Evening star., 1932-04-17
REAL PAN.AMERICANISM
SEEN THROUGH CULTURE
Education Regarded Vital to Under.
standing Between Two Races
of Western World.

of carrying out agreements, many OF
which are social. enacted at "pohtlcally
motivated conferences.
He is organizing the Interamerlcan
/ Federation of Education in this bele1.
"Interamerican accord" he says, waits
upon the building of real pubic opln,
ion, and the latter upon contlnental
education program that VIII lessen
illiteracy, improve the trancnSe ano
strengthen the sense Of need among oil
the American republics for friendly CO.
operation in the understanding that
mutual advantage is also individual ao-
vantage"
DR.. SWiggett is right. Through edu-
cation. alone may the nations of both
Americas be expected to learn that
states are only groups Of people artl-
f1cially divided by conventional border
lines and administrative pecullarltleS.
Certainly not until they have substitute
ed this new concept for their OLD IDEAS
Of abstract. artificial shibbolethS, sell
sufficiency and isolation, is the move
ment for a Pan-American understand
ing to make any reasonable headway.
Can Only Develop Slowly.
An institution of the kind that DR.
SWiggett is building up, OF course. can
only develop slowly. He realizes tnat.
There are today few nationally repre-
sentative education associations. he
finds encouragement, however, IN the
fact that his efforts, sponsored by the
National Education Association OF the
United States have already resulted In
the establishment of the Brazilian ma
tional association and of special COM
mitteeS in all but one OF the Latin
American countries. These committees,
appointed in certain cases by the aSso-
Citations of teachers or educational
groups of the respective capitals, and
in others by the ministers OF education
of each country, are earnestly working
for the constitution of similar national
associations which. i'll time may merge
into one great organization.
1t was in July, 1929. that the first
gathering of the Interamerlcan Fed
Grafton of Education took place. This
was a preliminary meeting, held in con-
junction with the SiXty-Seventh Annual
Convention of the National Education
Association of the United States Ten
of the American republics were repre-
Sented at the conference, and, true to
the program Of the federation, devoted
their time to two specific fundamental
subjects: Elementary vocational and
character training.
In this conference the appointment
OF an advisory council was also rec
commended made up by the highest
ranking officer in education in each
country This council is now cooper
ating with the national committees in
the preparation for the second con-
ference. to be held this year from De-
cember % to 81, in Panama City at
the invitation of the Panaman gov
ernment. This time all the American
republics are expected to attend.
Though every one familiar with Pan
American affairs knows of the endeavors
OF Dr. Swiggett, chairman of the
Organization Committee, he is very
modest in explaining the origins of the
federation. He says:
The idea of a Federation of Educa-
ton may be said to date from the
valuable conferences on education that
have been held in conjunction with
Latin American and Pan-American
congresses. The program of the section
on education of the Second Pan-Amer-
ican Scientific Congress reveals par
ticularly the value that underlies the
purpose and performance of our fedora
ton; how much i,-ere is to be done by
private initiative in the field of public
education before common educational
efforts can discover, for practical realiza-
ton in our several countries, common
social ideals and common vocational
practices"
The Third Pan-American Scientific
Congress, meeting in Lima the Winter
of 1924-25, anticipated further the work
of the Federation of Education in ap-
proving resolution presented before
the section on education.
Swiggett Resolution.
This resolution, submitted by DR..
Swiggett, read as follows THE re-
publics of the American continent have
a common political economic and social
origin. With the recognition of their
mutual complimentary economic inter-
estS, their common development will
best go forward This can be brought
about best by a program of common
preparation of their peoples in those
social and vocational subjects which will
allow them to participate fully in the
commerce which their situation and
ideals warrant"
Any one who approaches the Pan
American problem from higher plane
than a transitory political angle, or
mere commercial one, will hope for the
success of DR.. Swiggett's plans.
Much mas Deen done, IN recent years,
to eliminate political differences which
separate the peoples of Saxon and
Latin America Much has been done,
also, to strengthen economic ties be-
tween them. But economic ties, like
political bonds, are artificial, the work
of mems hands, created for private or
national benefit. Being artificial, they
are fragile, as are all material crea-
tions of human ingenuity or effort.
Only bonds of the mind endure. Be-
cause they lie beyond the realm of
created interests or of political intrigue.
Vice President Curtis, addressing
meeting of students at the celebration
of Pan-American day, stated last
Thursday:
Permit me to send to you, the
younger generation Of all the republics
Of Latin America, the affectionate
greeting Of the youth of the United
States and to express the hope that,
through better mutual appreciation of
purposes and ideals, we may lay the
lasting foundations of peace and good
Will throughout the western world"
That is the key TO Pan-Americanism.
To reach a true understanding between
these two races of differing points of
vieW-I have said it before in these
columns-there is but one road: That
OF knowledge of each other. II we
wish TO make real in the new world
the plea OF the Creator love We one
another" We must first teach know
ye one another"