The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 57, July 1953 - April, 1954 Page: 417
585 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Book Reviews
The Mexican Venture. By Tomme Clark Call. New York (Oxford
University Press), 1953. Pp. xii+273. Illustrations, bibliog-
raphy, index.
This volume is one of the most penetrating and informative
reports of the contemporary Mexican scene which has appeared
since the end of World War II. Written by an associate editor
of the San Antonio Express Publishing Company, it is the product
of his lifelong interest in Mexico, a twelve thousand mile tour
through twenty-three of the country's twenty-nine states, and
research drawn primarily from such substantial authorities as
Whetten, Tannenbaum, and Mosk. A deep understanding and
appreciation of Mexico, its people and problems, its past and
prospects, at all times underly Call's sympathetic treatment.
After presenting a short historical background, the author sets
forth, in "The Concept of Progress," what the Mexican people
want, what physical means they have at hand, and how they have
determined to achieve the task. Over half the book is devoted
to the industrial program, which has been championed with
fanatical zeal by the Mexican leadership for the past decade as
"the only way out." Call advances arguments in support of
the program and proceeds with an analysis of the industrial
structure, its interdependence on agricultural development, the
role of the government in planning and financing, the chief prob-
lems encountered thus far and how they have been met, and
those which most likely lie ahead. He reviews Mexico's struggle
for social and political maturity-the progress made in education,
health, sanitation, social security, and in the development of a
more representative political system. A final section describes the
foreign trade pattern, Mexico's role in international and hemi-
spheric affairs, and includes a fine summary of Mexico and her
northern neighbors-Texas and the American Southwest. It was
gratifying to see recognition accorded to the work of the Institute
of Latin-American Studies at the University of Texas in promot-
ing better understanding and to the El Paso experiment with
instruction in conversational Spanish in the elementary grades.
Above all, students of Mexican history will endorse Call's
well-chosen reminder that "all phases of Mexico's revolutionary
social and political progress must be judged by how far and how
fast the advances have moved from points of former stagnation,4x7
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 57, July 1953 - April, 1954, periodical, 1954; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101152/m1/498/?rotate=90: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.