The Benson signal., 1916-09-30
QL72EyzE12 d2zY 6A7oz2ETT

oWNNMV the Continental hall Of the
&g Daughters of the Ameri-
WMT can Revolution, is what
many judges Of the fine in
architecture have declared to be the
most beautiful building in the capital
Of the United States. 1t is the home
Of the Pan-American union, of which
John Barrett is the director general.
In this building every little while
there is meeting which has no cOun-
terpart in any other country of the
world. In beautiful hall and about
magnificent table made of South
American woods gather the ambassa-
doris and ministers Of all the American
republics. The secretary of state of
the United States of America presides
at the meeting.
In foreign countries a few diplo-
mats sometimes meet to discuss mat
terS OF grave moment to their coun-
trles. There is no general meeting
sucn as that which takes place in the
city of Washington. Only on the rarest
occasions in the European capitals do
the representatives of all the coun-
tfles gather for conclave. The
threat of war generally brings the
foreign representatives together in
most or the capitals of the world.
In the city of Washington, in the
Pan-American union building, the
ambassadors and ministers Of the
South American countries meet to con-
Ter with one another and with the
secretary of state of the United States
on subjects of peace and amity and
IN the endeavor to make stronger the
bonds of union which hold together
all the republics of the West.
The Pan-American union was or
ganized 26 years ago. In that year
there was a Pan-American conference
following q former conference which
was held in Washington in the winter
of the year previous. James G. Blaine,
then secretary Of state, presided at
the first conference. To Blaine per-
haps more than to any other American
is due the credit for the inception of
the idea of an organization which
would bind closely together the west
ern republics For long time the
organization was known as the "Bu-
reau of American Republics"
In writing about Pan-Americanism
and the Pan-American union, John
Barrett. the present director. said:
beginning on a small scale, it has
now grown into position of power
and usefulness where it can be de-
scribed as the most comprehensive
and practical international institution
at least it has been so described by
eminent statesmen not only in the
United States, but in Europe. AS evil
dence of the way it is regarded in Eu-
rope, it can be cited that recently one
of the most prominent English states
men remarked that. IF there had been
a Pan-EurOpean union. fashioned upon
the Pan-American union at Washing
ton, with it's headquarters = London,
or Paris. or Berlin. or Vienna, there
never would have been a European
war;"
The present home of the Pan-Ameri-
can union was built in the years 1905
90. The corner stone was laid in the
spring of 1908 in the presence of 5000
persons, among whom were the men,
bers Of the Supreme court the cabinet,
the house and senate, the diplomatic
corps and President Roosevelt. Sec
retary of State Root, Bishop Gran
ston of the Methodist church, Cardinal
Gibbons of the Roman Catholic church
and Andrew Carnegie, the latter Of
whom made the Pan-American union
building possible by the gift of large
sum of money.
One gets from what Elihu Root said
on the occasion Of the laying of the
corner stone an idea Of the scope of
the work of the institution and of the
spirit which keeps it alive.
Mr.. Root said: "This building is to
he in it's most manifest utilitarian serv-
ice. q convenient instrument for assO-
citation and growth of mutual knOwl-
edge among the people of the different
republics The library maintained
here, the books and journals acces-
sible here, the useful and interesting
publications of the bureau, the enor-
nous correspondence carried on with
seekers for knowledge about Ameri-
can countries, the opportunities now
Thn Narv Cor%