Evening star., 1940-09-01
DR.. Rowe Marks 10th Year
AS Pon-Americon Union Head
Expects to Remain
Until Overtuken
By Age or Death
By BLAIR BOLLES.

Twenty years ago today DR.. Leo
S. Rowe, who holds decorations from
nine governments, became director
general of the Pan-American Union
the headquarters of the good neigh
Dor policy and continental solidar-
ity. DR.. Rowe, daily tennis player
at SO, expects to remain director
general until age or death over
takes him.
No. celebration or ceremony is
planned to mark the completion OF
DR.. Rowe's first score of years in
his high post. Probably not one in
thousand of the many tourists
who pass each dav through the
stately Pan-American Building
know that beyond the tropical patio
suggesting ease and calm is the
Office where DR.. Rowe is hard. at
work each day from am. at the
latest to 6 pm. at the earliest.
In fact, few of them probably
have ever heard of DR.. Rowe. But
in the 20 republics stretching be-
low us from the Rio Grande to Cape
Horn he is well known. An inter-
American, conference seldom opens
without him present. He travels
often to Latin America in between
conferences. And when a Latin
American Of celebrity comes ia
Washington DR.. Rowe is on hand
to greet him.
Native of Iowa.
This citizen of the Americas was
born September II, 1871, in Nc
Gregor, Iowa. The trail which led
him to expertness in American af-
fairs was the law, and the man who
started him on his way to his pres
ent eminence was President Nc
Klnley. Mr.. Mckinley in 1899, when
the Pan-American Union (theu
called the Bureau of American Re-
publics) was 9 years old, appointed
him a member of the commission to
revise and compile the laws OF
Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico was a Latin American
region newly in the possession of
the United States as result of the
Spanish-American War,
AT the time of the United States
entry into the World War, DR.
Rowe was called to Washington to
the post of Assistant Secretary of
the Treasury, a post he held until
the wars end. In November. 1919
he became chief of the Latin Amer
ican Division of the State Depart
ment, out of recognition of his ac-
complishments in inter-Americana
begun with the appointment to
Puerto Rico.
Was Eighth Director.
From the State Department. DR.
Rowe moved to the Pan-American
Union as its eighth director, sue
ceeding John Barrett. He. was
chosen by the unions Executive
Committee. None before him served
more than II years. None before
him certainly attained so many hon
orary distinctions and won member
ship in so many learned societies
DR.. Rowe is member of the
American Bar Association, the
American Committee on Intellec-
tual Cooperation. honorary member
of the National History Society OF
Argentina, the Mexican Geographic
Society, honorary president of the
Pan-American Society, Inc; hon.
orary vice president of the Amer
lean Society of Intern tjopoJ Tow
and president from 1902 to 1880 OF
the American Academy of Political
and Social Science.
Furthermore, he is a member o1
the American Philosophical Society
of the American Political Science
Association, the Academy of Natu.
raj Sciences, Hispanic Society O.
New York, correspondent member
of the Seciete d'Anthropologie anc
the Ateneo de El Salvador; Nationa
Academy of History of Venezuela