Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-31
WELDING THE TWO AMERICAS
by FREDERIC J. HAskIy

WASHINGTON. May 3o.-The United
States put through one OF the world s
biggest Jobs when IL separated North
America from South America with n
Panama Canal. All the while the
Canal was being built n work Just as
great and just as important was going
on with just the opposite purpose
the welding of TWO continents
While the Continents of North and
south America were being cut apart
physically every effort was being made
10 bring them together financially. com
mercially, and. SO TO speak, psyche
logically. The latter work is still go
ing on, harder than ever. II is pretty
generally realized that our prosperity
AFTER the war is going TO be- TO an
important extent dependent on our
Latin American relations The latest
Federal body whose purpn.c Is 10 ce-
ment those relations bears the i'm
posing title Of the International High
Commission
The International High Commission
Is an imposing organization. II con-
SIs's OF score Of national sections
one from each OF the American re
publics The Secretary Of the Treas-
ury or the Minister OF Finance Of each
republic is chairman OF his national
section by virtue OF his Office The
rest OF the section consists of not more
man nine members. drawn from the
reading financial and commercial OK
perts or the country in question Thus
inc commission represents an impres-
siNe aggregation of talent and special
knowledge brought TO bear on the
problem OF trade and intercourse be-
iween the American republics
nc commission. as whole, includes
~" members. Secretary McAdoo is
general chairman. The American Soc
,ion includes such men as John Rassett
Moore, OF Columbia University: T,ul
MarburE. of the Federal Reserve
p ponr"; samuel Cntermyer. OF the New
orK Bar, and Il. II. Gary, OF the United
states Steel Corporation. The recent
trip or Secretary McAdoo's marty 70
south America was made TO attend m.
hrst meeting in Buenos Aires. The
,i'",.ers taken up there arc particu-
Mhnt experts consider the leading
Proploms TO he solved In doing bust
ness with South America.
Commission IL Advisory BODY.
IN spite OF the fact that the sec
ions OF the commission are. sanctioned
and financed by the various govern
ments-an act OF Congress appropriateness
$4,000 to meet the expenses OF tho
american section. TO be Immediately
available and to remain so until .r-
pended-the commission Is distinctlv
an advisory body. It's activities ars
nihiteu 10 discussion and recomDend.
tion. but the character Of It's makn-un
Elves us recommendations a Erea, deal
OF force. and many of them nre I,koI,.
10 he enacted into law i'm the various
,epuniics. Broad!y stated. the under
Sing idea or the commission and It's
IA
uiHerent countries 10 get together and
uecide on what ought 10 he done in
the way OF legislation and commercial
agreement. They are then ready to
ADVISE their national business men
aiu iesisiators and each section Is
supposed 10 work in its own country
Tor the adoption OF the Recommended.
tons OF the whole body.
a great variety OF points came up for
consideration. One of tho most inter.
cstihs was the renewal OF the project
Tor a trunk line railway copncci,nr
North and South America Tie ,ern,;
hais OF such line would be located in
New York and Buenos Aires. When
me line Is completed IL will be possible
10 buy ticket in any part of the
on'.ed states for almost any OF the
capitals OF South America The com
mission regards the intcrcontinentaI
railway idea as both practical and
highly desirable.
Inc total distance from New York
10 Buenos Aires is over 10000 miles,
put, OF course, the greater part of the
routing would be over lines aIreodv In
operation. About 400 miles, in fact
nave already been built and are beint,
operated. There are still gaps. how
ever, totaling almost 5000 miles, and
thcse gaps. unfortunately come in
very mountainous regions. such ms
colombia and Ecuador, in South Amer
ica. In calculating the sections already
huiit the railways OF Mexico are in
GUIDED although at the moment they
are ho naaIy out of commission. The
whole undertaking would undoubtedly
be one of great magnitude and diff
Guilty, but there is something in the
nature OF it that appeals to the Ameri-
can desire to do big things indus
trially. and that fires the Latiu-Ameri
can imagination. The present genera
uon may Well live long enough to buy
a ticket in New York for Buenos Aires
recommends Standard Unit.
announcer important thing that the
commission agreed to recommend TO its
various governments was the adoption
or standard gold unit of currency for
all the American republics. This unit
VIII be known as the American franc
It's adoption marks something of n
victory for the United States section,
ana one that should prove a boon to
our business men. Many OF the South
American delegates originally desired
the French franc as a gold currency
unit. This would be an awkward one
to translate into terms Of dollars and
cents. The American franc will be a
gold coin Of the exact fineness of the
United States gold dollar, and worth
exactly 20 cents in United States cur
rency.
When definitely adopted by the South,
American republics. this coin will re-
main for time n purely theoretical
unit. like the English guinea, which
is no longer coined; hut certain fees