Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-24

reau President Taft has accepted ar
invitation to be present and 1t Is eX-
pected the diplomatic corps and officers
of the army and navy will attend in full
uniform.
The receiving line will form in the Hall
of the Republics Supper will be served
In the Columbus Library room and on the
adjoining marble terrace.
Official Diplomatic Institution.
The international bureau Of the Ameri-
can republics, which Is to occupy this
new building, is an official diplomatic in
stitution Of worldwide influence main
tanned by the annual contributions. made
in proportion to population, Of the twen-
ty-one American republics, including the
United States. 1t is controlled by a gov
erning board consisting Of the diplomatic
representatives In Washington of these
American nations, and its affairs are ad-
ministered by a director elected by the
unanimous vote of the governing board
He is. therefore. an international officer
and has the rank of envoy extraordinary
and minister plenipotentiary.
The present director is John Barrett,
who has served sixteen years In the dip
lomatic service of the United States. His
first post was United States minister to
Siam and in succession he has acted as
United States minister to the Argentine
Republic, to Panama and to Colombia
He was also special commissioner of COM
merce in Asia, delegate of the United
States to the second Pan-American con-
ference in Mexico, and commissioner gen.
eral of foreign affairs of the ST. Louis
worlds exhibition. Director Barrett's i'm
mediate predecessors were William w.
Rockhill, now United States ambassador
to Russia, and W. c. Fox, now United
States minister to Ecuador
The secretary Of the bureau. who acts
as the first assistant to the director and
as secretary of the governing board, Is
Francisco J. Vanes, a native of Vene-
Zuela. and one of the best informed men
on the countries. peoples, history and
development OF Latin America. The euI-
tor of the Monthly Bulletin, the official
publication of the bureau, is Franklin
Adams, who has visited and studied every
part Of South America. Among its ex-
tors are William c. Wells, Emilio NJ.
Amores and DR.. Albert Hale.
Bureaus Activities.
The important and practical work Of
the international bureau. which is de-
voted to the development of commerce,
friendship and peace among the Ameri-
can nations, is shown by such facts as
these: 1t employs a large staff of diplo
matte. statistical and commercial ex-
perts; it conducts correspondence in
English. Spanish. Portuguese and French
amounting to 10000 letters per annum;
it publishes a monthly bulletin descrip-
tive Of the progress and conditions of
the American republics. which President
Taft has described as the most instruc-
tive and interesting official publication
in the world: 1t distributes several hun
dred thousand pamphlets, maps, hand
books and other printed descriptive data
concerning these countries: it acts as an
agency to make the different govern
ments and peoples Of America better &C
quainted with each other; it holds vari-
GUS conferences from time to time IF the
nations supporting 1t to consider ways
and means Of promoting peace, good I'M
Outstanding and commerce among them
all, and 1t was directly responsible last
year for SOP ,OO0.O 600 Of new business In
the exchange of trade among the Ameri-
can republics.