond Montevideo the sandy coast, dotted
coast, guards the southwestern flank.
with tidal lagoons, runs to Brazil.
About the middle of the last century the
Almost at this frontier, the ruins of a big
fortress was totally abandoned. Sand dunes
fortress mark the old division between the
moved slowly toward the walls and people
lands of Portugal and Spain.
took stone from the ramparts to use in build-
In 1750 a treaty signed in Paris advanced
ing. The dunes had to be anchored with
the line of Portuguese possessions in Brazil
grass and the walls restored.
Uruguay's Classic Capitol Rises at the End of a Broa
farther to the south. To defend the new
When' the grass had halted the march of
Avenida Agraciada has recently been widened and beautified. Big bar
border, Portugal began to build Santa Teresa
the dunes, planners planted shrubs, then trees,
their home. The second building to the right houses the American Emba
Fortress.
literally by the millions, among them 70 kinds
few years ago went to the left, now runs to the right.
632
The National Geographic Magazine
of eucalyptus and 27 varieties of palm.
Groves of pines grow close to the beaches.
Many Uruguayan painters. notably Juan
As we walked through the cropped grass of
Manuel Blanes, painted scenes of the early
the gently rolling pastures, fat red contented
Uruguayan countryside, much as Frederic
cows regarded us thoughtfully. Teruteros.
Remington and others pictured our own van-
ished West.
a kind of plover (Bclonopterus chilensis),
started into flight.
"There were three principal periods of
Little burrowing owls sat on the ground
gaucho dress," he said. "Both of the early
and stared at us in the blazing sunlight.
costumes were called chiripá." This was a
Overhead. caranchos wheeled.
diaperlike nether garment that passed between
The carancho, a species of caracara (Poly-
loosely at the sides.
the legs and fastened at the waist, to hang
borus plancus), is an undecided bird: it could
not make up its mind whether it wanted to be
"The primitive chiripá existed from about
an eagle or a vulture. It kills live prey, but
1800 to 1840 or so: the second chiripá was
lives mainly on carrion. Ornithologists call
used until about 1880 or 1890. From then
it an aberrant falcon.
on 640). the bombacha became fashionable" (page
Feather Dusters of Ostrich Plumes
Bombachas are loose, baggy trousers fas-
I noticed something moving in the tall
tened at the ankle: Uruguayans wear them
grass. It looked like a row of upended golf
looser and fuller than do Argentines.
clubs slowly moving along. The golf sticks
"Now," Don Horacio said sadly, "breeches
emerged as long-necked ostriches (Rhca ameri-
are beginning to replace the bombacha."
cana) and stalked sedately about.
Cowboys in Berets
Smaller than the true African ostrich, the
Curiously, the flat-crowned felt hat of the
rhea lacks the beautiful tail plumes of the
larger bird. Ignominiously, the rhea's tail
gaucho, worn over a head kerchief, has given
feathers are used to make feather dusters.
way to the Basque boina, or beret (page 635).
Gauchos used to hunt the ostrich with
Possibly because of the influence of the large
number of Basques in the country, most COW
boleadoras, the Indian weapon made by tying
hands wear boina, sash, and rope-soled canvas
two or three stone balls to connected leather
shoes with the bombacha (page 641).
thongs (page 639). The horseman whirled
The gaucho rarely wore boots or shoes.
them around his head and let fly at the legs
He wrapped his feet and calves in leggings of
of the quarry-ostrich, cow, or man. They
raw colt's hide with the hair on. Bare toes
wrapped themselves tightly around anything
protruded, so that the big toe could grasp the
Great Falls of the Uruguay River Block Navigation 200 Miles Upstream
they struck and brought it down.*
brass ring or T at the end of the stirrup
From shore to shore the roaring cataract drops down a ladder of black basaltic rocks. Shadowy patches
So fiercely did the original inhabitants of
leather.
in the distance mark eucalyptus groves planted in a sea of grass to shelter livestock. Separating Uruguay
Uruguay fight the European settlers that today
"Some of the old boys, from riding so long
(right) from Argentina, the river joins the Paraná above Buenos Aires and becomes the Rio de la Plata.
not a pure-blooded Indian remains. Particu-
in this fashion," said my host, "looked like
larly ferocious were the Charrúas, whose last
parrots when they walked, with the big toe
down would come the iron gate to hold him
rounded top was, with the passenger diligence,
survivors were sent to Paris in 1832 and 1833
standing out nearly at right angles."
prisoner until the authorities arrived.
the only vehicle that crossed the expanses of
as subjects for ethnographical studies.
On the savannas where wood is rare, COW
W. H. Hudson, Argentine by birth but of
"shoreless plain."
From the edge of the dunes we looked down
dung furnished the only fuel available to the
New England parents, made the gauchos live
In Montevideo stands a bronze monument
on the white sand beach that runs without a.
gaucho. In fact, so scarce was wood of any
again in his book about Uruguay, The Purple
to this piece of the Banda Oriental's past.
break to the Brazilian line. Fishermen with
Land.
kind that walls around wells and other low
By the noted Uruguayan sculptor José Belloni,
long rods cast into the surf for giant rays.
fences were made of cows' leg bones, and
All Uruguayans love the colorful gaucho of
it is one of the most beautiful public monu-
their country's past, and the highest compli-
ments I have ever seen (page 644).
Farthest North for Penguins
horses' and cows' skulls formed the tradi-
tional chair of the gauchos.
ment they can pay you is to say you are
Many wars have raged about the frontier
"Sometimes, in the spring," my host said,
muy gaucho.
area. The Uruguayans have always been
Rough, self-reliant, quick-witted, and su-
"the current that sweeps north from Cape
Just beyond Santa Teresa, the border town
known as good, tough soldiers. They tell
perb horseman, the gaucho was as handy with
Horn and the Antarctic Continent brings
of Chuy straddles the international line. One
a story about a General Medina, who fought
a guitar as with a knife. He liked to engage
hundreds of penguins to these shores. We
in bouts of couplets, sung to a guitar, while
side of the main street is Uruguay; the other
early in the 19th century against the Portu-
Brazil.
suppose they are blown north by unusual
guese. Leading a cavalry charge against the
relaxing in a boliche. These little general
storms; most are stunned or dead by the
stores served liquor from behind an iron grill.
Oxcart a National Symbol
enemy, he shouted an order.
time they reach here."
