race, which largely inhabits tropical America, has
developed a strong tendency towards the lessening of its quota of
manual labour, and an augmentation of its cultivating of the
theoretical and intellectual side of life. In Mexico, Peru, or
elsewhere, the white race forms an upper class, lovers of leisure and
of work of an intellectual character. There is no white middle-class of
hand labourers. If there is anything in this theory and tendency there
may come to being some day a highly-developed race in the American
tropics. These considerations, however, are as yet far removed from the
Mexico of to-day. Work must be her maxim, hard work, and development.

Whether Mexico will ever become an important manufacturing nation
remains to be seen. The Mexicans are not without considerable aptitude
as mechanics, but they have not much faculty of invention or
origination. It is very doubtful if any of the Spanish-American nations
are destined to shine as makers and exporters of finished articles.
Perhaps the _role_ of evolving a new kind of civilisation, not
dependent upon commerce, is to be theirs! All of these countries are,
however, endowed with elements essential to manufacture: in raw
material, fuel, and water-power.

Of international meetings which have taken place in Mexico the
Pan-American Congress of 1902 was of some importance. The feasting and
eloquence, the society functions and self-congratulations which ran
riot, were characteristic of this imaginative and enthusiastic race of
Latin America. If these matters were more in evidence than practical
results--as is often characteristic of such assemblies--at least the
important step was taken of calling together their neighbours of
America, discussing their affairs, and emphasising the advisability of
settling these, when differences arose, by arbitration, rather than
battle. It was complained that Europe took little note of or interest
in this conference, and among the delegates of some of the Latin
American states--representatives of all of which were present--Europe
was blamed for frigidity to thoughts of arbitration. But the world
grows wiser slowly, and Spanish-America not more rapidly. Important
matters which occupied the attention of the Congress were the questions
of some standardising of Spanish-American Custom-house methods, and the
great subject of the Pan-American railway. This vast scheme is designed
to link all the republics of North and South America toge