Mexico City’* Canal De La Vlga.
Spanish Explorers Found the Valley
of Mexico a Real New World Venice
Prepared by National Geographic Society,
Washington, D. C.—WNU Service.
□EXICO CITY’S mag
nificent cathedral,
richly adorned Sag
rario, and extensive national
palace greatly impress the
present-day visitor as he
stands and gazes across the
Zocalo, or Great Square, for
the first time.
But suppose the scene should fade
away and be replaced by that which
greeted Cortez and his followers in
1519. The modern traveler would
be as enchanted by the barbaric
splendor before his eyes as were
the Spaniards, and, like Bernal
Diaz del Castillo, soldier-chronicler
of the Conquest, he might well be
moved to ask. “Are not these things
a dream?” For the civic center of
Mexico City was once the Tecpan,
or Temple enclosure, of Tenoch
titlan, the Aztec capital.
Where the cathedral and Sagrario
now stand rose the great pyramid
topped by its temples to the gods
of war and of rain. The national
palace occupies the site of Monte
zuma’s palace. In the plaza stood
the massive circular stone used for
sacrificial combat.
Behind the stone rose the temple
of the god of the air, and not far
distant was the sinister mass of the
skull-rack where were placed the
heads of victims offered to the
gods. In front of this stood a devo
tional altar for worship, and near
by was a pool of water for ceremo
nial observances.
Numerous other temples were
scattered about the enclosure. There
were houses occupied by the
priests, palaces for officials, even
a zoo and an aviary.
Aztec lnnuenre sun seen.
Other parts of the metropolis sug
gest similar contrasts, for this cap
ital city of early Aztecs and mod
em Mexicans is a veritable store
house of New World history. On
all sides the eye is met by rem
nants of ancient glories side by side
with Twentieth-century splendors.
There are places where only a
few short steps separate the finest
of aboriginal art from the ultra
modern murals of Diego Rivera.
Sixteenth-century buildings adjoin
apartment houses of the latest
style. Smiling faces of natives
thronging the streets bear the
stamp of Aztec lineage.
Ancient industries are reflected in
today’s gold, wood, and feather
work; and architectural ornamen
tation on newly rising structures
exhibits the influence of Aztec de
sign and symbol It is this pleas
ing blend of old and new that gives
the city its unique charm.
me story ol the Aztecs is much
tetter known than that of many
New world peoples. There are na
tive manuscripts called “codices,"
detailing in pictographic form cer
tain phases of their history. De
scriptions of the city and accounts
of the life and customs of its inhab
itants were written by some of the
Conquistadores and by several of
the priests who accompanied them.
Besides the pictographic stories
which supplement the Spanish rec
ords, helpful narratives were
penned by a few native scholars,
taught to write by their conquerors.
Added to these documents is the
evidence still being obtained from
extensive archeological and histori
cal researches by experts of the
Mexican government and by other
investigators, from both America
and Europe.
The foundation of the Aztec na
tion and its subsequent florescence
occurred at a time when the Old
world was sunk in the depths of the
Middle ages.
Entering the Valley of Mexico
early in the Fourteenth century as
a crude hunting people, the Aztecs
found various communities around
the borders of a great lake and
came into contact with a culture
which was very high.
According iso some accounts, they
settled near Chapultepec and came
under the influence of the Acolhua
cans, from whom they received
many cultural traits. Between
about 1367 and 1376, the Acolhua
cans drove them out and forced
them to take refuge on two small
reed-covered mud banks or islands
in the center of the lake.
The settlements on the Islands
grew Into two towns, Tenochtitlan
and Tlaltelelco. They appear to
have risen side by side and pro-*
gressed as independent units fori
more than a century, although the
space between them was reduced
to a little more than a broad canal.
Late in the Fifteenth century, Tlal
telolco was conquered by the sixth
ruler of Tenochtitlan and the two
were united to form one great city.
The legendary explanation for the
choice of the present site of the
city is not in full agreement with
the historical facts, but is more pic
turesque. According to tradition,
the Aztecs were told that when
they saw an eagle eating a s^fpent
there they should stop and found
their dynasty.
Upon reaching the borders of a
large lake they saw a beautiful
island, and the priest who led them
beheld a huge eagle with a strug
gling snake in its talons. The bird
came to rest on a cactus plant
and proceeded to kill and devour
the reptile. The Aztecs were over
joyed at this, because their prophe
cy was fulfilled, and they set about
establishing their city.
The tradition is symbolized today
by the eagle, serpent, and cactus
in the Mexican coat of arms and
flag.
Origin of Floating Gardens.