"Take off your ponchos, boys; it won't
Some boliches even had a kind of portcullis
A northerner must get used to the idea of
between the bar and the door. If a customer
Near here, a small fort, San Miguel, part
be cold in the next world!"
cold coming from the south and to January
of the colonial border défenses, forms another
A line drawn from Montevideo to Rivera
became belligerent and refused to pay, the
being the height of summer.
national monument. Here the Government
in the north divides Uruguay almost exactly
barkeeper would unfasten a rope, and clang!
Inc the park administrator's lodge, Don
keeps an exact duplicate of the old OX wagon
in half.
See "Life on the Argentine Pampa," by Frederick
of the plains.
Horacio showed me paintings of gaucho cos-
I flew to Rivera one morning, crossing at
tumes and life of the last century.
Simpich, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE, October,
Corresponding to the covered wagon of the
Durazno the River Yi. beloved of the hero
1933.
American West, the high-wheeled wagon with
of The Purple Land.
633
634
The National Geographic Magazine
The Purple Land of Uruguay
635
del Bonete power dam backs
Not far beyond, the Rincón
the Río Negro into a tremen- up
dous ramified lake (page 646).
The Negro, largest river within
the country's borders, traverses
all of Uruguay from east to west
before it empties into the Uru-
guay River.
The big hydroelectric project
of Rincón del Bonete assumes
particular importance because
Uruguay has no oil or coal, ex-
cept a very low-grade lignite,
and must import fuel. Two
power lines. already carry 75
percent of the potential power
to Montevideo, 150 miles away.
When fully operating, the proj-
ect will generate nearly 500 mil-
lion kilowatt-hours of electricity
per year.
Amethysts in Hollow Stones
Near Rivera, agate and ame-
thyst occur in geodes, rounded
stones that when broken open
reveal a miniature cavern of
glittering six-sided crystals of
clear quartz and violet ame-
thyst.
In the yard of one house in
Rivera I saw walks bordered
by crushed amethysts, slowly
bleaching white in the hot sun.
No one knows what causes
the color in amethysts. It may
be manganese, say some; or pos-
sibly it has an organic source.
If exposed to strong daylight,
the violet color slowly fades.
Uruguay's Large Spanish Population Includes Many Bereted Basques
Ancient lava underlies this
Even the cowboys, gauchos of yesterday, have given up their brimmed felt hats for the beret. This boatman
area. A gem cutter told me how
piloted the author through rough seas where the Rio de la Plata joins the South Atlantic.
the geodes were formed in it.
"When the lava cooled, mil-
white, red, and brown when sliced lengthwise.
golden gems by heating the rough crystals
lions of years ago, gas bubbles
Cutters polish such sections to make ash trays
in a fire made of COW dung. When the fire,
in the plastic mass left hollows,
and paperweights.
kindled in a hole in the ground, dies down
like the holes in Swiss cheese.
To cut gem amethysts, lapidaries look for
to embers, they put in the crystals and cover
"Somehow, water either fil-
a flawless dark-violet crystal, then usually
the pit with sand, then let it cool slowly for
tered through or condensed in
shape it in square or rectangular emerald cut.
two or three days.
these hollows, depositing in the
The ancients thought amethysts would pre-
hole these layers of mineral,
vent drunkenness. (The original Greek form
Beef Roasted in the Hide
first agate, then quartz, and
of the name means "not drunk.")
Flying northwest toward the Uruguay
finally in some cases amethyst."
When I asked where the topazes I had
River, we landed at a ranch between Artigas
He told me that all three are
seen in the capital's shops were mined, the
and the river. At an outdoor barbecue here
Vultures Love This Dried Beef, but Can't Touch It
basically the same substance,
lapidary smiled and said, "They're amethysts,
we tasted asado criollo, which was a kid split
with a hardness of 7 in the scale
too. When an amethyst crystal is heated for
open and roasted whole by spread-eagling it
A Uruguay countrywoman hangs meat aloft as if to invite aerial
raiders. She knows that native carrion birds must sit to eat. ,One of
where the diamond is 10.
a time at about 750 degrees, the color changes
on an X-shaped rack that leaned over a fire.
Solid stones made up entirely
to golden yellow."
these birds is the carancho, which, unable to decide on an eagle's or
Over another fire, asado con cuero-beef
a vulture's life, hunts prey and scavenges the dead (page 632).
of agate show rings of gray,
Country people produce these exquisite
with the furry hide still on-sizzled and sent
636
The National Geographic Magazine
The Purple Land of Uruguay
637
an exciting aroma into the air. Naturally,
the hide is not eaten; it merely serves to seal
Locusts periodically sweep south from the
in the juices.
Argentine and Paraguayan Gran Chaco to
While we ate at a long table under the
ravage Uruguay and the adjacent Argentine
trees, ranch hands sang and accompanied
provinces. Airplanes and helicopters spray
themselves on the guitar.
insecticide over wide areas in a successful
We flew west to the extreme northwest
war against the devouring invaders.
corner of Uruguay where, at the confluence
A short distance above the city of Salto
of the Uruguay and Cuareim Rivers, Brazil;
a spectacular series of falls and rapids. the
Argentina, and Uruguay meet: then we flew
Salto Grande (Great Falls), stretches from
shore to shore.
south along the Uruguay to the city of Salto.
Looking down on the level green of open
In low water scores of roaring cascades
country, we saw dark rectangular groves of
pour over worn black basalt and discharge
into long gorges (page 633).
eucalyptus trees. Planted to give shelter to
cattle during windstorms, the regularly spaced
The amber water swirls and foams through
oblongs looked exactly like ships strung out
the canyons, forming powerful whirlpools in
the fast current.
in convoy over the sea of grass.
Salto vies with Paysandú, 65 miles down-
Fishing at Great Falls
stream, for the honor of being the second city
of the Republic. At latest count, Salto had
Here, in the glassy glides above the lips of
a slight edge.
the falls and in the turbulent pools below, the
dorado loves to lie. Salminus maxillosus, one
Orange and tangerine groves stretch in
of the world's great game fishes, looks like
geometric patterns about the white houses of
a yellow salmon, with finely penciled lines of
Salto. Vegetables ripen more quickly here
broken dots along its sides (page 653).
than in the cooler climate of Montevideo.
These voracious predators sometimes reach
Salto at Head of Navigation
a weight of 60 pounds, though they average
much less.
The Uruguay River, flowing southward
from Brazil, separates Argentina from Uru-
At the Salto Grande the Uruguay Tourist
guay. At Salto, 200 miles from where the
Commission maintains a ranch-style guest
Uruguay empties into the Río de la Plata,
house. From here I fished for dorado with a
friend.
river steamer navigation ends. A chain of
falls and rapids bars navigation.
