Evening star., 1926-04-08
For Closer Pan.American Union.

In his address TO the First ran
american Conference of Journalists
to-day President Coolidge alluded to
one Of the peculiarties Of news. which
has it's serious as we'll as its humorous
aspects. He recalls that due to lack
ri information in our press there was
a time when readers of our news
papers here might have imagined that
revolutions and voica mic disturba noes
we're the chief products Of Latin
America. while the readers of Latin
American newspapers got little from
the accounts of train wrecks. lynch
ings and divorces. which constituted
thA principal news printed there about
our country. The President was gen
erous enough to indicate that that
lime has passed. He mentions in
creased cable facilities, reduction of
cahe tolls and a general demand for
more information as factors which
have contributed to the increasing
amount Of news exchanged between
. he republics. as well as to its more
constructive character.
But much is left to be desired in this
Improvement. great as ii has been.
Tho lack of popular interest in, and
the resultant popular misconception
nf what Latin America is today is
Euficient proof that the press has not
assumed it's full share OF responsibility
a. one of the important agencies CO
operating toward the attainment of
that close friendship and intelligent
understa nding necessary for complete
accord. 1t is reasona BILE to suppose
that the press Of Latin America has
heen equally deficient.
r; A superiority complex is one of the
ssrmsrks of the Yankee. He has been
/. so busy developing and enjoying this
new country of his that he has had
little time to study or to appreciate
what la taking place outside his own
front door. He is inclined 10 believe
shat nothing worth while originates or
exists beyond the boundaries of his
own United States. President Coolidge
very properly devoted a good part of
ris address today to reminding his
hearers of the fallacies in such be-
iiefs. While Harvard is the oldest of
our universities. 10 less than eight
institutions of higher learning were
founded in two of the Latin American
Republics prior to 1886. A printing
press was operati ting in Mexico a cen
tury before the first printing press
was ser up in the United States in
1889. while nearly half a century be-
fore that time the dissemina ton of
news i'm printed form had been prac-
.ticed in Peru. The United States Sc
rured it's independence forty years be-
fore the Republics OF Latin America
had achieved their national existence,
and while our popula ton has grown
faster. our trade with the world is not
as large, proportionately as that of
Latin America. The Latin American n
Republics cover an area approximately
three times as large as that occupied
by the United States. One Of their
countries. Brazil, is larger than the
United States. while Argentina, an
other one, is nearly two-thirds as
large
. This First Congress of Pan-Ameri.
ran Journalists. which NAV well be
the beginning Of series Of such meet
inxs, should, as the President says,
result in a better comprehension that
we Of the Western Hemisphere are
one people, striving for a common pur-
pose. animated by common ideals and
hcnnd together by a common destiny"