Page 19 - To Dragma October 1933

j (cTOBF.R, 1 9 3 3
In Argentina
mm*.
The Congress Building of the Argentine Republic is an imposing structure.
raining the remains o f San M a r t i n , A r g e n t i n a ' s
George Washington.
Facing the Casa Rosada is the old "Cabildo."
T i i i - was the meeting place of the Cabildo or
Councillors atid the Viceroy when Argentina
was but a colony. When Argentina became a
i f r e e nation, the "Cabildo'" continued as the
government building until 1821. N o w , however,
K is used only f o r the offices of certain gov-
ernment departments.
; From Plaza Mayo to the Congreso, which
([Corresponds to our Capitol, extends Avenida
Mayo. T h i s is a very fine, w i d e street w i t h
,<Sycamore trees on both sides, m a k i n g it one
of the prettiest, as well as the busiest, streets
n n the city. A n o t h e r fine boulevard is A v e n i d a
l i j v e a r . This is a fashionable drive that runs
through Palermo P a r k and the best residen-
t i a l section. The American Embassy, a very
beautiful residence, is on this avenue.
The shopping district is the Calle Florida, a
narrow s t r e e t r u n n i n g at right angles to
ayenida Mayo, through the heart of the down-
town section. It is called the F i f t h Avenue,
Bond Street, or Rue de la Paix of Buenos
Sires. One may- buy a n y t h i n g m a n u f a c t u r e d
'in any part of the world in Buenos Aires.
Ejus is p a r t l y due to the b i t t e r c o m p e t i t i o n o f puzzle to anyone as to how they are ever kept
all nations over the Argentine trade. Because
of this great c o m p e t i t i o n and f o r e i g n i n f l u -
ence, Buenos A i r e s has been called the most
Cosmopolitan city in the world. Every nation
of the w o r l d has some interests i n A r g e n t i n a .
As in most of the large cities, the residential
sections are in the suburbs. Although there is
Uo special r u l i n g , there is a noticeable tend-
ency f o r all compatriots to stay together, and
then fore there are to be f o u n d whole towns
17
By MARY E. ELLIS
Nu Omicron
tt c •»
of one nationality. For example, in Ouilmes
are the Germans, in I lurlingham and Tempere-
ly the English, and in Belgrano and Flores the
Americans. The American colony in Buenos
Aires is one of the smallest, and is undoubted-
ly the most transient. Most of the American
families go there on business and within a
few months or years return home.
These suburbs are all beautiful, with wider
streets than those of the city. A l l the streets
are lined with sycamore, china, or orange trees.
T h e houses here are a l l flat r o o f e d and o f a
very solid gray masonry. They are generally
constructed of red brick covered with cement.
There are no wooden houses because of the
scarcity of lumber. Many of these houses are
built to face on the sidewalk, with a patio
inside. Others have a very high, ivy-covered
wall or a spiked fence around them. If you
should w i s h t o get inside, y o u w o u l d find the
gate locked and you would ring the bell, or
if no bell were there, you would clap your
hands. T h e latter is generally what you pave
to do. Soon a fat old maid will come out,
probably drying her hands on a pinafore much
too large f o r her. M o r e than likely she is a
Spanish immigrant, or a Swiss or a Czecho-
Slovakian. She w i l l take your name, say "un
momentito" and then clank back into the house.
I say "clank" because she wears zapatillas, san-
dals made of rope and canvas, which are a
on at all. A f t e r some time she w i l l return
and either ask you to come in very politely,
or tell you the "Senora" is "not i n . " Y o u must
not wonder w h y she did not ask you in the
first time. T h a t w o u l d be d i s t i n c t l y against
her orders. B e f o r e you pass the gate, the