The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-07
MAKING SLOW PROGRESS.
Lntin-American Delegates Lack
PunctuaIity.

Punctuality.
City of Mexico, Dec. 6.-The unsatis-
factory progress of the work of the
Pan-American conference is occupying
the attention of those interested in its
success, and. accordingly, this after
noon the members of the United States
delegation held a meeting at the pri-
vate residence of Raigosa to discuss
with him in general what means
should be taken for expediting busi-
ness. Various plans were talked over,
but nothing definite was done. The
suggestions made covered the follow
ing points:
To hold five instead Of three sessions
per week; to recommend greater punc-
tuality in attendance. At present,
though 10 o'clock is the nominal hour
for assembling the conference. it is
generally nearly II o'clock before the
session begins This tardiness is a
great hardship to the United States
delegates, for, as ex-senator Davis,
chairman of the delegation. insists on
every member of the delegation being
at the place of meeting on time, they
lose nearly an hour waiting.
To suppress the reading of the pre-
vious meeting. which usually occupies
nearly half an hour. 1t is pointed out
that as the minutes are printed ii is
easy for any member to call attention
to any error which he desires recti-
fed.
Lastly. to introduce a change in the
rules so that unimportant amendments
or suggestions will not cause reports to
be sent back to committee.
Tomorrow the delegates and their
families go to Xochimilco for an all day
picnic as the guests of Gov. Corral of
the federal district
John Barrett of the United States
delegation presented letter from E.
Goodwin, director of the Pacific Com
mercial Museum of San Francisco,
asking that. the branch of the pro-
jected Pan American Bank be estab-
lished at San Francisco, which would
enlarge trade relations of the entire
Pacific Coast with South America,
The letter was referred to the Pan
American Bank Committee
1t is probable that the Arbitration
Committee of the Pan-American Con-
ference will present it's report towards
the end of next week 1t seems like
ly that a common ground has been
reached. The report, ii is understood,
will recommend compulsory arbitration
for mere pecuniary claims, voluntary
arbitration for other matters and gen.
eral adhesion to the principles of The
Hage Peace Conference, with the res
ervation of purely American questions.
Neutrality Eliminated.
The Committee on Pan-American
Railways of the International Confer
ence held a meeting tonight which
terminated at midnight. The neutral
ity clause was remodeled so as to elm
mate all mention of the words neutral
ity or neutral, and merely providing
that through traffic If merely in trans
It through the territory of one of the
contracting nations and destined for
another of said nations. shall, under
all circumstances, pass through unim-
peded and untaxed. The other clauses
which had aroused opposition were
satisfactorily arranged.
1t was decided, with respect to clause
ten, that the other nations of the con-
tinent associate themselves with the
United States in obtaining necessary
information as to the prospects and
inducements for the realization of the
proiect and with respect TO clause II,
that the whole committee appointed
by the conference should continue in
existence and that the president of
the conference should appoint five per-
sons resident in the United States to
associate themselves with said COM
mittees in its work on behalf of the
proposed inter-continental line.