As our boatman rowed us along the foot of
Motor launches ferry passengers across the
the falls, we cast big spoons into the foam-
wide Uruguay between Salto and Concordia,
flecked eddies. Masses of floating spume lay
the city on the Argentine shore.
like beaten egg white in-the backwaters, and
With Salto city officials I attended a re-
the heat beat back from the black rocks.
dedication of the monument to Giuseppe Gari-
Suddenly an electric shock leaped along
baldi, Italian patriot and idealist. Garibaldi
my rod. One hundred yards of 9-thread line
wrote a little-known chapter of his adven-
melted from the reel, and downstream, so
turous life in Uruguay. when in 1846, at the
remote that it seemed to have no possible con-
head of his Italian Legion. he won two battles
nection with me, a great golden fish leaped
and fell back with a smash.
Uruguayan Trenchermen Never Slice Off More than They Can Chew
that helped secure the independence of the
Republic.
The incredible shock and downstream dash
Old-time gauchos ate barbecued beef by grasping a hunk in the teeth and cutting away all but a bite.
The sharp Jacón, or belt knife, served them in combat as well as at dinner. Connoisseurs prize whole beef
While Salto's people, many of whom are of
occurred almost simultaneously. Practically
roasted in the hairy hide, for the juices are sealed in (page 635). This descendant of gauchos works on a
Italian descent, gathered at the Garibaldi
nothing can stop a dorado in this initial rush.
cattle ranch near Artigas. His sure hand has never nicked his nose.
monument, I noticed what seemed to be dark
They fight hard, leaping repeatedly as long
smoke plumes on the horizon. Slowly the
as they are in fast water. The biggest I cap-
Ashore, we cooked some of the dorado over
Others looked like candy, caramels with a
clouds attenuated into wavering lines and
tured weighed just under 20 pounds and took
an open fire. I am not much of a fisheater,
spiral white filling.
came toward us. Then,-with a whirring and
18 minutes to bring to gaff.
but fresh-caught dorado, roasted over an open
The Uruguay washes so many agates ashore
rustling, millions of locusts swarmed between
The Colorful Dorado an Epicure's Dish
fire. is an epicure's dish, especially when the
that the walls and sidewalls of the riverside
us and the sun, glistening like metal against
flaky white flesh is covered with a caper
promenade at Salto have rows of agates set
the blue sky.
When fresh from the water, the dorado
sauce.
into them.
My companions pointed to rows of citrus
makes a striking picture. Orange-red fins
When we later waded and fished, armpit
trees. Most had been stripped to the bare
and tail complement his over-all golden-yellow
deep in the shallower waters at the tail of
Everyone Drinks Mate
coloring.
branches, while the glossy green foliage of
the cataract, our rope-soled shoes picked up
Most of the world drinks coffee or tea for
The head and gill covers appear to be
pebbles of many colors, fragments of agate and
other rows remained untouched.
a pick-me-up beverage. The Río de la Plata
"The whole ones are the tangerine trees,"
plated with amber tortoise shell, and the big
quartz washed downstream and worn round
and smooth by the current.
countries prefermate. Like tea or coffee, mate
said one man. "Locusts don't like their leaves;
mouth shows wicked triangular teeth that cut
(Ilex paraguariensis) grows as a shrub or
steel leaders, and sometimes even big hooks,
Some pebbles glowed like tawny red rubies
too bitter."
small tree. Mateine, a substance similar to
with the ease of wire cutters.
when held between the eye and the sun.
caffeine, provides the stimulus in mate.
638
The National Geographic Magazine
The Purple Land of Uruguay
Commonly in the cities and towns shortly
after sunrise I would see men. still in their
the elements needed to balance the diet,
pajamas, standing in their doorways and pen-
sively sucking mate out of a pear-shaped or
it contains sufficient fat.
claims man can thrive on fresh meat alone if
though the explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson al-
flat-sided gourd.
They call the gourd mate, also: the silver
Carnival Time in Montevideo
drinking tube is the bombilla. It takes so long
for the liquid to seep through into the per-
When I returned to Montevideo from
forated bulbous end of the tube that drinkers
river. Carnival had taken over the capital. up-
acquire a patient, thoughtful air while sipping
All Uruguay joins in this festival with as much
mate.
gusto 652). as the Brazilians of Rio (pages 627 and
Friends showed me the proper way to pre-
pare and drink it. Soon. like them, I carried
Arches of colored lights spanned the princi-
my own mate and bombilla with me when
pal avenue, from which traffic is cleared at
traveling and called for hot water the first
night so that people may take part in the
thing on awakening in the morning.
street procession.
To prepare mate, I first placed the bombilla
At night most of the women are masked
in the gourd: then I filled the gourd about
and in costume, and celebrants bombard one
two-thirds full of verba, dried leaves and twigs
another with confetti and serpentines from
floats or on foot.
of the mate tree. I added cold water to
saturate the leaves. Now I poured in very
Each section of the city erects a tablado, an
hot water, and waited.
outdoor stage decorated according to the
It takes time for the liquid to seep slowly
ideas and abilities of the local talent.
into the pierced bulb in the end of the silver
On these stages perform mummers' troupes,
tube. Even then, I could draw up only the
musicians, and anyone who thinks he has
small amount in the tube. After that, I
talent. At the end of Carnival the city gives
waited for it to fill up again.
prizes formers. to the most original and ingenious per-
And so the mate drinker goes on, peri-
odically adding hot water from a small kettle,
In the capital's theaters, hotels, and clubs
or, if he lives in the city, from a thermos bottle
big public balls are given, some starting
with a specially perforated stopper.
in the afternoon and lasting until dawn.
In its natural unsweetened state, mate tastes
Usually three orchestras play in relays-a
like green tea, more or less bitter and astrin-
"fox," or American-style dance band: a samba
gent, according to the variety and source.
orchestra brought from Brazil: and a típica,
The herb is intensively cultivated. particularly
which plays tangos, milongas, and fast criollo
waltzes.
in northern Argentina, but much of it still
comes from wild trees in southern Brazil and
Women go masked and unattended to these
Paraguay.
balls, which last not-only the regulation three
days of Carnival but also for another week.
Men Drink the Bitter; Women the Sweet
I stood one night on the edge of a dance
Men usually drink bitter mate: women like
floor, watching the revelers dance by. their
to add a little sweetening. Sometimes they
bright costumes a mass of changing color in
the spotlights..
even brew it in a pot. like tea. But confirmed
mate drinkers will have none of this effete..
