The National tribune., 1908-05-14
UNION OF AMERICAS.
Beautiful Ceremonies Attend Corner
stone Laying of the Bureau of Ameri-
can Republics Building.

The cornerstone of the Bureau of
American Republics Building was laid
last Monday with great ceremony and
much pomp for a Republic" The
ceremony was necessary to please all
the various high-up bodies of men in
vited because If one of them had pre-
ceded the other out of place there would
have been a catacIysm, and the pomp
was necessary to impress the various
foreigners who took place and part in
the exercises.
The building is to be a beautiful spec
linen of the architects planning, and
will be constructed of white marble.
The location is not as fine as it might
be, but its associations are historic. 1t
is down on the flats below and back of
the White House stables. 1t is in the
vicinity of the Corcoran Art Gallery and
Continental Memorial Hall, the pet
project of the Daughters, which they
are wishing with all their hearts was
up on dry land, so to speak, and near
transportation lines. AS it is, they have
to walk about five blocks or pay ex-
cessive carriage hire. and the new
building is block further east, toward
the Potomac The ground is what is
known as the Davy Burns-Van Ness
property.
-Four reviewing stands were erected
about a big open court, and the court
itself was fully seated, with the great
cornerstone right in the center. Tick
cts were issued to the number of 5000,
and that being the capacity of the seat
ing accommodations there was noI
crowding. The decorations were of the
colors of the rainbow. being those in
the flags of the South American Repub-
lies represented All the flags of these
countries were turned loose on the soft
Spring breeze, and made a very pretty
picture, indeed. The women, who made
by large odds the larger part of the
audience, were gowned elegantly, and
the scene was indeed a beautiful one.
All the great dignitaries of the coun-
try were present. The Presidents stand
was on the north side. Members of
his Cabinet and other high Government
officials had seats near him. On his
right sat the members of the Diplomatic
Corps. Seated at the Presidents right
in the front row was Mrs. Roosevelt
and at his left Senior Joaquin Nabuco,
the Brazilian ambassador. Next Senior
Nabuco sat Cardinal Gibbons, and next
him sat Bishop Cranston. of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church. Secretary ofl
State Root, the presiding officer, sat
next Mrs. Roosevelt. Next Secretary
Root sat Andrew Carnegie. who gave ,
$3.50, 900 toward the construction of the
building, and whose face beamed with |
delight. He was accompanied by Mrs. |
Carnegie. John Barrett. the Director of
the Bureau and it's most active and
Jealous apostle, also had a seat near
the President. Others noticed in the
Presidents stand were Gen. Horace |
Porter. Archbishop John Ireland, Mr. |
and Mrs. Nicholas Longworth and Will
liam Loeb. Jr., Secretary to the Presi- !
dent.
Secretary Root Praised.
The full Marine Band made the mu-
sic. The speakers included President |
Roosevelt, who spoke of the significance |
of the occasion, and took occasion to re-
fer in most praiseworthy terms to Sec
retary of State Root, to whom he !
ascribed the power that had brought all
the South American Republics into line
for this great building.
After the Introduction of SecretaryI
Root as presiding officer by John Bar
rett, Director of the Bureau, the Marine
Band played special Pan-AmericanI
hymn, embodying strains from the Ma
tional airs Of the 21 American Repub-
lies. AS the band began to play each
National anthem the flag of that coun-
try was raised high in the air, until
all 81 flags, forming a long line acrossl