Evening star., 1926-06-13
PLANT LATIN UNION
TREES OVER AGAIN
Pan-American Custodians
Here Meet Demands
for DediCations.

Skeptics OF the high art of diplo-
macy will have to back water when
diplomacy can show mere mathe-
maticianS how to plant tree In a
given plot OF ground already plentl-
fully supplied with them, without
adding one more tree. Two and two,
it seems, doesn't necessarily make
four for the diplomat; and thereby
hangs a mystery that required some
painstaking inquiry by mathemat-
ically inclined representative or TINS
newspaper to unraVel.
AS the main fruit of the unravel-
ing. he can assert, without fear or
contradiction, that the memorial trees
in the grounds of the Pan-American
Union Building are the most thor
oughly planted trees in the National
Capital. Each has been planted at
least twice, and. more than that. no.
body knows how many more paintings
are in store for them.
It's this way: 1t appears that the
Pan-American grounds have about
az many trees as could be desired at
present. If officials permit new trees
TO be planted and memoriallZed every
time some Pan-American conference
comes TO town the grounds eVentuaiiy
will have to be turned over to the
Forestry Bureau.
Acute Situation.
The situation some time ago began
to grow acute: the outlook appalling.
Finally somebody with a diplomatic
trend of mind hit upon the nappy
idea Of repianting trees already up
and growing. The big problem was
solved.
So it came about the other day that
gardener in the Pan-Amerlcan
grounds saunt cred with an air of un-
concern to q young willow OAK tree
in the south grounds, glanced around
somewhat furtively and proceeded to
dig the dirt away from the roots OF
the thriving tree.
Carefully he piled the dirt to one
side on a piece of canvas and then
exposed each root with discretion
horn Of experience. He stepped back
and eyed his work with pride. II
would take the eye of one more eX-
pert than a delegate to the second
pan-American Red Cross Conference
to discern that this splendid young OAK
tree had not just been placed in the
hole which he had dug.
That afternoon n distinguished com
rany of Latin Americans and Anglo
Americans assembled before that self
States Navy Band struck up patrl-
otic air as one OF the Red Cross digni-
raries threw several spadefuls OF
earth into the hole. A stiff breeze
was blowing and the official hurried
70 pack the ground onto the roots
before the tree blew over. Fortu-
nately it remained upright.
The last shovelful Of earth thrown
in, a small bronze shield was hung
nI.,i cd n
future generations that this tree had
been planted on June 8, 1926, ito
commemorate the second Pan-Amer-
lean Red Cross Conference"
Other Ceremonies.
Three similar ceremonies previous
ly had been performed at that num-
her of other memorial trees in diff
ferent parts of the grounds. Last
April the Pan-American Congress OF
Journalists "replanted" an elm amid
impressive rites. In June, 1924, the
Pan-American highway conference
repeated the planting process at an
other willow oak. In April Of 1922
the American Congress of Women
also dedicated an oak already plant
ed Each tree bears a plaque stating
the date of its official planting.
All is we'll and good, so far. There
are still likely looking prospects for
rededication among the trees of the
American grounds. But some
time-and that time certainly ap-
proaches ominously near, in view of
the fast succession of Pan-American
conferences in recent years-sometlme
somebody is going to find that there
are no more trees available for COM
memoration purposes.
Will officials of the Pan-American
Union have to start all over again
and hang new plaques with conflicting
statements alongside those already
there?
It's certainly an embarrassing out
look, anyway.