The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-12

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 in his administration of a great fortune, have led him to devote the adequate and ample sum of three quarters of a million dollars to the construction of the build ing.
 Into the appropriate adornment and fit ting of the edifiee will go the eontribu- l tions of every American republic, already 1 pledged and in a great measure already paid into the fund of the union
 International Union.
 The International union for which the building is erected is a voluntary associa- tion the members of which are all the American nations from Cape Horn to tn the great lakes It had it's origin in the 1 first pan-American conference held at l Washington in 1889. and it has been de- veloped and improved in efficiency under l the resolutions of the succeeding confer ences in Mexico and Brazil. Its primary object is to break down the barriers of mutual ignorance between the nations of America by collecting and making ac- cessible furnishing and spreading infor- nation about every country among the people of every other country in the union to facilitate and stimulate intercourse, trade, acquaintance, good understanding, fellowship and sympathy. For this pur-
  bureau or office under the direction of a governing board composed of the official representatives of all. the republics and having a director and secretary, with force of assistants and translators and clerks
 The board hass stablshed a rapidly in creasing library of history. travel, descrip- ton, statistics and literature of the Amer ican nations. It publishes a monthly bull letin of current public events and exist ing conditions in all the united countries which is circulated in every country. It carries on an enormd bus correspondence with every part of both continents ans wering the questions of seekers for infor- ma tion about the laws, customs, condi- tions, opportunities and personnel of the different countries; and it has become medium of introduction and guidance for International intercourse.
 The governing board is also a permanent committee charged with the duty of seeing that the resolutions of each pan-Amercan conferences are carried out and that suit able preparation is made for the next sue ceeding conference.
 Work of the Bureau.
 The increasing work of the bureau has greatly outgrown the facilities of it's cramped quarters on Pennsylvania ave- nue, and now at the close of it's second decade and under the influence of the great movement of awakened sympathy between the American republics the Union stands upon the threshold of more ample opportunity for the prosecution of it's beneficent activity.
 Many noble and beautiful public build ings record the achievements and illus trate the impulses of modern civilization. Temples of religion, of patriotism, of learning, of art, of justice abound; but mil1 sta all ret Of its kinda temple dedicated to interna- tional friendship. It will be devoted to the diffusion of that international knowl edge which dlspels national prejudice and liberalizes national judgment. Here will be fostered the growth of that sympathy born of similarity in good impulses and noble purposes, which draws men of diff ferent races and countries together into community of nations, and counteracts the tendency of selfish instincts to array nations aganist each other as enemies. From this source shall spring mutual helpfulness between all the American re- publics, so that the best knowledge and experience and courage and hope of every republic shall lend moral power to sus- tain and strengthen every other in it's struggle to work out its problems and to advance the standard of liberty and peace with justice within itself, and so that no people in all of these continents, however oppressed and discouraged, however inn poverlshed and torn by disorder shall fail to feel that they are not alone in the world, or shall fail to see that for them better day may dawn, as for others the sun has already risen.
 Peaceful Settlement.
 It is too much to expect that there will not be controversies between American nations to whose desire for harmony we now bear witness but to every eontro- versy will apply the truth that there are no international controversies so serious that they cannot be settled peaceably if both parties really desire peaceable set tlement, while there are few causes of dispute so triling that they cannot be made the occasion of war if either party really desires war. The matters in dis pute between nations are nothing; the spirit which deals with them is every thing.
 The graceful courtesy of the 20 repub- lies who have agreed upon the capital of the United States for the home of this international union, the deep appreciation of that courtesy shown by the American government, and this representative American citizen, and the work to be done within the walls that are to rise on this site cannot fail to be powerful influences toward the creation of a spirit that will solve all disputed questions of the future and preserve the peace of the Western World
 May the structure now begun stand for many generations to come as the visible evidence of mutual respect esteem, ap- preciation, and kindly feeling between the peoples of all the republics; may pleasant memories of hospitality and friendship gather about it, and may all the Amer icas come to feel that for them this place is home, for it is theirs the product of common effort and the instrument of a