The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-03-16
ALL INTERESTED IN
PAN AMERICAN ROAD
Ex-senator Davis Gives Dinner
to Foreigners
CARNEGIE FAVORS THE PLAN
Says Money the Government Is Spend
ina on the Navy Should Go
Toward Building and
Maintaining Road.

Washington, March ia dinner was
given in honor of the members OF the
Pan-American railroad by ex-senator
Henry C. Davis, the chairman. Inc
guests were Ministers Legre of Hayu'
Ferriera of Brazil, Calvo of Costa Rico,
Corea of Nicaragua, Calderon OF Peru,
Walker Martinez of Chile, Diaz Of Uru-
quay, Calderon of Bolivia, Charge DAT
flares zavalia of Argentine, Charge Triana
of Colombia, Charge Veloz-Goitico of
Venezuela, Senator Ellkns, Mr.. w. c. Fox,
Mr. Lazarriga and Mr.. Charles M. Pepper.
Mr. Davis in greeting his guests spoke
of the interest of the United States In
enlarging friendly commercial relations
with the countries which would be con-
nected by the Continental railroad.
Private enterprise, he said should be en-
eouraged by the various governments. He
gave brief historical review of the PAN
American project and of the action taken
by the first and second Pan-American con-
ferences to further 1t. He also recalled
the experience of the United States with
the trans-continental railway suveys
many years before those projects were
carried out Mr.. Davis referred to the
rich possibilities of the countries of the
south, which he said have all the resour-
ees that make material wealth and pros
perity With a through inter-continental
trunk line he said no foreign power would
be able to interrupt trade relations He
also spoke of the political and CONNER
cial Importance to the United States, and
the attention which 1t should receive at
fbe hands of Congress.
Ministers Make Speeches.
Brief remarks were made by the Peru
Wan, Costa Rican, the Chilean and the
Bolivian ministers, and by others, inelud-
in. Senator Elkins and Mr.. Pepper. The
different gentlemen gave interesting ae-
counts of the progress of railroad con-
struction In their respective countries, per-
tanning in most part to the Pan-American
project Ambassador Aspiroz of Mexico,
who was unable to be present on account
of illness, sent a letter In which he re-
called that Mexico had initiated general
policy of grand trunk lines, which would
extend from the United States to the bor-
der of Guatemala.
He said that this was projected even
before the plan had been taken up by
Mr. Blaine and the Pan-American confer
ence. 1t was now nearing fuirtion, be-
cause his government was able to report
that the last section, which is little over
one hundred miles in length, is being ex.
tended to the border of Guatemala.
Carnegie Sends Letter.
Andrew Carno gle. who is a member OF
the committee, sent a letter. saying
Il beg to assure you of my unhagging
interest in binding us all together by
bands of steel as brothers. Against the
big navy programme let us put the Pam
American railroad. which cost less money
in the next twenty years than the tenn
porary navy would cost. All navles are
temporary, and cost enormous sums for
maintenance Our weapon of defense
would al least be self-supporting and soon
become remunerative.
III the United States gave the 100000 600
towards the railroads now spent yearly
on the navy, conditioned on the South
American republics pledging their credit
for an equal stm we should do more to
eliminate the element of danger which at
best is small, than we shall with all the
warshps we can build"