The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-02-13
ONE OF BLAINE'S HUMBUGs.
Bureau of American Republics in q
IN

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 1896.-The
Bureau of American Republics, estab-
lished as result of the Pan-American
Conference held in Washington, seems
to be in a bad way financially. That is
to say, scarcely any of the South or
Central American States appear dis
posed to comply with the obligations
then assumed, to pay their proportion
of the expenses of the organization.
Director Furbish, in charge of the affairs
of the bureau, in his annual report just
delivered to Secretary Olney. renews the
suggestion heretofore made that a meet
ing of representatives of the governments
forming the international union should
be held for consultation as to the future
work of the bureau. In the report of
the Pan-American Conference leading to
the formation of the bureau it was pro-
vided that at such meetings each gov
ernment should have a vote, and in the
opinion of Mr.. Furbish the. completion
of the work in hand renders such a
meeting absolutely necessary.
It appears from the report that while
all the republics in the western henlis-
phere, except Chile, were originally part
les to the organization of the bureau,
Guatemala, Honduras. Mexico, Nicara-
qua, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Vene-
zuela alone paid their quotas for its sup
port in 1894. and that in 1895 only two,
Honduras and Venezuela, and the latter
only in part, liquidated their debt to the
United State for advances made. Sec
ton IL of the Pan-American report pro-
vided that the United States would adj
vance the money annually, not to ex-
ceed $36, 900, and section II provides as
foEows:-
s'This union shall continue in force dur
ing term of ten years from the date OF
its organization, and no country becoming
member of the union shall cease to be
member until the end of said period OF
ten years. Unless twelve months before
the expiration of said period a majority
of the members of the union shall have
given to the Secretary of State. OF the
United States official notice of their wish
to terminate the union at the end of Its
first period, the union shall continue to.
be maintained for another period of
ten years and thereafter under the same
conditions, for successive periods of ten,
years each.'
For the next year Congress is asked to
the bureau. and s.. 900 additional towards
completing the code of nomenclature,
trusting to the future to collect the prop
can republics Regarding the proposed
meeting of those concerned to consider the
future of the bureau the report says -
organization of the bureau should be
made under the direction of repre-
sentative of the country in which it was
located Acceptance Of this trust by the
United States carries with It responsilbil-
ity for such thorough administration as
will secure to the people represented ev-
cry possible benefit. This responsibility
cannot be discharged by a mere per-
funetory performance of the special du-
ties named by the conference. The Off
eials of. the international union have ac-
cepted responsibility beyond that of citi-
zens and officials of single republic
They are representatives of political
entity unique in its nature and based
upon the highest of idealsthat Of ex-
tending friendly relations between peo-
pies animated by common desire for the
development of the principles of self
government and of individual liberty on
this. continent. If the administration of
this trust is to be measured by the power
and opportunities possessed by the peo-
pie represented, / may be excused for
pressing the suggestion that frequent
consultation by officials of every repub-
lie composing the union Is most desira-