JUfto gear’s! (greeting^ THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL DEPARTMENT OF STATE WASHINGTON, D. C. December 15, 1930. During the past year I have renewed my personal expe¬ rience with Foreign Service in the field. As an envoy to Nicaragua three years ago I came into contact with mem¬ bers of the Service, sharing many of their problems, and last winter as Head of the American Delegation in London I renewed that experience. I know what it is to make re¬ ports to Washington. 1 realize what it means to wait for answers. I have come in contact with the necessary organi¬ zation of a Mission, with the manifold problems which arise in dealing with the nationals of a country of which you are a resident and with foreign colleagues. All this experience has increased my appreciation of the problems and my esti¬ mate of the men in the Service who deal with them. I regard it as one of my principal functions to help increase their efficiency and lighten their burdens. I rejoice particu¬ larly in the evidence that has come to me of the increased morale in the Service during the past year. As a fellow- worker in these problems I send you my New Year’s greet¬ ings and wish you a happy continuance of your interesting and valuable work and a constant betterment of the condi¬ tions under which it is performed. HENRY L. STIMSON. Vol. VIII JANUARY. 1931 No. BANKING AND INVESTMENT SERVICE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD The National City Bank of New York and Affiliated Institutions THE NATIONAL CITY BANK OF NEW YORK HEAD OFFICE: 55 WALL STREET, NEW YORK Foreign Branches in ARGENTINA . BELGIUM . BRAZIL . CHILE . CHINA . COLOMBIA . CUBA DOMINICAN REPUBLIC . ENGLAND . INDIA . ITALY . JAPAN . MANCHURIA . MEXICO . PERU . PHILIPPINE ISLANDS . PORTO RICO . REPUBLIC OF PANAMA . STRAITS SETTLEMENTS . URUGUAY . VENEZUELA. THE NATIONAL CITY BANK OF NEW YORK (FRANCE) S. A. Paris 41 BOULEVARD HAUSSMANN 44 AVENUE DES CHAMPS ELYSEES Nice 6 JARDIN du Roi ALBERT 1 er INTERNATIONAL BANKING CORPORATION Head. Office: 55 WALL STREET, NEW YORK Foreign and Domestic Branches in UNITED STATES . SPAIN . ENGLAND anti Representatives in The National City Bank Chinese Branches BANQUE NATIONALE DE LA REPUBLIQUE D’HAITI Head Office: PORT AU-PRINCE, HAITI CITY BANK FARMERS TRUST COMPANY Head Office: 22 WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORK THE NATIONAL CITY COMPANY HEAD OFFICE OFFICES IN 50 LEADING 65 WALL STREET, NEW YORK AMERICAN CITIES Foreign Offices: LONDON . AMSTERDAM . GENEVA . TOKIO . SHANGHAI Canadian Offices: MONTREAL . TORONTO The National City Company, through its offices and affiliations in the United States and abroad, offers a world-wide investment service to those interested in Dollar Securities. London Offices 34, BISHOPSGATE, E. C. 2 11. WATERLOO PLACE, S. W. 1 FOREIGN S JOURNAL PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION VOL. VIII, No. 1 WASHINGTON, D. C. JANUARY, 1931 A Glimpse of Ecuador By AGNES SEABERG DE LAMBERT. I fcOl ALUD y pesetas!" toasting in the Ecua- At the foot of the mountains one begins to j^dorian manner, “Health and wealth,” may notice the many Indians, picturesque in their you have a pleasant stay in Ecuador— queer native sandals, ragged and patched trous¬ From Panama to Guayaquil, Ecuador is a ers, Panama hats and many-colored, ever present matter of three or four days by steamer. Be¬ ponchos. One may see such an apparition as tween these ports the ship passes over the this: An Indian youth in white goatskin chaps, equatorial line. Strange as it may seem, this a red poncho, a dirty Panama hat and spurs on is not an occasion to use fans, but to don top¬ his bare feet! Many Indians can be seen plowing coats. However, fans are brought into use as their fields with patient oxen, in the manner the ship approaches land—que hermosa—and employed for hundreds of years. steams up the Guayas river to the port of These fields, as the train goes farther and Guayaquil. The steamer anchors in midstream farther into the mountains, become noticeably and the passengers are taken ashore in tenders. more sloping until they are almost perpendicular. Generally the visitor remains but a brief time in Guayaquil before taking train for Quito, the The effect of these fields with their crude fences of twigs and mud, is that of a gigantic patch isolated capital, 250 miles away. As the train quilt. starts dozens of ragged little boys jump aboard to have a ride until put off by the conductor. One sees small shaggy horses along the way, Occasionally los muchachos stubbornly refuse but more long-haired burros, bearing all sorts to remove themselves until the conductor seizes of burdens, being driven by youths playing reed hats and throws them into nearby fields—“vaya harps called rhombadors. Often a little fellow pues!"