Pan American Conference

Pan American Conference

World Opinion. The eyes of the world are upon the fifth Pan American Conference now in session at Santiago de Chile. Secretary of State Hughes, in a message to the Conference, made a plea for a better understanding between nations, the removal of suspicion, distrust and hatred. Every chancellery in Europe it watching the deliberations at the Chilean capital with the keenest interest, with curiosity, with envy, with hatred. Opinion is graduated: there are expressions of genuine goodwill; of mathematical what-will-it-all-come-to. Some see in the Conference the rich New World pitting itself against the war-ruined Old World; others view an American League of Nations in direct opposition to the "European" League--and they are angry. They point to the "egoistic isolation" of the United States and say: "The power of the United States is great enough to prevent the Conference from doing anything which goes against their imperialistic interpretation of the Monroe Doctrine." Canada. John Barrett, former Director General of the Pan-American Union, stated that the question of Canada's entrance into the Union has more popular appeal than any other point of the program. The entrance of Canada will make the Union actually Pan American and not "semi-American." Uruguay. It was officially announced that the Uruguayan delegation will not move the formation of an American League of Nations, as was originally intended. The change of Uruguay's attitude is said to be due to an informal communication to that country that the United States and a majority of the delegations were opposed to considering such a plan at the present Conference. U. S. Delegation. The American delegation headed by Henry P. Fletcher arrived at Valparaiso last Sunday morning, and left in the afternoon for Santiago. The delegates and their wives were met by many notables, including Senor Agustin Edwards, Chairman of the Chilean delegation and President of the Third Assembly of the League of Nations. Present. Eighteen nations are taking part in the Conference. Absentees are Mexico, Peru, Bolivia.