Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-12-09


in plans for making the peoples
1917 Of North and South America bet
G+-AS ter acquainted, and as a result
assisting commercial relationships through
intellectual Cooperation among the coun-
tries Of the western hemisphere. The prop
osition has been presented to the presidents
Of several colleges in the United States and
meets with their approval
President Eliot Of Harvard university In
an interview has expressed himself as
strongly favoring some form of intellectual
reciprocity between the United States and
the South American republics. He says
that he has no doubt Harvard would be
glad to promote some such exchange Of
professorships as now exists between the
Oldest Of American universities and the in
stitutions Of higher learning in the kaiser's
dominion. 1.-THE plan Is practical and
good says President Eliot, but It requires
for fulillment the assistance of intelligent
! philanthropy. To find benefactors is the
problem"
Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler OF Columbia,
Is another university president who has ex-
pressed himself as favorable to the ideas
involved in the project up to now" he
| says, ut is true that the United states and
some Of the South American countries have
been competitors in the European markets.
But within recent years this country has
become an Industrial nation, while on the
other hand our population increases so
rapidly that the raw materials Of the coun-
try are already beginning to be scarce. In
the not distant future we shall be eating
bread prepared from Argentina wheat,
and we shall receive meats from the River
Platte just as our wool market has been
supplied in considerable part from South
America
THE time has come for a more complete
understanding. The Latin American peo-
| pie have hitherto seen our worst side They
know mostly the promoter the gold seeker,
the adventurer. They know little Of our
Institutions, our literature, our social and
domestic life.
1.-THE university is by nature an agent
| especially capable Of bringing about this
better understanding. It is already doing
some work Of this character. The Argen-
tine Republic, for example, has made n
beginning through the creation of a few
| scholarships for the study Of agriculture
and Of engineering in this country, though
| I personally question the wisdom Of off,
cially selecting the candidates. I am of
the opinion that such scholarships should
| be founded by institutions OF by individuals
Il
| Cecil Rhodes. Our Panamerican plan, at
all event, should include normal schools,
| together with study Of American philan-
| thropy and social activities"
| DR.. Butler holds that an office should be
| established to serve as a bureau Of in
| formation for young students, who come
to this country without definite ideas re-
| garding their future studies. "Our univer-
| Stiles" he adds, ''need also to be put IN
| touch with Latin American preparatory
| colleges The proposed bureau might Or
| ganize and conduct a system Of popular
| lectures by graduates of both North and
| South American institutions. All this,
| hope, will be done in time, and l can only
say that Columbia already feels the call to
a new duty"
! One OF the prime movers in this agita-
| ton for an era OF good understanding be-
| tween the countries of the two continents
is Dr. Josiah Strong, president Of the
| American Institute of Social Service, with
| headquarters in New York. DIR. Strong
thinks that Latin America can be made