Sensing someone watching me, I turned to
procedure.
look into the dark face of a masque. It was
On the cattle and sheep ranches the hands
a girl, her head completely covered with a
sheath of black stockinet. Bunched and
get up about an hour before dawn and sit
tranquilly sipping mate while they await the
gathered cloth formed upstanding ears, and
sunrise.
from eyeholes two bright eyes peered at me
After working all morning on the range.
quizzically. Whiskers springing from each
side of her mouth made her look even more
the cowboy or shepherd drinks mate at 11
pert.
or so, and then again at the end of the day
(page 641).
We stared at each other in silence for nearly
"But," said my friend who was telling me
half a minute. Finally I asked, "Cat or
rabbit?"
all this, "there are some who pass the entire
day drinking mate."
Looking as disdainful as two eyes can
through black stockinet, she snapped "Bat!"
National Geographic Society
In the old days, the gaucho subsisted almost
and flounced off.
Kodsehrome by Luis Marden
entirely on mate and meat-beef, kid, or mut-
It would be ungallant not to let her have
Garbed in Old-time Gaucho Costume, He Sings of Uruguay's Past
ton. Apparently the mate supplied some of
the last word.
For a holiday barbecue this cowboy from Santa Teresa National Park wears the chiripa (skirtlike garment),
kerchief, and felt hat of the gaucho, Uruguayan plainsman of the last century. Leather-covered weights of the
boleadoras, Indian throwing weapon, hang from his waist. On his left arm he carries a broad-strapped riding crop.
639
640
© National Geographic Society
Kodachrome by Lois Maryen
This Painting by a Noted Uruguayan Artist Displays Three Epochs of Gaucho Dress
Juan Manuel Blanes here shows three generations of last-century Uruguayans. Mate-drinking grandfather (right) wears the original skirtlike chiried.
Father (center) wears the middle-period chiripd, no longer split in front. A suitor, calling on the householder's daughter, uses the loose, baggy trousers,
641
Kodachrome by Allen Flaber
© National Geographic Society
Fire and Mate, Stimulating Tealike Drink, Warm Urugusyan Cowboys When Day's Work Is Done
The gourds about two-thirds full of dried mate leaves, then add nearly boiling water from the kettle. These ranch workers wear Spanish-style rope-soled canvas shoes.
men sip mate through silver tubes from flat-sided gourds, more popular in Uruguay than the pear-shaped gourds used in neighboring Argentina. Drinkers fill
The National Geographic Magazine
The Purple Land of Uruguay
G National Geographic Society
c National Geographie Society
Kodachrome by Luis Marden
Oxcart Drivers Liked to Camp Near a Shady Ombú When Crossing the Nearly Treeless Plains
Lichens Like Orangè Paint Cost the Walls of Santa Teresa
Kodachrome by Luis Marden
At San Miguel National Monument. the Government maintains this replica of the old-style ox High
driver, in gaucho dress, sips mate while roasting a steak on a skewer.
wooden wheels helped smooth inequalities in the ground; cowhides with the hair left on covered the wagon. top. The
shore close hands in frontier, it was built in 1750 to protect Portuguese possessions from Spain. park. The bastion
Restored to the by Brazilian the Uruguayan Government, this fortress forms the nucleus of a large national On the
changed many wars among Portuguese, Spaniards, Brazilians, and Uruguayans.
642
643
Frozen in Bronze, Oxen Struggle to Release Their Wagon from a Mudhole: Montevideo's Famed Oxcart Monument
644
Uruguayans like to photograph one another against this covered wagon of the pampa, a creation of the sculptor José Belloni.
© National Geographic Society
Kodaehromes by Lais Marden
The Monument Comes to Life at San Miguel in This Reproduction of Yesterday's Plains Wagon
of
a
and
645
Koduchrome by Allen Fisher
© National Geographic Society
Sheep at La Tablada Market Carry on Their Backs Uruguay's Most Valuable Export
Sheep three to one in the Republic and furnish mutton as well as wool for export. Buyers assemble at dawn at bombachas this cattle market 640). on Monte-
now video's outnumber outskirts. cows Against early-morning chill many wear long woolen ponchos. Most appear in comfortable plus-fours-like (page
The National Geographic Magazine
The Purple Land of Uruguay
© National Geographic Society
c National Geographic Seciety
Kodachrome by Allen Fisher
A Concrete Dam Impounds Waters of the Río Negro in Uruguay's First Hydroelectric Project
Situated almost exactly in the country's center, the Rincón del Bonete Dam forms an lake. Two
blow Spanish from of gardens the east. and Atlantic waters named surge the fresh-water expanse of the Río de la Carrasco Plata, Mar Dulce. Beach When winds
discoverers Waves Break in 1516 Like Ocean Surf in the "Sweet Sea" at Kodachrome
by Allen Fisher
power lines carry electricity to Montevideo, 150 miles away. Flatcars on rails haul small boats enormous around the dama
Eventually, two locks will permit larger vessels to navigate this largest Uruguayan river.
suburb summer houses here surrounds upstream, an making elaborate the resort water hotel at Plata and beaches casino.
clearer
and
saltier.
A
646
647
648
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Koderhname by Allen Fisher
Mud of the Río de la Plata Reddens the Water at Pocitos, One of Fifty Beaches on the Uruguayan Riviers
Pocitos waters are slightly less salty than those of Carrasco (page 647) and beaches farther east. Hotel and apartment houses with set-
649
Kodaehromes by Allen Fisher
© National Geographic Society
Uruguay's Excellent Corned Beef Travels Round the World
Schoolgirls Combine Good Looks with Good Books
Canned meats are second to wool among the Republic's exports. Other
The highly literate Republic stresses education, which is free from primary
meat products are beef extracts, frozen and chilled beef and mutton. Hides,
school to university degree. These girls, studying at home, attend the Univer-
once all important to the national economy, are of less value today.
sity of Women in Montevideo.
650
© National Geographic Society
Realachuse in Allen Fishet
In This Olympic Stadium Ardent Montevidean Fans Watch the National Sport-Soccer
the national pastime of most of Latin America. In Montevideo intense rivalry exists between two professional teams: Nacional and Peñarol,
At Early Morning, Whiteface Cattle Await the Last Roundup at La Tablada Stockyards
Horsemen lead their cows to and from market by calling repeatedly, "Venga, venga, vengal" (Come!). and herd sheep by rattling cans filled with stones.
