New-York tribune., 1903-01-18
WELCOMED BY SECRETARY SHAW
Mayor Low Also Greets Delegates to Gus
toms Congress.

Delegates were present from Bolivia, Cuba, Ecua-
dor, San Salvador. Guatemala. Honduras, Mexico
Nicaragua Uruguay, Venezuela and this country
at the opening of the second international Ameri-
can Customs Congress in the AIdermens Cham
ber Yesterday Ex-Mayor William R. Grace called
the session to order and Mayor Low welcomed
the delegates to the city He was followed by Les
lie NJ shaw Secretary of the Treasury, who said,
in part:
strengthen the bonds of friendship which natur-
aonmon little in contention and seldom any
thing in dispute 1 cannot well understand how
fere with these relations but do appreciate how
these relations in the coming years may ana ana
be benefted by the interchange Of thought and
this and the free exchange OF ideas, ought and
will rebound to the end have Indicated and WHICH
I doubt not. Is universally desired t,,
I hope you will pardon the suggestion, Whlch
not be wholly geTmane to % a customs con b
tween countries here represented might pc Hely
ab5geX Tbs nteG ststes fmp Imports rR day Of
ical and semi-tropical products ms taae con con-
repu6Iics may iaudably compete. The countries
entitled to representation in this conference @ d al
ucts and manufactures. For this prize the coun-
represent should compete with more @ oafnesr I
don the hope which venture TO express. that the
tTae win come, and perhaps sooner than we we dream am
great civilzer and great educator-when the people
represented here will be speaking a common Ian
guage and if so. then that language will be the
most convenient language of commerce: Wnen tneSS
peoples will uniform standards OF wetgnts and
measures, but If these standards shall ever pe uni
fed the choice must be made OF those most con-
venient to commerce: when standards or value ana
denominations of money shall be uniform and IA
ternationally interchangeable, but IL THIS is 10 oe
realized the adopted standard must be the best and
the denominations the most convenient When
standards or wages shall be measurably UNIFORM
but if this shall ever be accomplished, then that
standard must be the highest
General n. Bolet-Perazae delegate for Honduras
in behalf of the visiting delegates. responded to
Secretary Shaw recalling the first Pan-American
Congress in Washington, thirteen years ago. pre-
sided over by that illustrious American, James
c. Blaine" which, the speaker said laid the
foundation for all the good feelings all the good
works and all the hopes that since then had
brought about the several successive meetings OF
the American family. He was delegate TO tnat
congress He found in the words of Mr. Shaw. ne
said the same spirit of fraternity, the same tone
of familiar intimacy, which characterized the
words of Mr.. Blaine at the opening or the nrSt
congress.
spauiding. Assistant Secretary OF the Treasury,
president: FideI q. Pierra, of Cuba, first vice.
president: Kenneth Barnhart, Of Marsh9ll FIeld
& Co., Chicago. second vice-presldent: r VI Del
Paso of Mexico first secretary: 4. 7. Chamber
lain United States Commissioner of Navlgatlcn.
second secretary. and W. P. Montgomery. aIIache
of American Bureau of Republics AT Nash-
ington, assistant secretary .., . .-,
Various committees appointed TO prepare
the business in hand fer presentation 10 the gem
eral body. The congress is expected 10 continue
its deliberations throughout the week. and perhaps
for two or three days of the week following.