The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-07-31
A Latin. A american Object Lesson
"\HE STORY of the tangle
caused by Chile in the ar
Il rangements for the Pan


American congress billed to
assemble in the city of Mexico this
coming fall constitutes an illumination
of Latin American cussedness. AS
briefly as possible it is as follows:
a year ago the executive committee
of the Bureau of American republics
was authorized by the representatives
at Washington of the interested repub-
les to draft a tentative programme for
a second congress of the Pan -Amcrl-
can states. the work of the first con-
gress having left many tasks incom-
plete. Such programme was drafted
and unanimously accepted by the men,
bers of that committee, consisting of
the secretary of the state of the United
States, and the ministers of Costa Rica,
Guatemala and Argentina. 1t suggested
that the second congress consider such
subjects discussed by the former con-
gress as it may decide upon; and in
addition: % arbitration; (2) an inter-
national court of claims; go measures
for the protection of industry, agricul-
ture and commerce, development of
means of communication, consular port
and customs relations and pertinent
statistics; and "a reorganization of the
international bureau of the American
republics.
This seemed at the tine TO be fair
and promising programmes; and mas
much as it had been decided to permit
Mexico to entertain the congress, that
country, in August, 1901. addressed a
circular letter TO all the governments
of the Pan n-AmeriCan union in
closing a copy of the programme
and asking for an early re-
ply. In due course all accepted, with
the sole exception of Chile. In the
| meanwhile Chile found fault with the
vagueness of the tentative programme,
and Senor Morla Nicuna, its represen-
tative at Washington, was instructed
to try to obtain modification of the
programme. In obedience to instruc-
tions, he informed the department of
| state that Chile would not attend the
congress unless she was given sufficient
guarantees beforehand that no ques-
! tions of a disagreeable nature would
be allowed to come up for discussion a
the said congress" and in a communi-
| cation of the Chilean foreign office it
| was further said that in the opinion of
| that government il should be made a
rule of the congress that at the request
of any delegate any discussion not
agreeable to his nation could and
should be ipso facto stopped.
Little attention was paid to these
representations, it being felt that the
| congress itself, without advance stipu-
| lations, would be capable of avoiding
| offensive discussions. Things ran along
| until February last, when the Chilean
| minister informed the Mexican ambas-
| sador at Washington that his govern
| ment had decided to appoint him and
two others as delegates to the congress.
The Chilean foreign office, however,
| mode no response to Mexico's invita-
| tion, although all the other govern
| ments sent formal acceptances. on May
g. at a meeting of the executive COM
mittee OF the bureau of American re-
| publics, called to take action on the
| death of its secretary, communication
| appeared from the Chilean minister to
| the effect that his government wished
to have certain points of the tentative
| programme explained before declaring
its participation in the congress.
| There followed an animated discus
sion, at the conclusion of which. after
much questioning of the committees
power to change a programme already
accepted by all hut one Of the govern
ments interested it was decided, in
order TO secure Chile's attendance and
| thus TO preserve the Pan-American
character of the congress, to interpret
| the clause in the programme relating
to arbitration to mean arbitration for
future questions only" This was a
long step in the direction of concilation
and was taken mainly at the solicita-
tion of the United States, most of the
other countries feeling that Chile's pet
tishness merited more drastic treat
ment. II was supposed that II would
clear away all difficulties and lead to a
successful termination OF the congress