Evening star., 1920-01-19
SIXTY DELEGATES
OPEN NPAN-AMER|CA
MEETING TODAY
Second Financial Conference
Takes Up important inter-
national Questions.

commerce of direct interest to twenty
republics of the new world were today
laid before the second pan-American
financial conference when it was called
to order by Secretary Glass of the
Treasury Department in the Hall of the
Americas at the Pan-American building.
Sixty delegates from Central and South
American countries and 300 men, repre-
sentative of the financial and industrial
| life of the United States, were present
, at the initial session. where Secretary
Glass read letter of welcome from
| President Wilson. Brief addresses of
| welcome were made by Secretary Lam
/ sing of the State Department and by
| John Barrett, director general of the
| Pan-American Union. and responses
were made by the principal members
OF the foreign delegations.
| The afternoon has been given over
to group meetings. the delegation from
each country meeting separately with a
| committee of business ,-E-71, q Of the United
States and discussing matteyJ of pc
culiar interest to that group. Whatever
develops of general interest, such as
questions of broad trade policy. will
be brought up later this week before the
conference as a whole.
| To State Ship Board Policy.
"The Policy of the United States
| Shipping Board" will be the subject
| of an address by Chairman John Bar
ton Payne of the shipping board this
evening, and this is expected to be OF
! especial interest to the shipping in
dustry of this country. as well as to
the immediate members of the con-
| ference. Group meetings will occupy
most of the time tomorrow and to-
morrow evening William G. McAdoo,
| former Secretary of the Treasury, will
preside.
President Wilson's Letter Read.
| After expressing regret that his
health would not permit him to greet
| them in person, President Wilson's
| letter to the delegates said:
Il rejoice with you that in these
| troubled times of world reconstruc-
| continent should seek no selfish pur-
! pose, but should be guided by a de-
sire to serve one another and to serve
| the world to the utmost of their ca
pacity. The great privileges that
have been showered upon US, both by
reason of our geographical position
and because Of the high political and
social ideals that have determined the
national development of every country
| of the American continent, carry with
them obligations the fullfillment OF
which must be regarded as a real
privilege by every true American
| ut Is no small achievement thai
the Americas are today able to sa,
to the world: Here is an importan
section Of the globe which has today
| eliminated the idea Of conquest from
ifB national thought and from its in.
| terhational policy The spirit OF
mutual helpfulness which animates
this conference supplements and
strengthens this important achieve
~ int
| joice with you that we are privileged
to assemble with the sole purpose
Of ascertaining how we can serve
one another. for in 50 doing we best
| serve the world"
Mr. Lansing IL Hopeful.
In addressing the delegates. whom
he received in his Office last Satur.
day morning, Secretary Lansing said
the example of the Americas in re-
spending to the call for the confer.
ence cannot but exert a beneficent
influence beyond our continental
shores and bring hope and confidence
to nations which were losing faitf
in the power Of international friend
ship"
when the first financial congress.
assembled here in 1915" said Mr.
Lansing in beginning his address
its chief purpose was the considera.
tion of the abnormal financial condi-
tions which prevailed in this hemis.
phere as the direct result of the Euro
pean war. With trade routes interrupt
/ ed and profitable markets closed, with
commercial systems disorganized and
credits threatened, 1T was a fortu-
nate circumstance that the financiers
of the republics of America assem-
| bled to exchange opinions and to seek
means for overcoming the difficulties
which had so suddenly arisen.
The conference of 1915 marked a
distinct advance in the development
OF constructive pan-Americanism. II
was the translation of the pan-Ameri-
can spirit of helpfulness and mutual.
ity into practical effect, standing out
in bold contrast with the hatreds and
antagonlsms engendered by the dread
full struggle across the seas.
Fitting Time for Meeting.
VAS the American nations came to.
| gether in those early days of the
great war. it is fitting that with the
close of that conflict, when an ex-
hausted world is cropping amidst the
ruins of past prosperity to find foun-
dations on which to rebuild it's shat
| tered fortunes, that our republics
should again assemble in conference
to consider the financial and economic
problems of the new era and to de-
wise ways of adjusting our lives and
! intercourse to the new conditions in
! harmony WIN the lInpeIllnR Splr1t OF
pan-Americanism.
The government Of the United
States is not unmindful of the priv
ilege which it enjoys in being the
host of this body of distin guished
men. It is proud to do its share in
contributing to your success but with
you, gentlemen. the real success of
this conference lies. 1 feel certain
that as a result of your deliberations
the republics Of America will draw
more closely the bonds which already
unite them and strengthen that spirit
of mutual sympathy and helpfulness
which is the very soul of pan-Ameri-
canism."
The visiting delegates motored to
Mount Vernon yesterday afternoon
under the guidance of J. B. B. Par
ker Of Philadelphia. and representa-
tives of the governments of Argen--
tina, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and
Venezuela placed wreaths upon the
tomb of Gen Washington.
Signs Of NeurOsis in Mankind.
Secretary Glass, after reading Presi-
dent Wilson's letter at the initial
session today, suggested that it was
becoming increasingly important for
men in high authority to know one
another. since the policies of one ma
| tion bear vitally on its neighbors.
"The world is suffering from a
greater uncertainty now than at any
time for several centuries" he said
mankind is showing signs OF
neurosis, which may precede the
! .