Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-05-11
President Roosevelt Takes
Chief Role and Makes an
Address.
ISAN IMPORTANT EVENT
Tangible Evidence of Desire
for an End of War-.-Prop-
erty of All.

Washington, May IL President
Roosevelt at o'clock this afternoon
laid the corner stone of the first inter-
national temple of peace, friendship
and commerce, yet to be erected, tan
gible evidence of the desire of u
American republics that war shall be
no more in the western world and that
material prosperity promoted by in
ternational trade shall take its place.
Heads of Government. Take Part.
Fitting the historical Importance of
the event, the exercises were made i'm
pressive by the participation by heads
of each of these republics. Following
addresses by President Roosevelt, Sec
retary Root, Ambassador Nabuce of
Brazil, and Andrew Carnegie, a cabled
sentiment expressing the hearty APP
proval of each president will be read.
Cardinal Gibbons and Bishop Gran
ston pronounced the invocation and
benediction, and the United States
marine band rendered selections of
pan-American music especially prepar-
ed for the occasion.
Is Joint Property.
The new building is to be the joint
property of all the republics. The site
/ is provided by the American congress,
and consists of the historic old Van
ness home within a few hundred yards
of the White house, adjacent to the
state, war, and navy building. Three
quarters of a million dollars toward
the construction of the building was
contributed by Carnegie, while each
republic has added an appropriation to
the fund. Invitations to the exercises
were accepted by the entire diplomatic
corps in Washington, as well as by
high officials in all branches of the
American government.
The Presidents Address.
In laying the corner stone, the pres
ident said:
This is a memorable occasion for
all the peoples of the western hem
isphere. The building, the corner
stone of which we lay today, empha
sizes by it's existence the growing
sense of solidarity of interest and as
piration among all the peoples of the
new world. 1t marks our recognition
of the need to knit ever closer together
all the republics of the western hem
isphere, through the kindly bonds o.
mutual justice, good will, and sympa
thetic comprehension.
Thanks for Carnegie.
''At the outset, on behalf of'all of us
| wish to thank Mr.. Carnegie for hi.
generous gift-a gift to all the nations
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 fol
while we have yet long path to treat
before we can speak with any Ger
tainty of the day when wars shal
cease from the earth, we of this west
ern hemisphere, by movements such al
taken great strides toward securing
permanent peace among ourselves.
Thanks Republics.
''In the next place, as president O
this republic, | greet the representa-
tives of all our sister republics to tn,
south of us. In a sense, you are on
elder sisters and we the younger pee
pie, for you represent more ancien
civilization on this continent than w
do. Your fathers, the Spanish am
Portuguese explorers, conquerors, Law
givers. and commonwealth builders
bod foupdpd n Ao,,richino ,;,,;I;1at;o
in the tropics and south temperat
zone, while all America north of tn
Rio Grande was still unmapped wilder
ness. Your people had founded Amer
can universities, were building beaut
full cities, were laying deep the fouI
dations of future national life, at man
different points In the vast territor
stretching from the Colorado to tn
Plata, before the ships of the Frencl
man and the Englishman, the Swed
and the Hollander, had found perm
nent havens on the North Atlanti
seacoast. For centuries our sever;
civilizations grew each in its own wa
but each sundered from the other
Now we are growing together.
Refers to Fleets Cruise.
"Our battle fleet has just finished i
trip around South America, and wis
to thank the rulers and the peoples
South America and of Mexico for Il
generous and courteous hospitali
which has been shown this fleet {