—The first miles the train passes through will jump on the end of the train and play his swamp lands, then through fields of banana harp—muy simpatico—much to the amusement trees, pineapple farms, sugarcane groves and of the passengers. cacao plantations. From time to time are seen Arriving about twilight the night is spent in Indian huts, with thatched roofs and sides, as Riobamba as it is not considered wise to make well as large farms or haciendas. Some of the the entire trip at once because of the distance latter are fancifully decorated, the whitened and sudden changes in altitude. One goes from adobe walls painted with colored views of fields, sea level to over 11,000 feet and then down to cows, trees, houses and figures. The train Quito at 9.348 feet. passes giant ferns, palm trees and other plenti¬ The next morning the train leaves at six ful tropical vegetation, and finally arrives at o’clock. The scenery all along is marvelous—- Huigra, nestling at the foot of the Andes. In deep canons, gigantic snowclad mountains, sleep¬ the mountainous district the train, on narrow ing volcanoes as well as active ones, giant cacti gauge tracks, consists of three small engines and century plants, and Indian huts with conical and four cars. No more are allowed because roofs, each topped with a cross—to ward off the of the steep grades and sharp turns encoun¬ evil eye, Senor. It is surprising how fast the tered. little train seems to zigzag and curve around the 1 sharp turns, though in reality the speed is prob¬ Many carry heavy loads on their backs. Even ably not more than 15 miles an hour. the women and children are cargadores—human It is an amazing ride through a gloriously express wagons. Many of the loads are over beautiful country. Frequent stops are made tor one hundred pounds and of one or two stories. water and wood. Part of the trip oil is burned, This weight is balanced with ropes supported by but for the most part wood is used. a leather band around the forehead or in scarfs At every stop dozens of barefooted Indian tied at the forehead. Altogether they present a women, carrying their loads on their heads and very fantastic picture as they trot along. backs, gather to tempt the traveler with fruits, It is no unusual sight to see an Indian woman cookies, candy, candles, and at one point beauti¬ with a huge load on her back carrying something fully browned whole roasted guinea pigs. At in both hands (often live chickens), while a baby some stops warm milk, fresh from the cow, is swung in a scarf in front contentedly enjoys a offered. The calf lunches first, then the glass meal. is filled before one’s eyes. Even the garbage men and the street cleaners While stopping at Ambato travelers buy bas¬ are picturesque figures in their colorful costumes, kets of fruit—every kind imaginable—large and with their hair down their backs. These Indians luscious. It is here thait the best fruit in the are generally simple, kindly and illiterate. Sierra is grown. There is a plentiful sprinkling of beggars on Almuerzo—the midday hour-of-to-eat for the the streets at all times, though lawfully they are fortunate—comprende?—is had at Latacunga. allowed to demonstrate their highly-developed art Then, passing through more interesting villages, only on Saturdays—Limosna! Una Limosna!— the train arrives at Quito. Dios le page! Quito at last! The vivid city which was the The houses in which the poor live are of adobe. center of Inca civilization, of fabulous wealth, They are squalid and mean, furnished only with before the advent of the Spaniards in 1534. absolute necessities. There is a pounded dirt Quito—in the heart of the Andes—surrounded by floor, sometimes a crude table or chair, a straw tremendous peaks—the city of perpetual spring. mat for a bed, a charcoal arrangement for cook¬ Riding or walking along the narrow, crooked ing and the blackened alias for the food. There streets one is struck by the old world air of this are no windows. The smoke stings the eyes and city of about one hundred thousand, and by the throats and finds its outlet through the door or combination of ancient prosaic life and present- convenient cracks in the wall or roof. Now and day civilization. Most of the streets are paved then there is an oven of plastered mud. Some with cobble stones which have survived through of the better houses have stoves. Either char¬ the centuries, although all of the main thorough¬ coal or wood is used as fuel as there is no coal fares are paved with asphalt. The narrow streets available.