The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-10-23
OPENED
PAN-AMERICAN GATHERING NOW
READY FOR BUSINESS.
ADDRESS OF SENIOR MARISCAL.
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SPEAKS ELOQUENTLY.

Reviews the Policy of Reciprocity
in Its Far Reaching Benefits and
the History of Efforts That Have
Been Made Along This Line by the
Countries of the Three Americas.
The American Sentiment which
Does Not Admit Geographical Dis
tinctions.
Mexico City, Oct. 22.-The Pam
American conference was formally
opened this afternoon by Hon. Ignacio
Mariscal, minister of foreign relations,
who made the following address:
'Messrs. Delegates: 1t is more than
eleven years ago that in international
American conference, destined to pro-
mote friendly understanding and fra
ternal harmony between the nations
of this hemisphere, met at the city of
! Washington for the first time in his
tory. Since then a sufficient period has
elapsed to reflect regarding the means
| leading to such a glorious end, and
events which have occurred in the
whole world. the efforts made in Eu-
rope with the noble object of attaining
similar results, whether it be among
! the several nations of the old continent
and some republics of ours, or among
the Spanish speaking people, it may
serve us as a guide and example to
push forward such a delicate under
standing. Undoubtedly we should
| not despair, owing to the
! little which apparently has been at
tained, if we compare the grand as
pirations previous to gatherings such
as the one that is to-day inaugurated,
because if rightly understood, what
has been obtained is not of so
little Importance, nor is there any rea.
son to fear that this Congress will fail
to make an advance on the work of
its predecessor, whose labors can in
nowise be considered as lost to the
world. Every step that humanity
takes in the true path to progress,
however insignificant it may appear
to be, if taken along the true direc-
tion of its well being, which no thinker
disputes and which every philanthro-
pist yearns for. every step having foI
| its object humanitarian interests, is a
conquest that can never be lost; q
stake firmly driven to pointing out
the true pathway of advance
ment. As is we'll known, force is
never eliminated in the PHYSICAL
world it is merely transformed and all
problems refer to the manner of it's
utilization. The advances made by
present sciences and the emotions pro-
duced by the contact of various peo-
pies in special circumstances are tan
gible or remain in the latent state.
but have the germs of life in them ana
will bear fruit some day to the advan-
tag of the nation wherein they may
have been produced. 1t is therefore
the duty of statesmen to obtain the
greatest practical results from these
| advancements and impressions which
are really indestructible.
There is no doubt whatever of the
sentiment Of friendship cultivated to
such high degree by other northern
neighbors among the republic the
| three Americas, and we are to be con-
graduated upon the truly useful pub
lioations of the bureau established by
conference at Washington, as we'll as
the work so conscienticusly occom-
| plished by the congress of The Hague,
| brought about by the generous initia-
tive Of the Emperor of Russia, and
lastly, the interchange of feelings of
affection which prevailed at the
pleasing gathering of delegates
| from the Spanish speaking
countries. All these interesting
studies, whose emotions seemingly
at first sight are only theoretical, but
I the outgrowth of pure sentiment, have
not been vain efforts to realize dreams
| Later developments only will lead to
practical results, and even now they
have given ripe fruit which is plainly
! apparent to careful observers. This
advancement is real. The marked ten
dency of our age is well defined.
We plainly perceive it is not due to
the fleeting caprice of this or that ma
tion, nor of the opinion of one or more
| philosophers, not even the cries Of an
guish from the weak trembling before
the threatening forces. but from force
itself tempered by noble submission to
| right. The movement was directed in
Europe by the Gar of all the Russias,
who represents a formidable military
power; and in this hemisphere it had
it's birth previously in the United
States of America, the most populous
| and powerful nation of our continent
| Hence such a movement was
very important origin and must be
impelled by current of ideas as gem
| eral as irresistible. Gentlemen, / am
sure that in your approaching labors
you will take advantage of such favor
! aDle elements; l am also certain that
you will do your utmost to avoid all
spirit of dssension, be 1t springing
! from our concrete questions or
arising from traditions or instincts
incompatible with a true pan-Ameri-
can sentiment which does not admit
geographical distinctions nor make any
difference as to race nor language,
which might place in opposition to
each other the inhabitants of the
world discovered by Columbus. Love
| of country and our absolute
Identification with 1t is undoubt-
edly an obligatory virtue and one of
our most sacred duties"
Continuing, Minister Mariscal said:
But although such is the case, we
should not be so blind, as you well
know, as not to recognize the rights of
others, though we may consider them
strangers, II it Is possible that there
could be such people among those
whom nature has bound by common
interests throughout the vast expanse
of the American continent. The truth
/ Is, gentlemen, that when we treat OF
matters Of such transcendent inpor-
tance we ought to forget up 10 a GER
/ tain point and for an instant so that
we may examine questions from the
high plane Of Justice the fact that
we belong 10 this or that section OF the
continent where we dwell, so that there
| should be neither South, nor Central,
nor North Americans, but Americans
/ IN the broadest meaning In the word.
/ IN the conflict of national in
/ terests II is claimed that each one
must prefer that which affects