HOUSES AT CHULLILLACHE, NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE PIURA RIVER. The logs on the right were brought all the way from Guayaquil for the purpose of building balsas.

less opportunities for bettering the condition and brightening the lives of the Indians and mestizos on their estates.

What Peru (and by implication other Latin American countries) needs just now is benevolent paternalism systematically striving to build up a wholesome, sane and virile peasantry, similar to that of France or to that of Switzerland and that of parts of Italy. I am well aware that paternalism of any sort is generally looked upon in this country as anti-democratic. But is it really anti-democratic? Those who declare it to be so lose sight of the very important fact that in a large proportion of the

world the mass of the people is not yet ready for democracy, even for the simulacrum of democracy which prevails in this country and in England. Yet in such lands, and especially in countries like Peru, a certain small minority-the enlightened upper, or dominant, class-is already fit to receive and to employ rightly real democracy, the democracy which recognizes the ineradicable inequalities existent in mankind and provides suitable social machinery to enable a gifted individual to reach the highest place in society to which his qualities entitle him. The problem which faces such countries is that of making the mass of their people as fit to receive true democracy as the minority now is. Only one social force, benevolent and progressive paternalism, is capable of carrying out this task. Ob

viously some forms of paternalism, the stultifying and oppressive paternalism of early Etruria, of ancient Egypt and so on, are indeed anti-democratic. But the sort of paternalism which is already making its appearance in Peru and elsewhere in Latin America, a paternalism which seeks diligently to fortify the bodies and strengthen the minds and invigorate the souls of the masses, is far, far remote from any tinge of antidemocracy. On the coast of Peru to-day, I am convinced that selfish exploitation of the Indian and other laborers by the upper class (the hacendados) is the exception, not the rule. On the other hand, I also believe that hacendados like Don Victor Larco y Herrera (of Trujillo) and Don Antonio Graña y Reyes (of Huacho) and a few others, all of them systematically seeking to make every sort of condition on their estates as good as

it can be made, are likewise the exception and not the rule. In short, I believe that the will to be benevolent is by no means wanting, though the information as to how to be benevolent and the realization of the importance of being actively benevolent undoubtedly are wanting.

For the purpose of illustrating my point, I will say something of what this sort of paternalism might accomplish in the Piura-Tumbes region.

A hacendado who decides to devote himself whole-heartedly to the task of building up the physique and mentality of the dwellers on his haciendas should study intensively the temperament and the abilities of those whom he seeks to benefit. It will be found that the inhabitants of one village on an estate will have a peculiar aptitude for weaving, those in another, perhaps only half a mile away, will be especially adept at making objects out of wood, leather, straw or other materials. Again, the men of one village will be much better and more conscientious tillers of the soil than those of another, although the latter may have a special ability in making adobe or in carpentry. All these variations must be studied, and the special abilities must be taken advantage of, though wisely, not arbitrarily.

When he thoroughly understands his people, and knows all their little tricks of mind and all their prejudices, the hacendado will know how best to set about his task, and how to avoid outraging old usages or established habits of mind. He should especially refrain from drawing undue attention to his activities, for if he does, some one will be sure to start acting against him and undoing all his work. He should be patient, and should

make up his mind that, for a long time, he will have to go very slowly. Gradually and unobtrusively he should persuade the people to tear down their present unsuitable and insanitary dwellings and he should see to it that the materials for erecting new ones of good adobe, or, better yet, of concrete, are readily accessible. When several new houses are thus built, he should announce that in view of the fact that a spirit of progressiveness seems to be abroad he will do what he can to aid those who are not sufficiently well-to-do to provide for themselves good houses of the new type. This would spur on the laggards, and, after a time, the whole village will be composed of neat, sanitary and pretty houses of adobe or concrete. The next step should be that of developing the love of beauty which is latent in the people. Flower-beds and shrubs should be planted along the streets, and in the plazas (in many places this is already done). To counteract the glare of the bright sunshine, the people should be shown the beneficial results of eschewing whitewash, and of painting their houses dark gray, or brown or other subdued colors. The ceramic ability of the people should be directed toward tile-making, so that good material for roofs (now usually made of poor thatch) may be easily available. Finally, but perhaps most important of all, there should be provided suitable sanitary arrangements, baths and so on. Many travelers in Peru have declared that the peasantry is averse to bathing. This is not so. Whenever a village is near a river the people wash themselves with great care. It is only lack of facilities for washing that makes many of them go without it. In the

The large tree is a zapote.

mountains the excessive cold and the lack of means for heating appreciable quantities of water are the chief causes of the general unwashedness of the mountaineers. All this can be remedied, and it should be-by the hacendados.

These reforms having been instituted, the scarcely less important ones of introducing better utensils for household work and of encouraging the use of better clothes should be effected. In connection with clothing, the people should be urged not to give up their wonderful hand-woven woolen and cotton textiles in favor of the poor quality and rather dear foreign-manufactured calicos and ginghams which are being extensively in