Evening star., 1937-09-26
Can the Pan-American
Union Expand?
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

NctWccil III. L. ftOWe ana HdrOld IL.
Ickes. For the uniformed it may bs
stated that DR.. Rowe is director OF the
PAn-American Union and Mr.. Ickes is
Secretary of the Interior These two
gentlemen are both expansionists and
the trouble between them arises from
the fact that both of them want to ex-
pand in the same place. The Depart
ment of Interior has just spread out by
moving into gigantic pile across the
street from the Pan-American Union.
Mr.. Ickes thinks that his great building
should have block of ground In front
of 1t as park. This plan of Mr.. Ickes
would be all right except that DR.. Rowe
had already started to build an ornate
annex on the same ground.
F4 ~
The Pan-American cannot be men,
toned without reference to that super
salesman, John Barrett, who sold the
late Andrew Carnegie on the idea of
donating large sum Of money to house
the organization representing twenty
one American republics. While DR.. Rowe
has never rated with John Barrett as
go-getter, it seems that in his quiet
way the doctor himself is no mean pro-
moter. He induced the Federal Gov
ernment to donate the valuable site, and
persuaded the Carnegie corporation to
contribute 100000 for a new building
that would be in keeping with the
elegance of the present structure.
The doctor was so we'll along on his
new venture that he had even built a
tunnel under the structure to connect
the two establishments. Along came
Mr.. Ickes and held up the whole works.
He had a bill introduced in Congress
which would rescind the governmental
grant of land, and if this bill is passed
eventually it will mean that DR.. Rowe
cannot expand at all, but will have to
build his addition on his own ground.
To mar the beauty of the Pan-American
would be regarded by many authorities
as tragedy of the first import No less
an authority than the late James Bryce
said that this building, with it's sur
roundings, was the most majestic thing
that had been built in the world in the
last hundred years. Whatever decision
is finally made by Congress will leave
either DR.. Rowe or Mr.. Ickes in sad
spirits-one if he loses his tunnel and
the other if he loses his park.
%*
At the Pan-American Union thou
sands of letters are received asking for
information and advice on a great
variety of subjects. Inquiries come, not
only from those interested in commercial
projects. but also individuals desirous
Of securing employment, students seek
ing aid in the completion of their educa-
tion, and persons anxious for advice In
the planning of vacation trips. One
letter reached the director containing
the startling demand, Send me the
Pan-American Union"
Odd requests are not infrequently re-
ceived. Recently a resident OF the
United States announced his willingness
to relinquish the ownership OF a freak
horse If the Pan-American Union woulC
kindly advise him of suitable market
in South America. The bureau was un-
able to promote the growth Of inter.
national commerce in this instance
Neither was it in position to accede tc
the demand Of schoolboy that he be
furnished lead pencils for use in school
The official organ of the Pan-Ameri-
can Union is the Bulletin, an illustrated
monthly magazine published in English
Spanish and Portuguese. The subject
matter Of the English edition reflects
the general progress and activities o.
the Latin American nations. The Span
ish edition carries to the people of the
Spanish-speaking nations matter on eco
nomic, commercial and industrial prog.
ress in the United States and other
countries. The Portuguese edition is in
tended primarily for Brazil, although
Portugal and other parts of the world
using that language add largely to it,
readers The organization prepares spe-
cial data and special reports requested
by representative firms and corporation
if the desired information is not con-
tanned in the published documents.
The library of the Union, known as
the Columbus Memorial Library, is the
largest single depository in the world
specializing in works on Latin America
Among its 10000 volumes are to be found
reports from all of the minlsterios Of
the twenty-one nations. as we'll as gen.
eral and special works on history, travel,
biography, science, education and a
multitude of other subjects. The num-
ber Of books is continually being aug
mented as new volumes are issued BY
publishing houses all over the world
Hundreds of books are in the English
language and therefore useful to persons
who do not understand the Spanish or
Portuguese tongues. Among the books
of this library are city. telephone and
trade directories containing the names
OF leading firms and individuals
throughout the Americas. The library
receives regularly more than $4,000
periodicals from Latin American coun-
tries. There is large collection of maps,
both ancient and modern.
Other aids to study and research to be
found in the Pan-American Union are
the large number of sample commodities
collected in Latin America and exhibited
in the Pan-American Building. These
commodities consist Of rubber. nitrate,
hardwoods, minerals. emeralds, food
stuffs and hundreds of other products
that are being imported into the United
States and other countries.
One of the most interesting cultural
activities of the Union has accompanied
the development of international radio
broadcasting. Under it's auspices pro-
grams are broadcast to the Southern
American Hemisphere and there is
constant exchange of sheet music ar
ranged between North and South Amer
ican orchestras. In the Summer season
the garden of the Union is the scene of
concerts by the great military musical
organizations of the United States. the
Marine. the Army and the Navy Bands.
AT these affairs it is customary to have
one or more Latin ty;rt,,oeoe