Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-07-21
~. ION JoHN r

BY HON. JOHN BARRETT.
The Bureau of the American Re
publics, the Pan-American bureau, as
1t is at times called, is a unique lnstl-
tuition in the history Of the worlds IN
ternational relations. 1t was founded
IS years ago, in Washington, during
the session of the first Pan-Amerlcan
conference, which was presided over
by James G. Blaine. There was moth
ing premeditated about its origin. me
purpose of the early founders was
simply to provide some place where
there could be collected information
as to the production and commerce,
the customs, laws and regulations OF
the countries forming the conference.
This bureau, then called the Com
mercial Bureau of the American ne
publics, was the official organ OF an
association entitled The Information
al Union Of American Republics, COM
posed of the independent nations OF
the western hemisphere. The number
has now become 81.
The list of directors who have adj
ministered the affairs of the bureau
since it was organized is as follows:
William e. Curtis, ~1890-1S93; Clinton
Kurdish 1S93-1897; Joseph P. Smith,
1S97-1898; Frederic Emory, lS9S-lS99;
w. w. Rockhill 1S99-1905; John Bar
rett 1907. The present director, Mr..
Barrett, has been United States MN
lister to several .Latin-Amerlcan coun-
tries, including Argentina, Panama
and Colombia. He was also a delegate
at the second Pan-Americanz confer
ence at Mexico in 1901, COMMISSIONS
general of~-foreign affairs at the st
Louis exposition in 1902-03, and at the
beginning of his diplomatic career
United States minister to Siam In
Asia.
For the first ten years after It's or
ganization the bureau was busy in
compiling. editing and arranging the
documents and data collected under
the supervision of the directors by the
cooperation of several republics com
posing it's membership.
Work Done by Bureau.
I'm to June 1905, CT pamphlets and
special publications had been issued
including h%andbooks of IA republics
The character of these was OF grea'
interest to the people, no only OF the
United States, but also of other coun
tries of the world, because such a sys
tematic presentation of the history
geography, social and commercial
!; conditions of governments and PEG
pies bound together by a common; tie
had never before been attempted. II
October. 1893, there appeared the
first number of what was called the
Monthly Bulletin, which was a repor'
on coffee, the intention of he bureau
/, being to issue similar reports on 9th
er products at regular intervals. II
: December, 1898, this monthly bulletir
l began to contain news items, data o
' general information, and condensed
notes of the republics composing thu
union. From that date it assumed thu
form and character of a magazine
r which has been successfully maintain
ed to the present day. In July, 1894
the bulletin was published in botl
:. English and Spanish; in April. 1895
Portuguese articles were added; i
Nav, 1896, French was also introduo
g ed. In August, 1896, the bulletin reg
5 ularly appeared in those four lar
= guages, English, Spanish, Portuguese
e and French, to recognize in this wa
the organic share Of each race in tn
: conduct and development of he bt
q reau.
In June, 1904, appeared the frs
e number of a commercial code, a dl'
e tionary and translation of bushes
X terms current throughout the repul
lies of the Union. This has now bee
a finished in three volumes. one eac
for English. Spanish and Portuguese
and is considered a most valuable an
trustworthy addition to the workin
knowledge of the whole industrial an
educational world.
I'd The Columbus Memorial Library
- an integral part and an important fe
:, ture of the international bureau.
Vi addition to the collection of gener'
70 literature on Latin America, which |
cludes over 13, 900 volumes dealiI
Of with the historical, descriptive, soci
lg and political phases of life In all Il
IL republics, the library has an unusu;
" large and constantly growing CT
Nv lection of official documents and pub
cations relating to the statistical al
to commercial conditions Of the mel
nj bers of the International Union. Ce
tainly in no one place In the VOL
.p car so much valuable material on tn
y, particular line be found under a sing
IS roof; daily and weekly newspaper
ey monthly reviews. official reports al
SIS. government studies similar to tho
is of the United States departments
rs agriculture and of commerce and
bor, diarios ofciales (congressior
records) and many miscellaneo
pamphlets come TO the shelves of t
library regularly and are on file
ct,,denis and readers uhn wish to q