Evening star., 1938-11-20
Once Only a Political Football,
Pan>Americanism Now Boon
Movement Century DID, but u. S. Took Part in
Its First Farley in 1889 at Instigaton
of J. G. Blaine.
of J. G. Blaine.
BY A. Curtis WHeus.


Associate Professor, Hispanic America
As the day draws near for the con-
vening of the Eighth Pan-American
Conference, at Lima, Peru, December 9,
many persons are no doubt asking what
can be the significance of such confer
ences? What part have previous con-
ferences played in our history? OF
what value are they in contemporary
continental and world diplomacy? What
good can they actually accomplish?
For decades attempts have been made
In Latin America and the United States
to define and describe pan -Americansm
On December 7. 1915, President Wilson
In an address pictured pan american
ism as he conceived it. He said:
The moral is that the states of
America are not hostile rivals, but
cooperating friends, and that their
growing sense of community of in
terest, alike in matters political and
In matters economic, is likely to give
them a new significance as factors in
international affairs and in the po-
litical history of the world. 1t pre-
Sents them as in very deep and true
sense a unit in world affairs spiritual
partners, standing together because
thinking together, quick with common
sympathies and common ideals Sep
arated. they are subject to all the cross
currents of the confused politics of
the world of hostile rivalries; united
In spirit and purpose, they cannot be
disappointed of their peaceful destiny.
This is pam -Americanism. 1t has none
OF the spirit of empire in it. 1t is the
embodiment, the effectual embodi-
ment, of the spirit of law and inde-
pendence and liberty and mutual
service"
Panaman Defines It,
In June, 1926, a leading Latin Ameri-
can diplomat. scholar and former Presi-
dent of Panama, DR.. Ricardo j. Alfaro,
essayed the task of defining pan -Ameri-
canism. He wrote:
anAmericanism is not an insti-
tuition. neither is it a system 1t is
a state of mind current of opinion
created by a. series of factors: Geo.
graphical contiguity, the similarity of
institutions, the interplay of economic
interests, a love for democratic prin-
ciples, the community of international
aspirations and trends. Such con-
tinental sentiment does not breed po-
litical purposes or designs. 1t simply
1nterprets itself in acts tending to
draw more closely the social economic
and cultural bonds of the two Ameri-
cas-
Goes Back to 10Th Century.
Historically speaking the pan-Ameri-
can movement goes back to the early
part of the 18th century when Rozas in
Chile, Miranda and Bolivar in Venezuela,
Henry Clay in the United States, and
others expressed their visions of a great
American community of nations organ
Ted for their mutual good economically,
politically, and culturally
Beginning with the Congress of Pan
anna in 1926, called by Simon Bolivar,
one of the fathers of pan -Americanism,
and continuing through the congresses
OF Lima in l847 and 1864 to the Congress
OF Jurists at Montevideo in 1888, the
movement was largely kept alive by
statesmen in Latin America.
But in the United States Clay's ideas
had taken root, and first Stephen A.
Douglas and later James G. Blaine sug-
gested an all-American cooperation in
matters of mutual interest. Accordingly
IN International Conference of American
States was planned by Secretary of State
Blaine to meet in Washington in 1881.
However, because of internal political
affairs In this country the conference
was postponed.
First Farley in 1889.
Finally on October 2, 1889, the First
Conference Of American States convened
in washington and continued until
April 10. 1890. 1t was in this conference
that the Commercial Bureau of Ameri-
can Republics (the present Pan-Ameri-
can Union) was created by resolution OF
April IA. Many mutual problems were
considered by the delegates, including
the maintenance of peace, the bettering
Of inter-American communication and
trade, and the improving of financial and
economic relations.
In October, 1901, second conference
016C AC MEXICO OlJy anu gave SptCldl
consideration to the Hague convention
OF 1899 for the pacific settlement of in
ternational disputes by arbitration. The
third conference met at Rio de Janeiro
in July and August 1906, and the fourth
: conference convened at Buenos Aires in
July, 1910.
It had been decided to call the con-
ference every four or five years. but the
nth conference, planned for 1914, was
postponed because of the World War and
other world problems until March, 1923
when 1t met at Santiago, Chile. Be-
cause of new interests new questions
were considered by the delegates, in
cluding radio and aviation.
In January and February, 1928, the
sixth conference met at Havana, Cuba
and in December, 1933 the seventh con-
ference assembled at Montevideo. AT
that time it was agreed to hold the
eighth conference at Lima. Peru in 1898
The conferences. at their inception
we're looked upon by the United Statel