Evening star., 1920-01-18
"REAL ISSUES Up
At PAN-AMER|CAN
| FINANCIAL PARLEY
Delegates at Preliminary to
Conference Vote to "Get
Down to Brass Tacks."

REPRESENTATIVES of twenty Ameri-
can republics, at meeting prelim1-
nary to the opening Of the second
pan-American financial conference
tomorrow, voted yesterday afternoon
to get down to brass tacks" in the
discussion of international problems
next week.
The resolution was couched In IAN,
guage somewhat more restrained
than the picturesque Yankee phrase,
but the sense of the delegates was
that live discussions of live PROB
lens should be the rule instead of
purely academic presentation OF
views by designated speakers.
Meeting Follows Luncheon.
The meeting yesterday was held in
the Hall of the Americans in the Pan
American building following a lunch
con at which Secretary Glass of the
Treasury Department was host
Earlier in the day the sixty delegates
had been presented to Secretary Lam
sing in his office in the State, War and
Navy building. and had met Secre-
Today the delegates will visit Mt
Vernon. which will be opened ex-
clusively for them, and tomorrow
morning the conference will begin.
The preliminary meeting yesterday
was described as more like a gather
ing of corporation directors than
formal diplomatic affair. Nine cabi-
net officials and other official dele
gates from Central and South Ameri-
ca sat. Informally around the big table,
smoking. jesting. renewing old friend
ships. while they laid the foundation
for the sessions next week, which will
have an important bearing on world
policy.
Spirit Of Good Fellowship.
spirit of personal good fellowship
and international cooperation was
evident of which notice was taken
by Secretary Glass, the luncheon
host
'I am sure" he said, welcoming
the visitors that your deliberations
will not only strengthen the ties Of
sentiment. but the bonds of material
interest between the republics"
After Mr.. Glass was called away
by official business, DR.. Luis Toledo
Harrarte. minister of foreign affairs
of Guatemala, presided.
The ministers of finance were elect
ed honorary presidents of the confer
ence, and the chairmen of the vari-
Gus delegations were chosen vice
presidents.
Secretary Glass Presided.
Secretary Glass was elected unani-
mously president of the conference,
and the following were chosen to pre-
sue over the general sessions: Dr.
Carlos Manuel Cespedes. minister from
Cuba; William G. McAdoo, former
Secretary Of the Treasury; DR.. Ricardo
Vecino, minister OF finance Uruguay;
DR.. Rafael H. Elizalde. minister from
Ecuador, and Gen. Juan E. Paredes,
chairman Of the Honduran delegation.
DR.. Fernando C. Fuchs, minister Of
finance, Peru, issued statement to-
night expressing the opinion that the
question of transportation was the
most important problem before the
conference. This applied. he said, to
internal railway development as well
as to the establishment Of regular and
adequate steamship lines, because
ships now are sometimes kept waiting
at port for weeks to receive cargoes
Citing what his country was doing to
develop transportation. Dr. Fuchs said
Peru had set aside the tax on tobacco,
a government monopoly amounting to
100000 solas annually. as security for
loan with which it is proposed to build
1000 kilometers OF railroad which will
complete the Peruvian section of the
great Pan-American railway system
The selection of DR.. L. S. Rowe, head
of the State Department Latin Amer
lean division, to be secretary general of
the conference, was affirmed.