Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-07-21
ARRIVE
Americans on Ground for Rio
Conference to Open
Next Monday.
is AN IMPORTANT GATHERING
Many Matters Left Over from Former
Meetings of Kind Remain to Be
Discussed.

| Rio Janeiro, July 21.-The American
delegates to the international Ameri
can conference, with the exception OF
Van Leer Polk have arrived here
Secretary Root will reach Rio Janeiro
| the Goth.
One of Three.
The third International American
conference, which will be call
ed to order in the Brazilian
capital at Rio Janeiro Monday
next, is one of a great triology of Amer
lean family gatherings during the close
of the past and the beginning of the
present century destined, in the opinion
of publiciStS, to have a most important
bearing on the future of the nations
of the western hemisphere Conceived
in the mind of the late Secretary
Blaine. the idea of bringing into close
relations the different governments of
North, Central and South America had
not only a sentimental and political.
but also business like side that at
once attracted the attention of Europe.
Many Difficulties.
For up to the early 90's. owing in
large part to difficulties of communica-
ton; to lack of cables; to the mutual
absence of knowledge of the resources
of the two continents of the western
hemisphere, the commerce between
North and South America had been in
significant in volume and the CONNER
cial nations of Europe were monopoliz-
ing the trade of Latin-America
So to meet this condition and 10 eff
feet an exchange of natural and manu-
factured commodities to the mutual
benefit of the countries of North, Cen
trail and South America after many
months of negotiation necessary to al
lay the jealousies of the lesser states.
in October. 1889. Representatives of all
the republics of the three Americas
gathered in Washington and. after a
brief tour of the principal Industrial
cities of the country. were called to
order by Secretary Blaine to consider
measures for the comIaon veal.
Subjects Inc,,ortant.
Many important subjects were dis
cussed during the conference: in fact
it has been thought that the program
was too pretentious, bat substantial re-
suits were achieved. The survey for
the intercontinental railway. now max
ing rapid strides toward completion,
was inaugurated. Provision was made |
for securing uniformity of customs reg
so far as the different business
methods of the various countries would |
rT~I,
lies was created and is now doing use |
full work. An advance was made to- |
ward general reciprocity though the |
project has even yet failed to reach |
fruition A monetary commission was
had with sensible benefit to the cur
rency relations of the American repub |
lies. The metric system moved ahead |
another step; being authorized in the
customs service of the United States
and other countries. These were all |
valuable achievements. but there was |
more to be done and the conference
recommended that the work be carried |
by another congress.
Second in Mexico.
This second conference was held in
the City of Mexico. in 1902, while
many of its recommendation have not
yet been generally carried into effect,
this second gathering also was pro-
ductive of good. What was accom-
plished was this: the approval of Guat-
emala, Salvador and Honduras of all
the twenty-three instruments signed at
the Hague. the approval of the United
States of the convention for the ex-
change of publications; the treaty on
pecuniary claims and the scheme for
he reorganization of the bureau of
American republics, the approval by
several of the South and Central Amer
can nations of some of the most i'm
portant of the treaties proposed by
he second conference; subsequent con-
crosses which adopted regulations for
he improvement of customs regula-
ions; sanitation of American port cit
es and the regulation of the coffee
growing industry.
Left Much Unfinished.
But this conference also left behind
/ unfinished work, hence the gathering
1T Rio today. The City of Mexico con-
ference felt that the ten year period
by the original conference for
he holding of such family gatherings
vas too long and proposed a five year
period.
So the Rio conference will open under
CONTINUED on Page Eight.)