The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-10-02
The Pan-Amerlcan Congress

The idea of a convention of representa-
tives of all the independent States of North,
South. and Central America dates back to
Mr.. Blaine's first term as Secretary of Stale
He suggested convention and issued invi-
tatiols. The death of President Garfield
and the reconstruction of the Cabinet de-
layed the matter, bnt subsequently Mr..
Bayard, took itup under authority Of an
act of Congress approved in May, 1888.
and issued invitations to the States of
South and Central America. The purposes
Of the conference are set forth in the act Of
Congress which authorizes 1t as follows:
/. Measures that shall tend to preserve the
peace and promote the prosperity Of the several
American States
American nations with each ther SHALL so far as
possible and profitable, be promoted.
3. The establishment of regular and frequent
communication between the ports Of the several
American States and the ports of each Other
A. The establishment OF a uniform system of
customs regulations In each of u Independent
American States TO govern the nodded importation
and exlortatlon OF merchandise and port dues
and charges, a uniform method OF de eIlnining the
the classification and valuation of such merchan-
iise in The ports Of each country, and a uniform
ystem Of invoices, and the subject Ct the santa
ion OF ships and quarantine.
s. The adoption of a uniform system Of weights
and measures, and-iaws to project the patent
rights, copyrights and trademarks of citizens Of
either country In the other, and for the extrad-
tion Of criminals.
6. The adoption of a common silver coin, TO be
Issued By each government. the same TO be legal
tender In all commercial transactions tetween
the citizens of all the American States,
u, An agreement upon and recommendation
Tor adoption TO their respective governments of
definite plan of arbitration of all questions, dis
putes and differences that may now or hereafter
exist between them, to the end that all difficult
ties and disputes between such nations may be
peaceably settled and wars prevented.
81 An1 20 CONSIDER sacn oihet suolects relating
as may be presented by any Of said States which
are hereby invited to participate in said confer
ence.
With one or two exceptions the South and
Central American States have accepted the
invitations issued by the Secretary of State,
and their representatives are in this coun-
try. The delegates on the part OF the United
States have been selected without regard to
politics. They are ten in number. Three
are lawyers, two merchants, three manufac-
turers, one is railroad man, and the profess
sion Of one is diplomacy.
Broadly stated, the purpose of the COM
mission is to increase the commercial rela-
tions between the United States and Central
and South America. AS is well known. the
nations to the south of us purchase the great
majority Of their goods in Europe. Last
year Of $450, 100000 of merchandise imported
into those countries only eleven per cent.
came from the United States. Almost all
the rest Of it was enjoyed by England. France
and Germany, England getting the lions
share. The conference is not IF course ex-
pected to change this condition If things at
once. The building up of trade under the
most favorable circumstances is difficult, but
against such energetic and skillful rivals as
the merchants and manufacturers of Eng
ana and France, who now have the field
almost entirely to themselves, we must ex-
Pect 10 make Roadway only very slowly.
But one essential condition of any progress
IN this direction is better knowledge ON our
part Of the wants Of the States 10 the south
OF us and greater familiarity on their mart
with our resources and our abilities 70 snn-
ply them with what they need. 1t NAV he
that the Congress may do nothing more than
fulfil these conditions. But IL it stops there
1t will not have been held In vain.