Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-02-17
bO0MCOMMERCE
OF THE CONTINENT
TRADE CONGRESS OF THE AMER
lcAN REPUBLICS
OPENS.
OPENING ADDRESS IS BY TAFT
Ne Wants Reciprocity Arrangements
Completed When Canal 10 Done
Many Distinguished Men TAX
inp Part In the Conference.

Washington, Feb. 13.-The CONNER
cial conference under the auspices OF
the Pan-American union, opened IN
this city today. Not far from thou
sand delegates are on hand.
The purpose of the conference, as
announced by Director General John
]. Barrett, is to develop active and
widespread interest in the opportuni'
ties for the extension of trade among
the American republics, or between
the United States and its twenty sfs'
ter countries situated south OF 1t. The
conference will also consider thor
oughly the important question OF prep
srstion for the advantageous use Of
the Panama canal.
Addresses by Taft and Knox.
Both the president and Secretary
Knox delivered addresses at the open
Ing session this afternoon. Addresses
were also made by several OF the
Latin-American ambassadors and min
listers and other distinguished officials
Tomorrow morning the practical
work OF the convention will begin ano
the sessions will continue morning
afternoon and night until Saturday.
There will be discussions of large
variety of subjects affecting trade con
ditions, conducted by the best ohicia'
and private experts in the country
The state department of the United
States is cooperating by detailing sew
eral Of its diplomatic and consular OF
fcers who have posts in Latin-Amer
lea to attend and participate, while
on the other hand, the diplomatic and
consular representatives of the Latis
American countries in the United
States have been invited to take part
In the discussions. The bureau Of
manufactures of the department Of
commerce and labor is likewise co
operating. A number Of the delegates
Of the United States to the lnterna
tional Conference of American Repub
lies. which was held last summer in
Buenos Aires. Argentine. will make
addresses.
No Politics Or Resolutions.
The conference is educational and
Informative, rather than controversial
No political or partisan issues will bs
debated and no resolutions adopted
Instead, moreover, of having lone
program containing list of addressei
and speakers, the talks will be infor
NAL, permitting of interruption at any
point and the asking of questions BY
the others present Certain designat
ed persons will be called upon to oper
the discussions, and they will be fol
lowed by others who may wish to en-
large upon what it said or to make
inquiries. In this way all the dele
gates in attendance will have an op
pOrtunity to participate actively in 1t.
proceedings.
Among the various persons Of ~
thority who are attending the confer
ence are Henry White, ex.ambassado
to Paris and chairman of the Unite
States delegation to the Pan-Amer
can conference in Buenos Aires
President j. A. Farrell Of the I'm
ted States Steel corporation; Levi
Nixon. the noted shipbuilder and DELE
gate to the Pan-American conferenc
In Buenos Aires; Ernest H. Wands
commissioner general of the Unite
States to the international exposition
in Buenos Airese; Charles H. Sheriff.
United States minister to the Argen
tine Republic; William E. Curtis, tn,
celebrated newspaper correspondent
Thomas c. Dawson, United State,
minister to Panama.; Col. Enoch H
Crowder, delegate to the Pan.Amer
lean conference at Buenos Aires; H
Percival Dodge, chief of the Latin
American division, state department
Charles M. Pepper and NJ. H. Davis
trade experts of the state department
A. B. Butman and w. A. Graham
Clark, special trade experts Of the de
partment Of commerce and labor
julius G. Lay, consul general Of tn,
United States to Rio de Janeiro, Bra
I'll; Frederic w. Cooling. consul of tn,
United States to La Guaira, Venezue
la.
The sessions are held in the new
building of the union, which was re
Gently dedicated to the cause of Pan
American cOmmerco and rom;<y