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9/6/1954 - First Days in Peru by William H. MacLeish

NOT FOR PUBLICATION INSTITUTE OF CURRENT V ORLD AFFAIRS First Days Peru Hotel Turistas Are Peru Walter S Rogers September Institute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York New York Dear Mr Rogers According geographer Preston lames aridity Peruvian Coast caused presence Peruvian Coastal Current frigid northward moving sream waters welling layers Pacific The prevailing southerly winds crossing stream become progressivelyoo adryer coast reachirg themoun heair rises uggihly until gains sufficient O Western ridges The below except drops rmains The Peruvian Coastal Current responsible appalling clisactic conditions earth garua During winter months June October evaiind strong enough accelerate rising point ndensation This results thick brown seafog which smells cigars The underneath still falls For months hangs Lima environs causing sniffles general dolor I informed however hardy patriotic limenos being embalmed garGa useful thing round because everyone feels Being gringo green I acceDted irrefutable logic At period Are quipa White City Peru It seems which I contracted aboard Santa Isabel another Peruvian Coastal Current being egged garua would surely turned blind staggers given chance We arfiveC Callao early morning Aug eighteenth As waited nervously Customs officials descend vultures baggage Peruvian gentleman Oscar Levsnt stepped introduced imself official elcoming comKnittee American Embassy His Victor I shall never repay nesses It Victor through Customs suggesting officials Peggy might Ambassador daughter It Vic guided Us through papeleo inoled obtaining carnets receipts Dolice registrations Blessed Victor See Latin America Preston James Odyssey Press New York Our Lima spent guests Am bassador Mrs Harold Tittmann finest people pleasure Ambassador Tittmann present years auring thattime according thelimenos I talked hearts Peruvians His latest completed while Embassy Residence President Eise nhower because Ambassador advice refused raise import tariffs Peru leading exports States If tariffs raised country economically stable countries Latin America might effected When Ike action diplomatic governmentl circles Lima toasts drunk hands ambajador Lima gossips always discussing social event other their machine Version castellano Last arrival bella estrella Ava Gardner Ho Bolivar A fortnight however limeos chuckling aftermath General Noriega attempted The story general earnings Peruvian Pepsi Cola industry To protect these iterests launched attack against hottest competitor Coca Cola The cokes prohibited Army PX stores Lima football pronounced fubol meanin soccer stadium Fans bought Pepsi Cola without After Noriega hasty departure Sa Fcisco aboard Peruvian destroys business executives arrested Pepsi sales recently taken worse No wants toassociate himself depsrted revolutionary It would The Pause drinking Peosis That Refreshes weathered storm Lima lowslung constructed withstand terremotos earthquakes visit coastal areas The chief building materials adobe blocks bricks coated Many ouses residential sections San Isidro iraflores tinted pastel shades green Along larger avenues Avenida Arequipa irrig ation ditches water under sidewalks depend onthe amount liquid authorities loose thirsty shrubbery Hanging posts ornate signs advertising products Coca Cola Pepsi Cola signs still oriega distributing agent Inca The block narrow streets other section American manufactured items In Peru apoly brake comit suoreme ardice Judging driver Lima bravest Their method cross intersection their saints whose pictures glued dashboard every Occasionally scnds rerding metal shattering glass heard above hoking however averages suspended City Kings The cities Peruvian coast located necessity mouths rivers Sierras Lima exception The exists because Rimac River exists The apital derived boulder strewn stream snakes first close desert river result Ambassador Tittmann invitation drive Cho resort where limeNos escape garua Behind several small hills crowded hovels Indians hills recent years cargadores household servants Buzzards wheeled filth clogged strsets Water carriers dressed wearing sandals discarded automobile tires filed their sewer Death misery first cousins these people dying their Tuber culosis dysen enteritis carry unbelievable numbers Desnite threat disease pua2on slums grows passing month Although health orities require tuberculosis certifica carried household servants acquire forged T B incidence continues unbelievably Calicoes highsst T B incidence world The Ohosica between flanking colored earth The distance crump flung against Twty minutes under sharply defied garua Beyond glints rocky Rimac The drops bottom turns green Truck gardens strips alfalfa fields staple Peruvi cotton croded along banks Grass grows tonsure along irrigation ditches circle lower shoulders hills Above ditches Slopes The miracle irrigation little easier understand realizes ppears barren reality dried topsoil Althou sounds dehydrated advertisement simply water serves As there rains there leaching vital minerals The obvious problem however bringing water In cases tunnels through mountains water sources further ihland I Peruvian gineers tunnel hapoy Whether construct highway railroad irrigation system nountain presents alternatives through As water flowing uphill tunnel often solution I asked member Cndores Club elite country located hills above Rimac colleagues found eough water produce gardens around clubhouse still enough ornate swimming He pointed small water tower It enough going tunne lling throagh That iposing ridge rising hundred above To reach water other require about hundred yards worth tunnel I return Con dores years happens tough minded tunel Peruvians mountain T6 Chosica wuick complete Peru problems The geographi makeup country istace major headache There coastal desert which permanent human habit ation those rivers powerful enough their Although shows fifty rivers cutting through desert tableland sufficient volume water remain round East desert mountains sawtoothed chains In intermot basins around Cuzco large percentage Peru peoples Contact between these basins coast hpered ountain ridges EaSt mountains higddissected heavily wooded hills montana region slope selva jungle The easternmost portio Peru around waters Amazon nature inaccess The problem creating political ographical confusion government biting fingernails In poverty slums Lima feret roblem IiLo leaves tiera peoole drifts cities What these people aybody guess Perhaps enlightening effect Indian Perhaos demand share affairs country This possibility whihh terrifies members economically powerful landowner class whose existence depends preservation essentially feudal status I Peruvian hacienda built premise continuing presence cheap labor If laborers start demanding higher things become difficult landowners However Peruvians I talked believe demand occur future The Indian quality inertness makes enlighten lengthy process Sincerely illiam H MacLeish Received New York