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deserve special study; by their number and importance, they constitute one of the greatest elements in the social life of that great city. Some of the earlier foreign newspapers published were French; the first of these being founded in 1818. Since then, there have always been French newspapers in Buenos Aires, some having a long existence, others a shorter one, there being sometimes two newspapers published at the same time in that language. For twenty years, one among them has outlived all the others, having acquired just as good a standing as the Courier des Etats-Unis in the United States; it is the Courier de la Plata, a daily paper, of the size of Le Temps, and which was founded in 1865 by Monsieur Bernheim, and, in 1882, was turned into a corporation; it has a special correspondent in Paris.

From 1880 to 1883, another equally important paper, L'Union Française, was published, the proprietorship and editorship of which I abandoned when I left Buenos Aires. It has been replaced by L'Indépendant.

The Italian colony has several papers, the Opera Italiana, founded in 1872; the Patria Italiana, founded in 1876, and many weekly papers. The German colony has the Deutsche Plata Zeitung, founded in 1877, and others. The English colony has, among others, the Standard, which is very much read, very well informed, and has been edited since 1860 by its proprietor, Mr. Mulhall, of Irish origin. The North American colony has the Buenos Aires Herald, founded in 1874. The Spanish colony, although the local papers are published in Spanish, has also several special papers, the most important of which are El Correo Español, founded in 1872, and La Nacion Española, founded in 1880. I do not mention a great number of weekly publications, issued in all languages, which, although they have not the importance of those already mentioned, still show in each colony an activity worthy of note. One of the best satirical illustrated papers, El Mosquito, founded in 1863, belongs to a Frenchman, Monsieur Henri Stein.

Each colony has numerous mutual benefit associations and societies for the aid of new arrivals, without mentioning all the associations for musical and general enjoyment. There are twenty French societies, whose different presidents sometimes assemble and discuss matters relating to the colony.

Every year, the council of presidents assembles to organize the fêtes which the colony celebrates every 14th of July. This fête is one of the most noted events in the life of foreigners in the Argentine Republic.

This is not the only fête which the 40,000 Frenchmen of Buenos Aires celebrate. Without mentioning the concerts and balls which each society gives, the colony has a fair-bazaar every year, for the benefit of the French hospital. It is held in the spring, lasting a whole month, and is called the fair of St. Cloud,

in imitation of the fêtes of the same name, which are held in that beautiful suburb of Paris; the organizers of these fêtes have reunited the same elements of amusement with the difference that in Buenos Aires everything is sold and taken charge of by the young ladies and young men of the colony. The net results, amounting to $6,000 or $8,000, after paying all expenses, are employed in the maintenance of the French hospital.

The hospital was established in 1832. It belongs to the French Philanthropic Society of the River Plate, of which every Frenchman can be a member by paying 2 francs a month, and its membership now is over 3,000. Each member has the privilege, without further expense, of being taken care of in the hospital, whatever his disease may be. The old building proved to be too small, and was therefore replaced by a new one occupying 2 hectares of ground in the suburbs of the city; it comprises separate departments for the men, women, and children, and a fourth for cases of emergency that happen at night. It has also a large hall in which members of the Philanthropic Society hold their meetings.

The Spanish, Italian, English, and German hospitals are in no way inferior to the French hospital; they all show the spirit of union and solidarity which characterizes the members of each colony.

It is impossible to enumerate the number of societies which each colony has founded. The most numerous are the Italian societies, that reach the number of 200 throughout the Republic. Nowhere, do the foreign societies find any trouble in their sphere of action in this country, where the liberty of meeting and association is guaranteed by the constitution.

Although the sons of foreigners born in the Argentine Republic are Argentine citizens, the tendency of each group to perpetuate differences of race is looked upon by some as dangerous to the future stability of the national institutions.

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In the first, which The French schools The Italian schools give

The state, however, has not taken any measures to overcome such visionary dangers, and tries only to centralize education; foreigners having also a tendency to give their sons a special educational training in their own language. are many English, Italian, French, and some German schools. are quite aristocratic, only a business education is given. prepare their pupils to enter the national universities. only primary education in Italian to the sons of laboring men. Sons of Italians wishing to acquire the necessary knowledge to exercise the liberal professions must pursue the course of studies of the national college, which opens to them the doors of the university.

Foreigners, without having studied in the local schools, can exercise the

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liberal professions. It suffices for them to exhibit their diplomas and to pass the general examination which the law prescribes.

In Buenos Aires, there are eight French doctors, and several more in the other cities. At present, there is not one French lawyer exercising his profession, although the laws do not impose any obstacles to the practice of this profession before the courts. It is only necessary to pass a general examination on matters taught in the faculty of law, which are civil, penal, commercial, international, constitutional, Roman, and canonical law, civil and criminal proceedings, and political economy. Of course, to pass the examination, which is a long one, it is necessary to know the Spanish language well and to have made a previous study of the laws of the country.

To exercise the profession with success, it is also necessary to have made a study of the manners and customs of the people and to be acquainted with men and the customs of the bar. All this is not accomplished in one day or in one year, and doubtless these obstacles have a great deal to do in withholding from the exercise of this lucrative profession many foreigners who would otherwise be able to render in its practice many good services to their countrymen. For Spaniards, the difficulties are less. They have the advantage of their language and the similarity of legislation. Some Italians also figure at the bar, but no Englishmen, Belgians, or Germans have entered it. The field is open, then, to the sons of foreigners born in the Argentine Republic, who, having the knowledge of the language of their fathers and of that of the country, can be of special service to foreigners.

There is a vast field for the operations of the engineer, and foreign engineers. figure in the first rank. They are generally employed in great public works, the construction of harbors, and the building of railroads. French engineers are scarce, as French capital is less employed than English.

The foreigner who, from any part of the world, disembarks in Buenos Aires, need not fear having to remain isolated or being unable to find people from his own country. He will soon enter into the social life of the natives, where his merits and his efforts will give him a proper place.

As to the more recent phases of immigration, United States Consul Baker, of Buenos Aires, says:

The general depression in all departments of industry consequent upon the crisis has had a marked effect upon immigration to the Argentine Republic during the last year. The departures have very considerably exceeded the arrivals. The figures for 1891, compared with 1890, are as follows:

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