The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-04-08
AMERICAS'
 APRIL 1A,GAINS
 IN SIGNIFICANCE
bY wIIsLHANR n. LANDER United REaR Stan CeEsspenaent

United Pro1 Stan Correspondent
 Washmgton, April a--tup)--Eor the first time under wartime oon- ditions, tho 2i Republics on April iA, VIII celebrate Pan American Day-the day ot the Americas.
 Tor eleven years the American republics have been celebrating April 1A As 0 day colmmemorA Ating tho bonds os Sriendshlp between them, and "that spirit of mutual holpfulness and cooperation which is the essence ok Pan Amerieantsm,"
 This year the celebrations have c deeper slgnincane, as many ot tho nations of the hemisphere are helligerents in tho struggle against tho Axis, Others, although neutral, have severed relations with the Axis and granted special privileges to the American nations at war In the use of ports and other faSnill- ties,
 Nalne Was Changed
 1t was in 1880 that the Govern ing Board of the Pan American Union, headed by the then secre- tary of State Henry L. stlmson and including the 20 Latin American Ambassadors and Ministers sta- tioned here, decided that beginning In 1881, e special day would be set aside each year so that the peoples of the Americas might recall the community of interests, the unity of sentiments and aspirations, the ties of history, and the intimate Eela- tionshlps that bind each coutnry to the other nations of the Americas"
 April i4 was selected as the date, because on April iA, 1900, the First International Conference of the American States, meeting in Wash- ington with James e. Blaine As chairman, passed Q resolution ere. ating the "CommereiAl Bureau oe the American Republics" which was later transformed Into the "PAn American Union" and made the of- fieial organ of the 2I Republics.
 Elsie Houston to Sing
 The first actual celebration oe- cured on April iA, 1881, which coineided with the proclamation et the Second Spanish Republican, event which was hailed in the Americas as constituting Q step to- ward democracy in the mother country of many of the American republics. The Spanish Republic, however, which began to run into trouble around 1884, ceased to exist in 1889.
 The Pan American Union Gov erning Board will hold special meeting on April i4, at which some distinguished orator will speak on the significance of tho day. At night the Pan American Union will sponsor e concert of music of the Americas, by the United states Marine Band. Elsie Houston, Brazilian singer, will be vocalist for the occasion.
 Reports from other capitals of the Hemisphere indicate that schools, clubs, civic associations and other groups also will celebrate the day,
 War Strengthens Bond
 Thousands of schools in the United States, which are taking an ever.inereasing interest in teaching Portuguese and Spanish as well as history and geography of Latin America, will hold special exer. eises on that day. A barometer of their enthusiasm Is the amount of material which they obtain from the Pan American Union for such events. Tn 1897 the Pan American Union received B,8o5 requests for material from tho United States and Latin America, while in ie4i this figure waS more than double being i2,660 requests.
 The very fact that the United States is virtually "blockaded" from big portions of Europe and Africa on one side and Asia on the other, has intensified It's interest in Latin America. In It's war effort, the United States has become increaS- ingly dependent on Latin America for It's supplies of essential raw materials, now that East Asia has been cut of. Similarly, Latin Amer lean industrlaliStS and professional men, who formerly dealt with Europe more than with the United States, are now becoming more and more interested in their northern neighbor.