159
Kodachrumes by Allen Fisher
© National Geographic Society
Buyers and Sellers Discuss Beef on the Hoof at La Tablada Before the Drive to the Packing Houses
Coca-Cola
A
Telecious
Refrescarte
Uri
652
$
© National Geographic Society
Kodachrome by Luis Marden
They Dance and Pound Out African Rhythms for Coins During Carnival in Montevideo
Householders toss coins from windows to these groups, perhaps so they will move on, as they raise a tremendous din. To tighten nailed-on drumheads, players build
Dil
653
Kudachromes by Luis Marden
© National Geographic Society
The Leaping Dorado Fights Harder than a Salmon
Bakers' Brilliantly Painted Wagons Brighten Montevideo Streets
The National Geographic Magazine
The Fire of Heaven
Electricity Revolutionizes the Modern World
By ALBERT W. ATWOOD
I
the short space of a single lifetime man
ruined: weather-reporting apparatus and elec-
has wrested from the universe its very
tric-eye devices would go out; crowded ele-
essence. electricity, and by means thereof
vators would be trapped between floors: people
has literally transformed the world.
would be caught in subways under rivers-
Man lived on earth hundreds of thousands
there would be terror, panic, and death.
of years before he learned to use this strange,
It is a curious fact that, although the use
invisible force. The ancients knew that
of electricity is well-nigh universal and indis-
amber, whose Greek name was elektron, would
pensable, the thing itself is very difficult to
pick up straws if rubbed, and they no doubt
define. The common saying is that while we
cowered before the lightning.
know many of the things which electricity
But it is only in the last 65 or 70 years that
does and how to make it, we do not know
electric power has been substituted in ever-
what it is, even after two or three thousand
increasing degree for the muscles of men and
years of experience.
horses to perform thousands of laborious tasks
An old but pertinent story is that of the
and to provide us with a myriad of previously
unhappy undergraduate who at the very start
undreamed-of comforts, conveniences, lux-
of an early-morning class was asked by the
uries. and pleasures.
Although electricity is a vital force in more
professor of physics to define electricity.
"I knew last night," replied the unfortunate
than 40,000,000 homes, farms, schools, stores.
youth, "but I've forgotten it."
offices, and factories in this country alone, and
has probably changed our mode of life more
"What a calamity exclaimed the profes-
sor. "The only man in the world who can
than any single invention, its use has come to
define electricity and he has forgotten it!"
be taken for granted, much like that of water.
One reason we find electricity difficult to
Seventeen years ago when Thomas A. Edi-
define is that it is not directly available to us
son died it was suggested that a fitting tribute
would be the turning off for just 60 seconds
in Nature in a form in which we can use it;
of every electric power plant in the country.
we cannot run a steel mill by touching an
But it was quickly realized that this magnifi-
electric eel, or by rubbing a parlor rug on a
cent tribute would also be a continental dis-
dry day, the stiff hair of a cat's back, or a
piece of amber.
aster.
True, lightning is very powerful, and there
What Power Means to Man
are 16 million lightning storms a year over
If all power were shut off, there would not
the earth (page 657). But lightning is too
only be darkness but the stoppage of all
erratic to use; as Juliet said to Romeo of
manner of vital industrial, commercial, agri-
their love, "Too like the lightning, which doth
cultural, and domestic processes and functions.
cease to be ere one can say 'It lightens.'
A large part of all our transportation and
Sources of Electricity
communication systems would cease, including
telegraph, telephone, motion pictures, radio,
Fortunately, we know how to get huge
television, and radar.
amounts of controllable and usable electricity
Without lights, signals, and dispatching
out of falling water and from the steam
systems, railroad trains would barely creep
which comes from burning coal, and to a
along, if they could move at all. Airplanes
less degree from oil and gas.
could not communicate in the air, nor could
Electricity is only one*of many forms of
they land, and even automobiles would have
energy, which in turn is merely a name for
difficulty in refueling. Naturally there would
capacity to work, and no law of physical
be no fire, police, or street signals.
matter is more fundamental than that of the
Water supply and sanitation mechanisms
transformation of energy from one form into
another.
would stop. Hospitals and surgeons would
be terribly handicapped; compressed air and
True, water power, coal, oil, and gas are
© National Geographic Society
Kodachrome by Luis Mar
hoisting machinery in mines would not func-
by no means the only things which contain
The National Ensign Waves Before El Cerro, the Hill That Gave Montevideo Its Name
tion; ships in distress would have no modern
energy; it is found in food, wind, the tides,
The cry of Magellan's Portuguese lookout in 1520-"Monte vid' eu!" (I see a hill!)-named the city. 100
means of asking for help; vital scientific ma-
fission). the sun, and in breaking up the atom (nuclear
ensign flies from the staff of a Uruguayan cruiser. Cargo ships lie at anchor in the harbor. Beyond, El Cerro
chines and experiments would be halted or
:
to its height of 450 feet. The old fort atop the mount now houses a military museum and lighthouse.
But atomic power waits upon the solution
654
655
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
14-Nov-1990 11:25 EDT
MEMORANDUM FOR:
To: Speechwriters
JNET&"JOHNSOND@VAXC"@WHSR"@MRGATE
FROM:
VMSMail User JNET%"WHSR
URNGUAY
( (_JNET&"WHSR@WHSR"@MRGATE)
INPUT
SUBJECT:
Received: From WHSR (WHSR) by VAXC with Jnet id 8938
for JOHNSOND@VAXC; Wed, 14 Nov 90 11:25 EST
Date:
Wed, 14 Nov 90 11:20 EST
From:
<WHSR@WHSR>
To:
JOHNSOND@VAXC
Original_To: JNET%"JOHNSOND@VAXC"
<DIST>
P
KELLER ROGICH SITTMANN
S
JOHNSOND PRYCE VAX
<PREC>
IMMEDIATE
<CLAS>
CONFIDENTIAL
<OSRI>
RUEHMN
<DTG>
141601z NOV 90
<ORIG>
FM AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO
<TO>
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4113
RUEADWW/WHITEHOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEADWW/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
<SUBJ>
SUBJECT:
SPEECH MATERIALS FOR PRESIDENT'S TRIP
<TEXT>
BT
C O N F I D E N T I A
I
TED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 01 OF 04 MONTEVIDEO 05705
DECLASSIFIED
I
RTMENT FOR ARA/SC - PEREZ
NSC FOR BILL PRYCE
Department of State Guidelines
E.O. 12958, SEC 3.4 (B), July 21, 1997
By H NARA, Date 06/06/23
Wi...E HOUSE FOR JOHN KELLER
E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS:
OVIP (BUSH, GEORGE), PREL, UY
SUBJECT:
SPEECH MATERIALS FOR PRESIDENT'S TRIP
REFS:
(A) STATE 380187, (B) MONTEVIDEO 05511
1. AS REQUESTED REF A, SEPTEL PROVIDED ADDRESSEES
WITH DETAILS OF EVENTS FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL VISIT.
