The Springfield herald., 1908-05-15
INTERNATIONAL
UNION HOME
CARNEGlE'S GIFT TO TWENTY
ONE REPUBLICS OF NORTH
AND SOUTH AMERICA.
CORNERSTONE IS LAID
ADDRESSES BY PRESIDENT
ROOSEVELT, ANDREW CARN-
EGiE AND OTHERS.

Washington.-Unders splendid aus
pices OF patronage and beautiful
spring weather the corner stone
was laid Monday of the proposed
home for the International Union
of American Republics, or as Secretary
Root aptly called it. "a temple dedicat'
ed to international friendship"
The decorations were in keeping
with the occasion. Flags and colors OF
twenty-one American republics tioatel
In the breeze over the grandstands,
while the Goa of arms of these coun-
tries were displayed at many places
about the stands.
During the ceremony the flag OF
each of the twenty-one- countries rep
resented was hauled aloft by blue
Jacket from the Washington navy
yard and attached to a wire, and when
the last one had been placed in posi-
ton the group made n line of emblems
that stretched from one end of the
court to the other. AS they We're being
hauled up the Marine band played
strains from the national airs OF the
particular country the flag represented.
In the Presidents stand there were
seated the cabinet. the Supreme Court,
the diplomatic corps and members or
the Senate and House. Secretary Root
was the presiding officer. Cardinal GID
bons male the invocation.
There were addresses by the Presi-
dent, Secretary Root, Andrew Carnegie
and Brazilian Ambassador Nabuco,
and reading OF cabled messages of CON
graduation from the presidents of the
l-atin-American republics.
Bishop Cranston pronounced the
benediction.
President Roosevelt told his hear
ers. when the portion of his speech re-
lating to that subject was reached
that he was glad to hear them applaud
the battleship fleet. He believed in
peace and arbitration. he said, but he
also believed in keeping in such trim
that il shall be temptation to nobody
to wrong us.
Following the speech making and
the reading OF the congratulatory
cablegrams, the President and the
others who had participated. marched
to the center of the court, where the
cornerstone was ready TO be placed
in position. After greeting the head
Mason with a cordial grasp of the
hand, President Roosevelt was given
a trowel decorated with the American
republics colors. Taking several
trowelfuls of mortar he placed it on
the stone on which the cornerstone is
to rest and smoothed it out, the latter
act being in turn followed by the re-
naming members of the party. They
then returned to the grand stand.
where the benediction was pronounced.
In his address the President said:
This is a memorable occasion for
all the peoples of the Western hemis-
phere The building. the cornerstone
of which We lay today, emphasizes by
its existence the growing sense of SOL
idarity of interest and aspiration
among all the peoples OF the new
world.
AT the outset. on behalf of all of
us. wish TO thank Mr.. Carnegie for
his generous gift-a gift to all the ma
tions of the new world, and therefore
pre-eminently fitting as coming from
one who has so sincerely striven for
the cause of peace among nations.
In the next place, as President of
this republic, | greet the representa-
tives of all of our sister republics to
the south of us. In a sense you are
our elder sisters and we the younger
people. for you represent a more an
cient civilization on this continent than
we do"
Secretary Root said:
I'VE are here to lay the cornerstone
of the building which is to be the
home of the International Union Of
American Republics.
/ The public spirit and enthusiasm
for the good of humanity which have
inspired an American citizen, Mr.. An
drew Carnegie. in his administration
of great fortune, have led him to de-
vote the adequate and ample sum of
three-quarters of a million dollars to
the construction of the building.
Into the appropriate adornment
and fitting of the edifice will go the
contributions of every American re.
public, already pledged and, in a great
measure already paid into the fund OF
the union.
THE international union for which
the building is erected is voluntary
association. ,he members of which are
all the American nations from Cape
Horn to the great lakes
Ambassador Nabuco of Brazil spoke
for the Latin-American republics. say
ing:
Gentlemen. there has never been a
parallel for the sight which this cere
mony presents that of twenty-one ma
tions of different languages. building
together house for their common de
liberations. The more striking is the
scene as these countries. with all pos
sibIe differences between them in size
and population. have established their
union on the basis of the most absolute
equality.
so many sovereign states would not
have been drawn so spontaneously to
gether If there did not exist through
out them, at the bottom or at the tor
of each national conscience. the feel
, ing of destiny common to all Amer
ica."
, Pekin.-News was received here
Monday that 5000 rebels set out tc
march on Keng-Tsze. a treaty port or
the Songkoi river. A body of provin
I cial troops met and repulsed one col
umn al Man-Hao but the other col
umn, which is following the railroad
line, is now within thirty miles Of
, Meng-TsZe.