The Washington herald., 1919-02-16

90 to a party at the Fan-American
Building for it makes me happy just
TO be therc-it Is so lovely. | heard
several people asking Monday even
ing who were the architects that had
done such splendid wOrk-it is un-
dOubte-iiy the most beautiful building
in WashinEtOn-So | inquired the next
day and learned that it WIS a French
architect, Paul CrCt. and an AmeIl-
can named Kelsey who turned out
together that work of art. Then John
Barrett is ALWAYS such delightful
genial host. and makes every on"
have a good time always. l have the
greatest admiration for John Barrett
anyway, and this city is certainly in
debted to him. among other things.
for the important part he played in
getting together the funds with which
to erect that bui1ding Andrew Car
negie gave something like 10000 to-
wards it, while the Pan-AmeriCan re-
publics belonging to the Union con-
tributed the rest The building and
the Pan-Amcrican Union is supported
by some twenty-one nations. all of
whom pay annual dues for the DTr-
pose, the amount OF their dues being
regulated by the size of their popula-
tions
According to the laws governing the
union the director general has to he
n North American and the assistant
, director general, a Datin-AmeriCan.
Francisco j. Yanes holds that office
now. The chief clerk has to be from
this continent-William A Reid is the
present chief clerk-and the librarian
must come from the countries to the
South of us. During the thirty years
or so that the union has existed. It
has gradually gotten toeether a very
valuable library. now concentrated in
the Pan American Building. 1t con-
tains about 1000 volumes and some
; %, coo photogra phs of people and places
| in South America.
I was surprised to learn that the
union was as old as it is. The move
ment to form the union was first ad-
vocated by a Mexican named Aspiroz
who served as ambassador. when
James G. Blaine was Secretary or
! State Another leader in forming the
union was the late Governor Nc
Creery of Kentucky, who was also In
Congress.
John Barrett became director gen
eral of the union in 1907 just after serv-
ing as minister of this country in
Colombia. He has made a wonderful
general.
The world war showed US all, as
never before the Importance of the
Pan American Union; the absolute
necessity of complete understanding
between the nations of this hem
isphere. The union helped to win
! the war. and now that the war is
over. the union is playing an in
portant part in aiding to get the
world settled properly back to a
peace basis again. The office force
of the Pan American Building is
buster these days than ever before,
as they are receiving daily thou
sands of letters from soldiers from
all parts of the world. asking for
/ informal ton concerning the South
American countries, with the idea
of settling there. Those republics
are going to play big part in the
reconstruction of the world.
The union publishes a magazine
monthly which is full of valuable
and interesting information con-
cerning the nations in the union.
1t is gotten out in four langua ges-
English. Spanish, French and Port
uGuese. The magazine has four ed
itors. one for each language. DR..
Angel Cesar Rivas is the Spanish
editor. He is from Venezuela. The
union has a governing board COM
posed of the ambassadors and min
listers to this country of the nations
belonging to the union. Robert
Lansing is chairman exofficio of the
board.
Franklin Adams. of the Pan
American Union staff is in South
America just now getting reac-
~--"i~toI aftar having heen away