BELOW ARE PROPOSED REMARKS FOR THE ARRIVAL AND
DEPARTURE, THE VISIT TO THE EMBASSY, AND THE STATE
TOAST. PROPOSED Q'S AND A'S FOR THE PRESS
AVAILABILITY SESSION WILL BE PROVIDED SEPTEL.
-
ARRIVAL STATEMENT
-- IT IS A GREAT PLEASURE TO BE IN URUGUAY, A SMALL
COUNTRY LOCATED BETWEEN GIANTS, THAT HAS ALWAYS
TRANSCENDED ITS SIZE IN THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA.
-- URUGUAY HAS ALWAYS HAD AN IMPORTANCE OUT OF
PROPORTION TO ITS SIZE BECAUSE OF ITS TRADITIONAL
RESPECT AND SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRACY, THE CLARITY AND
DIGNITY OF ITS AFFIRMATIONS, AND THE PRIMACY OF THE
RULE OF LAW THAT HAS CHARACTERIZED MUCH OF ITS HISTORY
AND THE OUTSTANDING CALIBER OF ITS PEOPLE.
-- MR. PRESIDENT, WE MET FIRST IN FEBRUARY, SHORTLY
A R YOUR ELECTION, AND THEN AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER. IT
и A PLEASURE TO RECEIVE YOU IN THE WHITE HOUSE AND
NOW I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO ACCEPT YOUR GENEROUS
INVITATION TO VISIT YOUR COUNTRY.
-- YOU ARE ONE OF LATIN AMERICA'S NEW GENERATION OF
LEADERS, A FORWARD-LOOKING MAN WHO TAKES INITIATIVES
AND PROMOTES CHANGE AND ECONOMIC PROGRESS NOT ONLY IN
YOUR OWN COUNTRY BUT THROUGHOUT THE REGION.
-- I RECALL, MR. PRESIDENT, YOUR REMARKS AT THE LAST
OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, CALLING FOR A NEW HEMISPHERIC
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE U.S. AND LATIN AMERICA. THIS
STATE VISIT, THE FIRST TO YOUR CAPITAL CITY BY AN
AMERICAN PRESIDENT SINCE THAT OF PRESIDENT EISENHOWER
30 YEARS AGO, IS PART OF MY RESPONSE TO YOUR CALL, FOR
IF I AM TO MEET YOUR CHALLENGE I MUST LEARN FIRSTHAND
OF YOUR PROBLEMS AND YOUR SUCCESSES.
DEPARTURE STATEMENT
-- MR. PRESIDENT, IT IS TRULY A PLEASURE FOR BARBARA
AND ME TO HAVE SPENT THESE PAST HOURS WITH YOU IN
URUGUAY. YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY AND, AS TEXANS,
WE FELT VERY MUCH AT HOME IN THE LAND OF THE GAUCHOS.
-- THOUGH OURS WAS A SHORT VISIT, IT HAS BEEN
SUFFICIENT TO CONFIRM MY FAITH IN URUGUAY'S COMMITMENT
TO DEMOCRACY.
-
HOPE A NEW ERA OF COOPERATION HAS COMMENCED;
(
AINLY THERE ARE MANY POINTS ON WHICH URUGUAY AND
THE UNITED STATES ARE IN AGREEMENT (CITE SPECIFIC
Au EMENTS SIGNED, ETC).
-- WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK AS URUGUAY'S PARTNER OVER
THE COMING YEARS TO FORTIFY THESE FIRST STEPS TOWARD A
NEW ERA OF DEMOCRACY AND PROGRESS, OF CONSULTATION AND
COOPERATION THROUGHOUT OUR HEMISPHERE.
-- MR. PRESIDENT, AS WE LEAVE THE LAND OF ARTIGAS WE
WISH TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE ATTENTION AND COURTESIES
WE HAVE RECEIVED, AND TO EXPRESS TO YOU AND TO THE
PEOPLE OF URUGUAY OUR MOST SINCERE WISHES FOR A
PEACEFUL AND PROSPEROUS FUTURE.
VISIT TO THE EMBASSY
REMARKS OF PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH TO THE EMBASSY STAFF
-- IT IS A GREAT PLEASURE FOR BARBARA AND ME TO BE
BT
#5705
BT
C N F I D E N T I A L
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 02 OF 04 MONTEVIDEO 05705
DEPARTMENT FOR ARA/SC - PEREZ
NSC FOR BILL PRYCE
WHITE HOUSE FOR JOHN KELLER
E.O. 12356: N/A
T
:
OVIP (BUSH, GEORGE), PREL, UY
S ECT:
SPEECH MATERIALS FOR PRESIDENT'S TRIP
HERE WITH YOU TODAY. AS YOU KNOW, I HAS AN AMBASSADOR
MYSELF, AND I REMEMBER HOW MUCH WORK HAS PUT INTO SUCH
VISITS. I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL -- URUGUAYANS AND
AMERICANS -- AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOUR HARD
WORK HAS NOT GONE UNNOTICED OR UNRECOGNIZED.
-- I UNDERSTAND THAT I'M THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES TO VISIT MONTEVIDEO SINCE PRESIDENT
EISENHOWER IN 1960 AND THE FIRST TO VISIT URUGUAY
SINCE LYNDON JOHNSON WENT TO PUNTA DEL ESTE IN 1967.
FORTUNATELY, I WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT BOTH
PLACES. I HAVE BEEN IMPRESSED WITH WHAT I'VE SEEN OF
MONTEVIDEO AND LOOK FORWARD TO MY TRIP ACROSS SOME OF
THE OPEN RANGES OF URUGUAY ON THE WAY TO PUNTA DEL
ESTE.
-- I IMAGINE THAT MOST OF THE URUGUAYAN STAFF HERE
KNOW THAT BARBARA AND I LIVED IN TEXAS FOR MANY
YEARS. AS I PREPARED FOR MY VISIT TO URUGUAY, I WAS
STRUCK BY THE MANY INTERESTING PARALLELS BETWEEN MY
HOME STATE OF TEXAS AND URUGUAY. THERE ARE SOME
DIFFERENCES OF COURSE. COWBOYS ARE GAUCHOS, BARBECUES
ARE CALLED ASADOS, AND THE FOOTBALL IS ROUND.
