The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-01-12


in the years 10O1-O2, provided for the
holding Of the third conference within
five years, and committed the fixing oi
the time and place and the arrange
meuts for the conference to the gov
erning board of the bureau of Amcri.
can republics, composed of the repre-
sentatiyes of all the American nations
in Washington. That board discharged
the duties imposed upon it with marked
fidelity and painstaking care, and, upon
the courteous invitation of the United
States of Brazil, the conference was
held at Rio Janeiro, continuing from
the 23rd of July to the 29th of August
last Many subjects of common inter
est TO all the American nations were
discussed by the conference, and tire
conclusions reached, embodied in a series
of resolutions and proposed conventions,
will be laid before you upon the coming
in of the final report of the American
delegates. They contain many matters
of Importance relating to the extension
of trade, the increase of communication,
the smoothing away of barriers to free
intercourse, and the promotion of n be-
ter knowledge and good understanding
between the different countries repre-
sented The meetings of the conference
were harmonious and tire conclusions
were reached with substantial unanimity.
1t is interesting to observe that in the
successive conferences which have been
held the representatives of the different
American nations have been learning
To work together effectively, for, while
the first conference in Washington IN
1889 and the second conference in Mex
leo in 19O1-O2, occupied many months
with much time wasted in an unregu-
lated and frutiless discussion, the third
conference at Rio exhibited much of the
facility in the practical dispatch of bust
ness which characterizes permanent de-
Lucrative bodies, and completed its la
bors within the period of six weeks ORR
ginally allowed for its sessions.
Quite apart from the specific value
of the conclusions reached by tire con
ference, the example of the representa-
tives of all the American nations en-
gagng in harmonious and kindly con
sideration and discussion of subjects OF
common interest is itself of great and
substantial value for the promotion OF
reasonable and consderate treatment OF
all international questions. The thanks
of this country are due to the Govern
ment of Brazil and to the people of Rio
Janeiro for the generous hospitality with
which our delegates, in common with the
others, were received, entertained and
facilitated in their work.
incidentally to the meeting of the
conference the Secretary of State visit
ed the city of Rio Janeiro and was cor
daily received by the conference, OF
which he was made an honorary presl-
dent. The announcement of his lnten-
ton to make this visit was followed by
most courteous and urgent invitations
from nearly all the countries OF South
America to visit them as the guest of
their Governments. 1t was deemed that
by the acceptance of these invitations
we might appropriately express the real
respect and friendship in which we hold
our sister republics Of the southern CON
tinent, and the Secretary accordingly
visited Brazil Uruguay, Argentina, Chile
Peru, Panama and Colombia. lie re
Trained from visiting Paraguay Boil
via and Ecuador only because the dis
lance of their capitals from the seaboard
made it impracticable with the time at
his disposal lie carried with HIM a
message of peace and friendship and oil
strong desire for good understanding
and mutual helpfulness, and he was eV-
erywhere received in the spirit OF his
message. The members of government
the press. the learned professions the
men of business, and the great masses
of the people united everywhere in EN-
phatic response to his friendly express
sions and in doing honor to the country
and cause which he represented.
In many parts of South America there
has been much misunderstanding of the
attitude and purposes of the United
States toward the other American repub-
lies. An idea had become prevalent that
our assertion of the Monroe doctrine i'm
piled, or carried with it, an assumption
of superiority and of a right to exer
else some kind Of protectorate over thu
countries to whose territory that doe.
trine applies. Nothing could be farther
from the truth. Yet that impression
continued to be serious barrier TO good
understanding, to friendly intercourse, tC
the introduction of American capital anC
the extension Of American trade The
impression was so widespread that ap
parently it could not be reached by any
ordinary means
1t was part Of Secretary Roots mis-
sion to dispel this unfounded impress
sion, and there is just cause to believe
that he has succeeded. In an address
to the third conference at Rio on July
31st-an address of such note that
send it in, together with this message
he said:
1--WE wish for no victories but thos,
of peace; for no territory except oul
own; for no sovereignty except the soy
ereignty over ourselves. We deem tn
independence and equal rights of tin
smallest and weakest member of the
family of nations entitled to as mucl
respect as those of the greatest empire
and we deem the observance of tina