The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-01-22
CARNEGIE GIFT AIDS
AMER. REPUBLICS
Donation of Permanent Home
for Bureau is Likely to
Promote Trade.

Inc munlncence OF Andrew Car
J negie in Offering three-quarters of a
million dollars to pay for the erection
| of a permanent building for the bur-
! eau of American republics has direct
ed public attention to that institution,
which is capable Of much greater USE
fulness than it has ever shown. Mr..
I; Carnegie feels a personal interest in
it because he was present and assisted
at its birth. 1t originated at the first
| international American conference in
| 1889, OF which he was member, ana
was suggested by curious circun-
stance. When the delegates from six
teen American nations arrived in
Washington to attend that conference,
they We're treated to the most remark
able railway excursion ever known.
y train of five Pullman cars was pro-
vided for them, and carried them
upon a journey OF 5000 miles for nine
weeks at 4 cost for the government
OF the United States of more than
100000. The expense would have been
much greater but for the hospitality
offered them by the citizens of the
places visited. They Went as far east
as Portland. Me-, as far west as
Omaha. and as far south as Louisville,
aad saw pretty much everything there
is to see within those limits-social
commercial, industrial and education
al. They were entertained in most
sumptuous manner everywhere, and
met thousands Of the best men and
women in this country. They saw
our most celebrated universities, the
greatest industrial establishments in
the world: they visited Niagara Falls
and Mammoth Cave, West Point and
Annapolis, and every other spot of
peculiar interest; but what impressed
them most was the ignorance of the
people Of the United States concern
ing the countries they came from
Their children knew all about the
United States their newspapers have
correspondents in our great cities, and
their magazines are constantly filled
with articles descriptive of our Gus
toms and conditions, hence they were
naturally astonished that so little
was known among the educated peo-
pie of La Grande Republica, as they
call our country, about their affairs
and progress and civilization.
| The climax occurred at a banquet
| given in their honor in Washington,
where Il justice of the United States
| supreme court sat at the table be-
tween Carlos Martinez Silva of Col
umbia and Judge Alfonso, chief JUS
tice of the supreme court of Chile.
These two gentlemen were among the
most distinguished of the delegates;
they were eminent all over the south
ern continent for their ability and
their learning, and were as familiar
with the affairs of the United States
and European nations as. they were
with their own. Several times during
the course of the evening they were
shocked by the ignorance of their dis
tinguished neighbcr concerning Cen
trail and South America, and finally,
| when he asked DR.. Silva what Ian
guage was spoken in his country, he
was too much overcome to reply. The
same question was asked of Judge
Alfonso, who quietly answered that
his fellow citizens spoke the Spanish
language.
The next morning these delegates
related their experience to their col
legues and described their amazement,
and DR.. Silva suggested that the first
duty OF the conference should be to
organize bureau of information to
educate the justice of the supreme
bench of the United States and other
ignorant Americans concerning the
geography of the hemisphere. The
suggestion was heartily approved, and
after the usual formalities resolu
ton was passed recommending the
establishment of what is known as the
Bureau OF American Republics. Each
| of the American nations pays it's
share of the expense of maintenance
according to it's population, and the
primary purpose is to keep our peo-
| pie informed of the resources, the
\ commerce and the history of our near
est neighbors
Thus far it has occupied rented
building Shortly after its establish
ment, through the influence of Mr..
Blaine, both houses of congress apprO-
priated 100000 for the erection of a
suitable building, but Mr.. Holman of
Indiana, who bitterly opposed the
project, played one of his familiar
tricks and ran his pencil through the
item before it reached the enrolling
clerk, SO that the provision did not
appear in the law as approved by the
president. Various legislation has
since been directed to the same end
and, as Secretary Root stated in~his
letter to Mr.. Carnegie the other day,
there is already available for the cree
ton of bhilding an appropriation of
more than $25O,000, which, added to
Mr.. Carnegie's gift, makes the sum
available more than s1,O00,0OO.- VIM.
z. Curtis in Chicago Record-Herald.