-- WE ARE ENTERING A SPECIAL TIME IN LATIN
AMERICAN RELATIONS AND I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO
COME TO THE REGION MYSELF, MEET DIRECTLY WITH ITS
L' ERS, AND TALK TO THEM FACE TO FACE ABOUT SOME KEY
I ES THAT CONCERN US BOTH -- MY ENTERPRISE FOR THE
AMERICAS INITIATIVE THAT WAS ANNOUNCED IN JUNE, THE
Cu
OLIDATION OF DEMOCRACY IN THE REGION, AND OTHER
ISSUES OF MUTUAL INTEREST.
-- I FIRST MET PRESIDENT LACALLE IN WASHINGTON WHEN HE
WAS PRESIDENT-ELECT AND WE MET AGAIN DURING HIS
SEPTEMBER VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES. WE HAVE AN
EXCELLENT WORKING RELATIONSHIP, HE HAS BEEN A STRONG
SUPPORTER OF OUR ENTERPRISE FOR THE AMERICAS
INITIATIVE, WE APPRECIATE THE LEADERSHIP ROLE HE HAS
TAKEN IN PROMOTING IT AMONG HIS LATIN AMERICAN
COLLEAGUES, AND WE RECOGNIZE HIS ROLE IN THE
CONSOLIDATION OF DEMOCRACY IN THE SOUTHERN CONE. I
BELIEVE THIS VISIT WILL SOLIDIFY THE EXCELLENT
RELATIONSHIP THAT EXISTS NOT ONLY BETWEEN PRESIDENT
LACALLE AND MYSELF, BUT BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES.
-- WITH THIS IN MIND, I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO
REITERATE HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE THE WORK OF EVERYONE
IN THIS EMBASSY -- NOT JUST REGARDING THIS VISIT BUT
ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS. YOU ARE THE ONES WHO ARE
FUNDAMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAILY ATTENTION
WHICH IS NECESSARY IF A CLOSE, COOPERATIVE
RELATIONSHIP IS TO FLOURISH, AND YOU SHOULD TAKE
SATISFACTION IN THIS IMPORTANT TASK.
-- TO MY AMERICAN COLLEAGUES, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT
YOU ARE AMONG THE BEST OF OUR COUNTRY AND WE OWE YOU A
DEBT OF GRATITUDE FOR YOUR SUPERB SERVICE HERE IN
U UAY. YOUR WILLINGNESS TO TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD
1 HE SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES, TO LEARN NEW
LANGUAGES AND TO ADAPT TO LIVING IN A VARIETY OF
DIFFERENT CULTURES ARE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. KEEP UP
THE GOOD WORK AS YOU STRIVE TO ENSURE THE CONTINUATION
OF THE EXCELLENT RELATIONS WHICH EXIST BETWEEN URUGUAY
AND THE UNITED STATES TODAY.
-- I ALSO WANT TO PAY MY PERSONAL TRIBUTE TO THE
URUGUAYAN FOREIGN SERVICE NATIONAL EMPLOYEES. AS AN
EX-AMBASSADOR, I KNOW WHO REALLY RUNS THE EMBASSY: I
WOULD LIKE ALL OF YOU TO KNOW THAT I HAVE HEARD WARM
WORDS OF PRAISE FROM YOUR AMERICAN COLLEAGUES FOR THE
COOPERATION, THE INTELLIGENCE AND THE PROFESSIONALISM
THAT YOU BRING TO YOUR WORK. THE CONTRIBUTIONS YOU
MAKE ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE PROPER FUNCTIONING OF THE
EMBASSY AND, IN THE END, HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT EFFECT
ON THE STATUS OF URUGUAYAN-AMERICAN RELATIONS.
MUCHISIMAS GRACIAS POR TODO.
-
-- FINALLY, TO ALL OF YOU, URUGUAYANS AND AMERICANS
BT
#5705
BT
e N F I D E N T I A I
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 03 OF 04 MONTEVIDEO 05705
DEPARTMENT FOR ARA/SC - PEREZ
N FOR BILL PRYCE
V
E HOUSE FOR JOHN KELLER
E.U. 12356: N/A
Thou:
OVIP (BUSH, GEORGE), PREL, UY
SUBJECT:
SPEECH MATERIALS FOR PRESIDENT'S TRIP
ALIKE, I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR SINCERE GRATITUDE
FOR YOUR HOSPITALITY, FOR YOUR HARD WORK IN MAKING
THIS VISIT A SUCCESS, AND FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND
LOYALTY. GOD BLESS YOU.
STATE TOAST
(DINNER TOAST, SCHEDULED FOR THE NIGHT OF DECEMBER 4
AT THE RESTAURANT "POSTA DEL CANGREJO," PUNTA DEL ESTE)
INTRODUCTION
PRESIDENT AND MRS. LACALLE, HONORED GUESTS:
--AS THIS ACTIVE AND FRUITFUL DAY DRAWS TO A CLOSE,
BARBARA AND I ARE ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THIS BEAUTIFUL, RESTFUL SETTING
WITH YOU. FORTUNATELY FOR US PRESIDENT LACALLE, IN
OUR DISCUSSIONS IN NEW YORK EARLIER THIS YEAR, WAS so
PERSUASIVE ABOUT OUR SPENDING THE NIGHT HERE. PUNTA
DEL ESTE JUSTLY DESERVES ITS REPUTATION, AND I CAN SEE
WHY IT HAS DRAWN PEOPLE FROM THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
FROM WHAT I HAVE WITNESSED SINCE MY ARRIVAL,
URUGUAY, HAS MUCH TO BE PROUD OF IN ITS TRADITIONS,
PEOPLE AND RESOURCES.
F RM EFFORTS
-
URUGUAY, NO LESS THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE
REGION, CANNOT HELP BEING AFFECTED BY THE TREMENDOUS,
POSITIVE CURRENTS OF CHANGE TOWARDS GREATER POLITICAL
AND ECONOMIC FREEDOM FELT THROUGHOUT THE GLOBE.
--I SALUTE PRESIDENT LACALLE FOR HIS EFFORTS TO REFORM
URUGUAY'S ECONOMY, BY REDUCING THE SIZE AND INFLUENCE
OF GOVERNMENT IN FAVOR OF FREER MARKETS, so AS TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES INHERENT IN THESE CURRENTS
OF CHANGE.