As long as the Aztecs were weak
and hemmed in by their foes, they
subsisted on flsh, birds, aquatic
plants, and such vegetables as they
were able to grow on floating
gardens, or chinampas. The lat
ter were formed by heaping up
soft mud from the lake on rafts
made from reeds and wattlework.
These floating islands gradually
Increased in size. The interlacing
roots of the plants made them
more compact and eventually an
chored them to the bottom of the
lake. More and more were built
and as their number increased they
became a series of rectangular
plots separated by canals just
wide enough for the passage of
canoes.
The gardens of Xochimilco, not
far from Mexico City, are a pres
ent-day illustration of this type of
made land and communicating wa
terways.
By the time of the Conquest Ten
ochtitlan was a veritable New world
Venice; in fact, one of the Span
iards with Cortez, and the conquer
or himself, called it that
One of the soldiers in his journal
describes it as a place of many
wide and handsome streets formed
half of hard earth like a brick
pavement and half of canal, so that
the people moved about either by
land or by water.
The Aztecs did not become a real
power in the volley until their fourth
ruler, Itzcoatl, 1427-1440, became
head of the “kingdom.” Itzcoatl
had a famous general named Max
tli, who conquered many neighbor
ing cities and tribes and exacted
from these subject peoples tribute
which enriched the Aztecs.
From this time on, under five suc
ceeding rulers, Tenochtitlan pros
pered and expanded, until by the
time of the conquest tribute was
pouring into the coffers of Monte
zuma II from all of southern Mex
ico, the Vera Cruz coastal plain,
and even from Guatemala.
They Were an Industrious People.
Agriculure was important, and,
while many vegetables were raised
In the environs of the city, most of
the products came from surround
ing precincts. A variety of maize,
or Indian corn, was developed
which matured rapidly, an essential
quality for the high, arid plateau
country. Other products were sweet
potatoes, tomatoes, squash, beans,
peppers, cacao or chocolate, tobac
co, cotton, hemp, rubber, and copal.
The gold and silversmith’s art
was highly developed. There were
numerous wood carvers, workers
in stone, makers of elaborate tur
quoise mosaics, and producers of
featherwork.
Other groups spun thread from
cotton and wove it into cloth; the
tailors fashioned it into garments,
jstill others made the elaborate
headdresses worn by officials and
warriors. There were sandal-mak
ers, basket weavers, pottery mak
ers. and tanners of skms
SEENand HEAR »
around the \<g,
NATIONAL CAPITAL!^
By Carter Field w,
FAMOUS WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT .A
Washington.—In addition to the
| reorganization bill, generally re
J garded as the major rebuff that
President Roosevelt has received
| from congress, there have been the
Supreme court enlargement, the St.
Lawrence seaway, and the World
court. It is interesting that Roose
velt’s three predecessors, Harding,
Coolidge and Hoover, all favored
three of these four proposals—all
except that regarding the Supreme
court.
Gradually, sentiment for the Unit
ed States joining the World court
has become feebler and feebler as
the League of Nations has declined
in prestige. The St. Lawrence sea
way has lost rather than gained in
sentiment for reasons having noth
ing to do with politics.
When the seaway was first pro
posed, the most enthusiastic advo
cates were from the Middle and
Northwestern states. They wanted
to make it possible for ocean steam
ships to get into the Great Lakes,
their object being to cut the freight
rate on wheat from St. Paul and
Minneapolis and other centers in the
wheat country, to Liverpool, as for
generations the world price of wheat
has been the price at Liverpool, less
the freight rate from the point of
origin to Liverpool.
But since the proposal was first
advocated the United States has
been almost a total loss so far as
wheat exports are concerned. For
several years now we have exported
little or no wheat, sometimes actu
ally importing a little more—hard
wheat from Canada—than we ex
ported.
Other farm exports have declined
as well, and there has never been
any necessity for cutting the freight
rate on the one line of exports that
has really held firm, manufactured
goods such as machinery, automo
biles, etc. The real difficulty in the
path of increased exports here has
to do with quotas rather than costs,
hence has to be left to negotiations
rather than to maneuvering to cut
the freight cost.
Opposition Continues
Which explains why Secretary of
State Cordell Hull’s reciprocal trade
treaty policy has made such a hit
with automobile and other manufac
turers who believe they can com
pete with the whole world if artifi
cial limitations and barriers are re
moved.
^resident Roosevelt s interest In
the St. Lawrence seaway has always
been because of the electric power
possibilities rather than the idea of
bringing ocean steamships to the
door of the Middle West. But the
political motive power back of this
project has always been the cheap
ening of the freight rate on grain to
Liverpool, the real value of which
has now practically disappeared.
