Pan-American Conference

Pan-American Conference

The fifth Pan-American Conference assembles at Santiago de Chile, Sunday, March 25.

The purpose of these quinquennial conferences was laid down by the United States in 1889, when the first meeting was held in Washington "to preserve the peace and promote the prosperity of the American States."

Uruguay has two proposals on the agenda. First, she will offer a plan for an Association of American States--composed not only of the sovereign states of the continent but of those dependent politically on European countries. The aim of the proposed Association is to prevent war by means of financial, economic, and diplomatic blockades.

Second, Uruguay will bring forward a motion proposing that any encroachment upon the rights of an American State by a non-American Power, must be considered as an action directed against the entire continent.

Chile will propose a measure for the reduction of armaments. This is expected to be the most important and practical matter on the agenda.

Out of 19 points to be brought into the daylight of discussion, the United States will propose ten. These will be mainly to bring about coordination of commercial agreements between the 21 American republics.

The United States delegation is headed by Henry P. Fletcher, Ambassador to Belgium. Other members: ex-Senator Kellogg of Minnesota; ex-Senator Pomerene of Ohio; ex-Senator Saulbury of Delaware; George E. Vincent, President of the Rockefeller Foundation; Frank C. Partridge of Vermont; William Eric Fowler of Washington; Dr. L. S. Rowe, Director of the Pan-American Union.