Evening star., 1928-01-19
.BUSTAMENTE. HAVANA PARLEY
HEAD, IS INTERNATIONALLY
Hopes to See Day When
World Is Ruled by Es.
tabIished Law.
Believes Cuba Will Become
Greatest Nation Despite
Small Size.

Special Dispatch to The Star and North
American Newspaper Alliance.
HAVANA, January l9.-He is presi-
! dent of the Sixth International Confer
ence of American States, this Antonio
Sanchez de BuStamente. Forty-two
years ago he took his place in the
University of Havana as auxiliary pro-
feSSor of law and has taught his
classes there for 40 consecutive years.
But while he has pursued that duty
consistently he has also become one OF
the foremost authorities Of the world
on international law, a Judge of the
Hague'S standard text books.
Moreover. BuStamente is strongly and
convincingly beyond all question Cuba's
first citizen. This Is strange. indeed.
for he is not man of the balconies, or
celebrated dinner guest, or the source
of topical anecdote.
Is an Emphatic Man.
Cuba's fine cultural background picks
him out as its pre-eminent exemplar.
He is a short, stocky. emphatic man.
who is still the pedagogue, even when,
as today. his pupils are the statesmen
of 81 countries.
This personally noted jurist is the
outstanding figure among the Latin
delegates to the conference. He car
ries frankly on his face both his nation
ality and his acquired distinction.
One looks twice and long at BuSta-
mente. His polished dome head is pink
and shining, with fringe of white
hair. He does not wear single orna-
ment-not even watch chain, ring or
pin. His shirt studs and tie are black
His forehead is that of the scholar. wide
and full. A neat-almost goatee-
beard outlines. without concealing. his
full expressive mouth, while his hands.
with extra long thumbs, have the de-
liberate, retarded motion of a man who
reflects much.
Speech Commands Respect.
In private conversation he Is en-
phatic, with a downright forefinger
When he made his public speech today
he showed his heavy forceful extended
palm. In public or In private, his elo-
quent phrasings always command ad-
miration and respect.
Bustamente is man with two ideas
He believes the world will be governed by
international Law and is convinced that
Cuba is destined to be the worlds great
est nation. He did not mention this
latter to the conference today. but in an
interview could be warm and eloquent
on this nationalist subject nursed in an
internationalist bosom. He is in fact a
rare man who has thought for years
on single subject and thinks he Is
within sight OF lifetime hope.
This hope is not considered extrava-
CANT today, although when Bustamente
first voiced 1t 1t was regarded as reck-
lessly radical
He wishes the whole world to live by
mutually accepted laws. or as he puts 1t,
to live in such way as to prevent the
birth OF problems and conflicts"
Is Native Of Havana.
The newly elected president OF the
conference is not yet 64. He feels that
he Is young man yet and hopes to 20.
his Ideas accomplished facts He Is a
native Havanese, the symbol Of all that
is fine in the Cuban character. He was
81 when his first book made known his
interest in international law. His works
today are the official text books in all
conferences engaged In such studies.
Bustamente Is more than any other
man the inspirer Of the movement to-
ward the definition and codification Of
international law. He refuses to talk
POIkiASs &AE bAtAiiAS ltlE EdAl- hIIlCIlCAu
Union more useful than the League of
Nations, because "our aims and topics
are not political but social. juridical
and economic"
He see no antagonism between the
two organizations because the two pos
sess distant purposes One deals with
purely American and the other with
universal problems" Similarly he
looks complacently on hispano- -Ameri-
canism. Equally with Pan-Americanism
the Spanish tradition has its proper
function land should subsist for the
common good"
So far Bustamente is an information
alist with broad tolerant mind. Let
him speak OF Cuba. his own land, and
he is patriot Of patriots. He thinks
Cuba inevitably will become the
greatest nation in the Western hemis-
phere. It's destiny is indicated by its
strategic geographical position. 1t is