Meanwhile the economic objec
tions to the St. Lawrence project
have remained unchanged. There
may not be much grain moving
overseas, but the shipping interests
of Boston, New York, Philadelphia,
Wilmington, Baltimore, Norfolk, Sa
vannah, and even Jacksonville and
New Orleans, have not relaxed in
their opposition to it.
Record Rather Good
Saving his face on the tax on un
distributed corporation earnings
was an achievement for President
Roosevelt which will probably nev
er be accurately measured. But the
fact is that there were plenty of
votes in both houses of congress,
i before the conference committee
| reached its compromise, to approve
total repeal of this tax. It is per
fectly true that the bill will provide
the end of this tax after 1939, but
the retention of any part of shadow
of it is actually flying in the face of
the will of a considerable majority
of congress.
v/i» uie wnuie, 11 muitt's uie record
of the President, so far as his rela
tions with congress are concerned,
rather a good one—much better
than the actual feeling on Capitol
Hill justifies, and much better than
the country has come to think in
the last month, especially since the
house rejected the reorganization
bill.
But while there was an unusual
amount of publicity for this White
House rebufl on the reorganization
bill, actually the President had
failed to get something which every
President for a good many years
has wanted, and more than a few
tried to get, with little or no suc
cess
Everyone familiar with Washing
ton knows that government bureau
chiefs gradually acquire power with
the house and senate. It is natural
and human, however bad it may be
from time to time in its results.
But there is not only patronage to
be considered — the placing of
friends of senators and representa
tives in good jobs on the federal
pay roll, and the looking out for
them after they are placed, to be
sure they get promotions and pay
boosts when it is legally possible.
That would be enough to establish
personal bands between the bureau
chiefs and the national legislators.
But there is also a constant line of
communications between the offices
on Capitol Hill and the various of
fices.
•\ mm
For example, when Congressman
Blank of Kansas wants to know how
much money has been paid out in
wheat benefits to the counties in
his congressional district, he doesn't
ask the secretary of agriculture for
the information. It would take too
long. His secretary calls up the
particular office down at what used
to be Triple A which would have the
exact figures on tap, gets the in
formation, and fires it back at his
inquiring constituent, writes it in
the proposed radio talk, or does
whatever the inquirer had in mind.
How does Blank’s secretary know
which office to call? His secretary,
if he or she is half as good as the
average congressional secretary,
knows a lot more than that: the
name of the clerks who do the work,
the ones who know their stuff and
those who are just dumb, and a lot
of other pieces of data which would
be enormously valuable if there
really were a merit system in the
government.
But the point is that this builds up
a friendly feeling between the units
of the government, many of them
so insignificant ihat they are almost
unknown, and the men who do the
voting of appropriations to main
tain them. When a representative,
no matter whether he is a Demo
crat in good standing at the White
House or a Republican the Presi
dent loathes, wants something from
a government bureau he is pretty
apt to get it. And quickly. And
when a senator asks for any little
favor there is just no length to
which the downtown folk will not go.
So it naturally follows that when
these bureaucrats are terribly wor
ried about something—like a shift
of their functions to some other de
partment—they get a sympathetic
hearing on Capitol Hill.
Beaten by Butter!
Argentine butter beat President
Roosevelt on the reorganization bill,
according to the latest story going
around the Capitol corridors. Of
course the majority by which the
bill was defeated was only eight, so
a change of five members would
have reversed the result. Virginia
could have done it. Tammany could
have done it. Any one of a lot of
little groups could have done it.
And so could the five Progres
sives from Wisconsin who surprised
Sen. Robert M. La Toilette and ev
erybody else when they voted
against the President on this cru
cial test.
The story goes that a group of
five Wisconsin dairymen were in
Washington with their families to
see the cherry blossoms. At the
hotel where they were stopping, one
of the party spoke up at breakfast
about the butter.
“Where do you suppose they get
it?” he demanded. "It’s not like
any butter I know.”
"I don’t know,” said a second,
"but I do know that I don’t think it
is as good as our butter at home."
"I think it’s terrible,” said one
of the wives, "and I’m going to tell
the waiter about it. They ought to
buy our good Wisconsin butter. We
are spending plenty down here.”
"That’s reciprocity for you,”
laughed her husband. Which word
was recalled by all of them later in
the day.
So they sent for the head waiter.
He sent for the manager. Finally
it came out It was Argentine but
ter.
The party had intended to leave
for home that afternoon, but this
news about butter changed their
minds. With one accord they agreed
to turn their little vacation into a
lobbying expedition.
Big Butter Men Busy
A couple of hours later all five
of the men were in the house office
building, seeking out the congress
men from Wisconsin.
