Evening star., 1926-04-08
Stresses Opportunity to Open
Era of Better Understanding
Among Republics.
EXCHANGE OF VIEWS HELD
AS NEED IN AMERICAS
President Given Great Ovation by
Pan.American Delegates as He
Addresses Business Session.

Tod by President Coolidge that the
/ opportunity lay open before them 10
! inaugurate a new era of closer friend
) ship and mutual understa ndinc among
all the peoples of the New World. the
newspa per men of the Western Hem
! sphere formally convened in the Hall
"f the Americas this morning the
! first business session of the Pan
American Congress of Journalists.
The President spoke from dias
banked with the standards of al, the
| republics of the Americas. and before
! him sat the men who are destined by
| profession TO mold the opinions and
crystalize the ideals of the peoples of
those nations. And when he declared
| that the day OF misunderstanding had
passed forever the applause that fol.
! lowed left no doubt that his audience
agreed with that conviction.
Spirit of Progress Reigns.
The atmosphere in which the con.
gress formally embarked upon it's So.
rious duties bespoke the coming of the
new era. Outside. just beneath the
windows where the President spoke.
! stern faced Aztec god gazed gloom.
ily into pond of languld lotus
! blooms. reminiscent OF the ancient
civilization that had prospered and
vanished centuries ago. But inside
the virile spirit of new prosre ss
reigned.
A fanfare OF trumpets heraIded the
arrival of President Coolidge. and as
he stepped upon the platform he was
given an ovation by the delegates
from all countries. This demonstra.
tion was repeated when he was intro
duced by DR.. Walter Williams. the
permanent chairman of the congress.
and several minutes ella psed before the
President could begin his address He
was accompanied by his usual aides.
AT the outset President Coolidge
said that lin the number OF countries
represented and in the extent ofterri.
tory embraced" this congress lis with.
out doubt one of the most important
meetings OF publishers and editors
that ever was held. And when it is
considered" he added. that within
your numbers are those who control
and shape the policies of the press in
almost all OF the Western Hemisphere.
the weight and significance Of your
conference becomes still more impres.
sive.''
Free Agents OF Free Press.
Possibilities Of broad and beneficial
results lie in the very nature of the
untrammeled constituency of your
body" MIR. Coolidge said. Your MEM
bers in no wise represent their respec-
tive governments. You are here in
your individual capacities as the free
agents Of a free press of free coun-
tries, in voluntary conference to dis.
cuss ways and means of bringing the
people of the Western World to a
better understa nding and more sym
pathetic accord"
The President pointed out there
has been common bond between
the peoples of this country and Latin
America since their earliest estab-
lishment. But up to recent times
there has been an unfortunate lack
of information on the part OF the
general public OF the United States
of the aims and achievements Of
those regions. and l am told SINH
lar condition in regard to the United
States has existed among their peo-
pie.
Such conditions" he said. can be
remedied only by the dissemina ton
of knowledge :. . AS ! understand
the purpose of your conference. II Is
not only for the forming of friend
ships by personal contact, but also
for the exchange of views and the
discussion of conditions and prob
lens AS they come to the editor who
Is striving to present to his readers
true perspective of what is taking
place In his own country and in
other countries
Blame Put on News.
Too few people in this country have
Of he i'm, n cit Of
Latin America. !" In some measure
this has been due to the lack of infor-
nation in our press Some one has
remarked that there was a time when
readers of our newspapers here
might have imagined revolutions and
volcanic disturbances were the chief
product of Latin America.
"On the other hand the readers Of
Latin American papers got little idea
of our national life from the accounts
,, of train wrecks lynchings and divorces.
which. 1t was said. constituted the
principal news printed there about our
country. That day has passed
I venture the prediction that as re-
suit of this congress the papers in the
United States in the future, will pre-
sent more complete and more accu-
rate pictures Of the cultural and In.
dustrial progress of Latin America.
and that the press OF those republics
will give to their readers a better un-
derstanding of the ideals and purposes
Of the United States.
Expression of Good viii.
"The First Congress of Journalists
was fine idea. I hope 1t will achieve
all that its promoters could wish. 1t
seems to me 1t would be well IL your
gathering could be repeated period
ically, possibly alternating between
Latin America and the United States.
Such meetings cannot fail to have
far-reaching consequences. not only
in the preservation of the most cor
dial good feeling existing among our
respective nations. but also in the
drawing together Of our peoples into
closer bonds of sympathetic under
standing.
1T should result In better COM
prehension that. after all, we of the
Western Hemisphere are one people
striving for a common purpose, ami.
mated by common ideals and bound
| together in common destiny. Unto
us has been bequeathed the precious
heritage and the high obligation of
developing and consecrating a new
world to the great cause of humanity"
Immediately after concluding his
address, the President returned to the
White House and the congress settled
down to take up the first subject for
| 6icc1ISSiop IN tie nroyy.n viz stT-be o