ENTERPRISE FOR AMERICAS INITIATIVE
--IN THAT LIGHT, I HAVE PARTICULARLY WELCOMED
PRESIDENT LACALLE'S EARLY AND ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORT FOR
MY ENTERPRISE FOR THE AMERICAS INITIATIVE. AS YOU
KNOW, THE EAI PLACES OUR HOPE FOR THE REGION'S FUTURE
ON FREE GOVERNMENT, FREE TRADE, AND INVESTMENT. THAT
SUCH AIMS COMPLEMENT PRESIDENT LACALLE'S EFFORTS IS A
CONVICTION THAT HE AND I FIRMLY SHARE.
--I KNOW THE EAI IS OF GREAT INTEREST TO URUGUAY AND I
WILL DO ALL I CAN TO COOPERATE WITH THE COUNTRIES OF
THE HEMISPHERE AND THE U.S. CONGRESS TO BRING IT TO
FRUITION. URUGUAY'S EFFORTS, IN CONCERT WITH THOSE OF
BRAZIL, ARGENTINA, AND PARAGUAY, TO REACH A FRAMEWORK
AGREEMENT WITH THE UNITED STATES REPRESENT A VERY
F TIVE DEVELOPMENT.
1
TERAL ISSUES AND AGREEMENTS (CONTINGENT ON
NEGOTIATIONS)
OUR BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP, ALREADY FRIENDLY AND
CLOSE, HAS BEEN FURTHER STRENGTHENED BY THE AGREEMENTS
WE HAVE SIGNED TODAY.
--THE MUTUAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE TREATY REPRESENTS A
MAJOR STEP IN EXPANDING COOPERATION TO HALT THE
SCOURGE OF DRUG TRAFFICKING AND RELATED MONEY
LAUNDERING.
THE CIVIL AVIATION AGREEMENT WILL GO ALONG WAY TO
INCREASING AND IMPROVING THE COMMERCIAL AIR SERVICE
BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES.
ENVIRONMENT
BT
#5705
BT
CONEIDENTIAL
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 04 OF 04 MONTEVIDEO 05705
DEPARTMENT FOR ARA/SC - PEREZ
NSC FOR BILL PRYCE
WHITE HOUSE FOR JOHN KELLER
E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS:
OVIP (BUSH, GEORGE), PREL, UY
SUBJECT:
SPEECH MATERIALS FOR PRESIDENT'S TRIP
THE ENVIRONMENT, ITS MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH
T EOF, IS ANOTHER AREA OF STRONG MUTUAL INTEREST. I
h
THAT IT WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR US TO QUICKLY
ADVANCE THIS INTEREST ON THE BASIS OF MY PROPOSAL FOR
A HEMISPHERIC INSTITUTE INVESTIGATING GLOBAL CHANGE.
-
PERSIAN GULF
-EVENTS IN THE PERSIAN GULF ARE NEVER FAR REMOVED IN
OUR MINDS. MANY HARDSHIPS HAVE BEEN ENDURED; URUGUAY
IS NO EXCEPTION, AFFECTED BY HIGH OIL PRICES AND LOSS
OF TRADE.
--I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS SPECIAL APPRECIATION TO
PRESIDENT LACALLE AND THE PEOPLE OF URUGUAY FOR THEIR
STRONG, UNWAVERING SUPPORT FOR THE MEASURES ADOPTED IN
THE SECURITY COUNCIL TO COUNTER IRAQ'S BRUTAL
ANNEXATION OF KUWAIT. WITH YOUR BACKING, SUCH EFFORTS
WILL ULTIMATELY SUCCEED.
THANK YOUR FOR YOUR WARM AND GRACIOUS HOSPITALITY.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MAY I PROPOSE A TOAST
END PROPOSED REMARKS.
JURECKY
BT
#5705
<SECT>
SECTION: 01 OF 04
<
>
j
<TUR>
Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1960
У 78
e also discussed.
Technology has indeed shrunk the world. Today all men are close
S problem in the
neighbors.
e nations of the
Technology has given us the means of achieving a full life. But
with the objective
whether the possibility is realized is in the hands and minds of men.
policy of limita-
Will men everywhere strive for the ideals of peace, freedom, and prog-
ress which our sturdy forefathers sought?
and private, was
So far as Chile and the United States-and the nations of this hemi-
rade zones, both
sphere-are concerned, the answer is obviously a resounding "Yes!"
n the economies
I leave with profound admiration for Chile's efforts for internal sta-
bility and progress, and for your noble work in the world community.
iewed, with em-
Goodbye-and thanks to all once again for your hospitality and
: and technical
friendship.
NOTE: The President's opening words re- the Interior and senior member of the
ferred to Dr. Sotero del Rio, Minister of
Chilean Cabinet.
nt of State Bulletin
78 Ч Remarks Upon Arrival at Carrasco Airport,
in Santiago
Montevideo. March 2, 1960
1960
Mr. President of the National Council of Government, ladies and
gentlemen:
The friendly reception you have accorded my associates and me is
from this mag-
especially gratifying, for to me it is indicative of the strong spiritual kin-
rty and myself,
ship between the governments and peoples of Uruguay and of the United
dness you have
States.
The fame of your democratic institutions has earned the applause of
tive discussions
every American-school children and adults alike. We salute you, not
nd other leaders
only for your adherence to democratic principles in your own country,
se conversations
but also for your continuing contributions to hemispheric solidarity, to
the Organization of American States, and to the United Nations.
ears-to a time
By deeds you have eloquently demonstrated your devotion to the concept
$ many pioneers
of building a world characterized by peace, justice, and freedom.
by sea, around
I bring you this heartfelt message from all the people of my country:
orts to rest from
we treasure our partnership with you, and all our sister Republics in this
d part of their
hemisphere. We want this partnership to be a model of mutually helpful
cooperation among sovereign states-some large, some small, but each
atter of hours—
equally contributing to the unity of purpose and effectiveness of the
nonths.
whole. How to make our partnership better shine as a beacon light to
265
November 7, 1990
MEMORANDUM
TO:
CHRISS WINSTON
NANCY BENSON
CHRISTINA MARTIN
BOB SIMON
FROM:
CAROLYN CAWLEYC
RE:
URUGUAY REMARKS
The U.S. Ambassador to Uruguay was visiting today and
informed us of a change in scheduled remarks.
They felt that the President had too much private time in
Uruguay, and not enough time to sell the Enterprise for the
Americas Initiative. Therefore, the private dinner in Uruguay
has been expanded to include some 100-150 leaders in government
and business.
FYI: This enlarged dinner will require remarks of some
kind--probably a toast, to be assigned to either Beth or Ed.