“Why is it,’’ they demanded, “that
the best hotels in this town use Ar
gentine butter? We thought there
was a tariff on butter high enough
to keep foreign competition out. We
had trouble with Danish butter
years ago, but we thought we had
fixed that with a tariff so high it
couldn’t climb over. Now what?”
One after another the congress
men patiently explained that the
tariff had been high, but that Sec
retary of State Cordell Hull, in ne
gotiating his reciprocal trade trea
ties, had marked down the rates on
butter, and, under the most favored
nation clause, if he marked it down
in one treaty, this reduction ap
plied to every other nation unless it
could be demonstrated that some
nation was discriminating in its tar
iffs against the United States.
"The theory is," explained one of
the congressmen, “that we have to
buy something from them, if we are
going to sell other goods to them.
It helps trade. It helps break down
economic barriers. It makes tor
peace.”
“Make it something else than but
ter,” retorted the dairymen, with
one accord.
They must have been threaten
ing, but anyway the five Wisconsin
Progressives voted against the Pres
ident on the reorganization bill.
© Bell Syndicate.—WNU Service.
WHAT TO EAT
and WHY ★ ★ ★
frudlSi Noted Food
■■ — . ... Authority
Describes the ACID- and ALKALINE
ASH FOODS and Explains Their
Role in Maintaining the ACID-BASE
BALANCE of the Body * * *
By C. HOUSTON GOUDISS
A East 30th Street. New fork City.
ACIDITY is the topic of the hour. On every side we hear
people complaining that they have too much acid in their
systems, that they suffer from acid stomach, acid headaches,
acid mouth, acidosis. In fact, most adults fancy themselves
victims of a great battle between acid and alkaline forces,
with the acid having the bet-^ .... . -
ter of it.
They confuse gastric acidity
—which is entirely normal,
for the healthy stomach is al
ways strongly acid—with the
potential acidity of foods
which leave an acid residue fol
lowing digestion. And many of
them are convinced that they
should take drastic steps to over
come the danger of acidosis.
—★—
The Vogue oi Acidosis
There are fashions in disease,
just as in dress, home furnishings
anu auiumounes.
Ten years ago, we
heard much about
the evils of auto
intoxication, and it
was some time be
fore people realized
that they had been
misled by the ex
treme claims of
those who had
some sort of rem
edy to sell. And
now it is acidosis that is the most
talked of complaint. Friends cau
tion one another against this or
that food, with the mistaken idea
that it causes or aggravates an
acid condition. Food faddists have
frightened thousands by suggest
ing that acidosis is brought about
by mixing various kinds of foods.
—★—
Health Endangered
Indeed, we have come to a point
where the fear of a so-called acid
condition is assuming proportions
which indicate the possibility of
real trouble unless the American
people get the true facts and put
aside these foolish delusions.
Physiologists believe that fear
and worry have a detrimental ef
fect on digestion, and, in turn, on
the general health. Thus eating
meals in constant fear of acidity
may upset the digestion and bring
about the very symptoms that you
are trying to avoid. One well
known authority contends that
perhaps 90 per cent of digestive
distress, attributed to the kind or
combinations of food eaten, is ac
tually due to unfavorable mental
or emotional states, and other
causes such as over-eating, even
when fatigued, or consuming at
one meal too many foods that are
difficult to digest. It, therefore,
becomes apparent that thousands
of people are contributing to their
own discomfort as a result of fear,
ignorance, or a blind belief in mis
leading claims which are opposed
to scientific facts.
—★—
Acidosis Uncommon
The danger is not from acidosis,
but from the fear of this bugbear,
and from self medication in the be
lief that certain remedies are re
quired to overcome a fancied con
dition. For in spite of the large
amount of acid produced in me
tabolism, the blood normally re
mains remarkably constant and
slightly alkaline, due to a highly
efficient buffer system.
Perhaps you wonder, if this is
so, why doctors and dietitians talk
so much about the acid-base bal
ance.
—if—
The Acid-Base Balance
To understand this phrase, you
must know that every food leaves
an ash when burned in the body,
just as ashes remain when coal or
wood is burned in a furnace. In
the body, the ash consists of valu
able minerals which are required
in large amounts to maintain op
timal health.
Some foods, such as meat, fish,
eggs and cereals, leave an acid
ash because the predominating
minerals are phosphorus, chlor
ine and sulphur. Other foods,
chiefly milk and most fruits and
vegetables, leave an alkaline ash
because the remaining minerals
are principally calcium, magne
sium, potassium and sodium.
These are the base-forming foods.
