Tropical America . is surrounded by the governmentpalace, the law courts, the capitol, the cabildo, thecathedral, the bishops palace, the bolsa, and thenational bank. Even with its two patriotic monu-ments, the square is a bare and unattractive place andillustrates Sir Arthur Helpss remark, The Spanishlike not many trees. Millions have been expendedthere in pavements and luxuriously appointed build-ings. Although some of the new government struct-ures have fine lines, there is a jumble of architecturaleffects. The cathedral remains the most impressivestructure of the great plaza. There are man
Tropical America . is surrounded by the governmentpalace, the law courts, the capitol, the cabildo, thecathedral, the bishops palace, the bolsa, and thenational bank. Even with its two patriotic monu-ments, the square is a bare and unattractive place andillustrates Sir Arthur Helpss remark, The Spanishlike not many trees. Millions have been expendedthere in pavements and luxuriously appointed build-ings. Although some of the new government struct-ures have fine lines, there is a jumble of architecturaleffects. The cathedral remains the most impressivestructure of the great plaza. There are many costlybuildings in Buenos Ayres, notably the banks, com-mercial exchanges, government offices, and railwaystations. Millions have been invested in ornamentalfronts of brick and stucco designed by French andItalian architects. While the small squares in theheart of the city are unattractive, there is a park of 840acres at Palermo with two fine driveways, borderedwith palms and firs and illuminated at night with a. ACROSS THE ARGENTINE 91 glare of electric light. Palatial residences abound inthat quarter, where fortunes made by speculation or bymaladministration of public money were squanderedin showy architecture and luxurious furnishing. Be-wildering as was the display of equipages in the Argen-tine Rotten Row, and sumptuous as was the manner oflife of the wealthy classes, there was something unrealand artificial in the ostentatious splendors of the capi-tal. One scarcely needed to be told that the nation hadbeen borrowing money abroad beyond its resources, hadgone on contracting new loans in order to meet the in-terest on its old debts, and had wasted its substance onluxurious houses and profligate living. Hardly had I established myself in the Grand Hoteland through the courtesy of General Pitkin, the Amer-ican minister, and Mr. Baker, the American consul,received introductions to a large circle of influential andagreeable acquaintances, before the professional statisti-cia
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