Besides the alkaline ash and
acid ash foods, there is a group of
foods, including sugar, cornstarch
and purified fats, which are so
highly refined that no minerals
remain after they are burned; and
some other foods, such as butter
and cream, leave a balance of the
two types of ash. These are known
as neutral foods.
Cannot Trust Your Tongue
The sense of taste cannot be re
lied upon as a guide in determin
ing which foods are acid and
which alkaline. For example, ce
reals, which are bland to the
taste, have an acid reaction fol
lowing digestion. Bread, likewise,
is acid forming, although you
would not suspect that fact from
its taste. On the other hand, po
tatoes, though somewhat similar
to bread in flavor and food value,
are one of our most valuable alka
line foods, and dried lima beans
are the most highly alkaline of
any food known.
If it seems curious that such
bland foods should have an acid
ash, you may find it even harder
to believe that oranges, lemons,
grapefruit, peaches and tomatoes,
which taste acid in the mouth,
leave an alkaline ash following
digestion. But the fact is that the
body performs a clever bit of
chemical engineering and the final
effect on the blood is alkaline.
—A._
Homemaker's Responsibility
A balanced diet must include
sufficient base-forming foods to
neutralize and counter-balance
the effects of the acids formed in
metabolism.
That is one reason why it is so
important for the homemaker to
provide her family with plenty of
milk, fruits and vegetables, in ad
dition to the necessary meat, fish,
eggs and cereals.
In general, one is likely to feel
better when base-forming foods
predominate, at least slightly, in
the diet over acid-forming foods.
Some authorities believe that this
may be due not so much to their
effect on the acid-base balance as
to the fact that they provide such
splendid amounts of vitamins,
minerals and fiber.
However, one must not make
the mistake of becoming so enthu
siastic over building a highly al
kaline diet that one overlooks good
foods necessary to round out a
balanced diet.
To those homemakers who take
seriously the important job of
feeding a family, and wish to be
correctly informed, I shall gladly
send a chart showing which foods
are alkaline and which acid. It
can be used as a helpful guide in
planning a balanced diet.
Send for this chart and increase
your food knowledge. In the
meantime, don’t under any cir
cumstances allow misguided indi
viduals to frighten you into join
ing the vast army of acid-minded
people who are so concerned over
the possibilities of acidosis that
they haven’t time to enjoy life.
—
Questions Answered
Miss M. V.—Indeed 1 am not
against the eating of fried foods,
except in abnormal conditions
where, for some reason, the fat in
take must be restricted. The mod
erate use of fried foods, which
Have You a Question?
Aak C. Houston Goudisa
—★—
C. Houston Goudiss has put at
the disposal of readers of this news
paper all the facilities of his famous
Experimental Kitchen laboratory in
New York City. He will gladly
answer questions concerning foods,
diet, nutrition, and their relation to
health. You are also invited to con
sult him in matters of personal
hygiene. It’s not necessary to write
a letter unless you desire, for post
card inquiries will receive the same
careful attention. Address him at 6
East Wlh Street, Netv York City.
have been properly cooked, makes
the diet palatable and interesting.
Mrs. S. T. R.—No, egg whites
most certainly are not toxic, ex
cept to people who have an al
lergy toward this food. For all
normal individuals, they offer an
excellent source of protein.
© WNU—C. Houston Goudiss—1938—10
/Italian style!
or otherwise,
THIS SRAGHETlL/
I DINNER IS
A HAPPY L
( SURPRISE F
• Costs about 4c per person
to serve 10 liberal portions.
1 lb. GOOCH'S BEST
SPAGHETTI
1 lb. Hamburger
1 Can of Tomatoes
Hustle While You Wait
Everything comes to him who
hustles while he waits.—Edison.
Beauty contest
tor plants:
Have you ever wondered why
most of the finest gardens in
four locality are grown from
'erry’s Seeds? Here’s why:
All Perry’s Seeds are the re
sult of many years of careful
breeding, selecting and improv
ing. In developing a new strain,
the seed experts of the Ferry- .
Morse Seed-Breeding Institute
hold “plant beauty contests” to
select the finest plants. Their
seeds are planted for the next
crop. Thus, year after year,
weaknesses are eliminated and
desirable qualities encouraged.
Select your flower and veg
etable seeds from the Ferry’s
Seeds store display. All have
been tested this year for ger
mination and
tested for true
ness to type.
5c a packet and
up. Ferry
Morse Seed
Co., Detroit,
San Francisco.
FERRY’S
SEEDS
Critical With Ease
It is much easier to be critical
than correct.—Disraeli.
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But have you succeeded? If not,then by all
means do try I'epsodent containing Irium.
This new, modernized dentifrice—with
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