THE PAN AMERICAN UNION L. S. ROWE, Director General PEDRO DE ALBA, Assistant Director THE PAN AMERICAN UNION, now 55 years old, is an international organization created and maintained by the twenty-one American Republics: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Originally known as the International Bureau of the American Republics, it was established in 1890 in accordance with a resolution passed April 14 of that year by the First International Conference of American States, which convened at Washington in October 1889. April 14 is celebrated annually throughout the Americas as Pan American Day. The work of the Union was greatly expanded by resolutions of the Second Conference, held at Mexico City in 1901-2; the Third, at Rio de Janeiro in 1906; the Fourth, at Buenos Aires in 1910; the Fifth, at Santiago, Chile, in 1923; the Sixth, at Habana in 1928; the Seventh, at Montevideo in 1933; and the Eighth, at Lima in 1938. The creation of machinery for the orderly settlement of inter-American disputes is one of the outstanding achievements of the Pan American system. PURPOSE AND ORGANIZATION The purpose of the Pan American Union is to promote friendship and close relations among the Republics of the American Continent and peace and security within their borders by fostering constructive cooperation among them. The Union is supported by annual contributions from all the countries, in amounts proportional to population, and its services are freely avail able to officials and private citizens alike. Its affairs are administered by a Director General and an Assistant Director, elected by and responsible to a Governing Board composed of the Secretary of State of the United States and representatives in Washington of the other American governments. ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS The administrative divisions of the Pan American Union are organized to carry out the purposes for which it was created. There are special divisions dealing with foreign trade, statistics, economics, intellectual cooperation, music, juridical matters, agricultural cooperation, travel, and labor and social information. All these divisions maintain close relations with official and unofficial bodies in the countries members of the Union. The Columbus Memorial Library contains 135,000 volumes and 2,400 maps. The BULLETIN of the Pan American Union, published monthly in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, is the official organ of the institution. For a list of other publications of the Union, see the inside back cover. PAN AMERICAN CONFERENCES The Pan American Union also serves as the permanent organ of the International Conferences of American States, usually referred to as the Pan American Conferences. In addition to preparing the programs and regulations, the Union gives effect to the conclusions of the Conferences by conducting special inquiries and investigations and by convening or arranging for special or technical conferences in the intervals between the International Conferences. WOMEN OF THE AMERICAS: NOTES FROM THE INTER-AMERICAN COM- 707 709 INDEX TO VOLUME LXXIX OF THE BULLETIN OF THE PAN AMERICAN 731 (The contents of previous issues of the BULLETIN OF THE PAN AMERICAN UNION can be found in the "Readers' Guide" in your library) ILLUSTRATION AT SIDE: WASHINGTON MONUMENT FROM THE GARDENS OF THE PAN AMERICAN UNION Visit of the President of Chile PRESIDENT Juan Antonio Ríos of Chile, who Mr. Byrnes then welcomed the Chilean It is with great pleasure that I extend to you on behalf of the Governing Board of the Pan American Union the warmest possible welcome. We are fully acquainted with the important service which you have rendered and are today rendering to the people of Chile. Your career has been marked by a constant and unswerving devotion to the welfare of the masses of the people of your country. The advanced position which you have taken in the field of social security and social legis lation has set a standard which has had far-reaching influence beyond the borders of your country. The people of Chile may well congratulate themselves on having as Chief Executive a man in whose administration the interests of the masses of the people receive primary consideration, and whose sincere concern for their welfare has increased the opportunities available to the average citizen. In the domain of inter-American relations, the record of Chile is one of which you have every reason to feel proud. The government and the people have from the earliest period of their national existence shown a deep sense of continental solidarity, which has found expression in cooperation with their sister republics of the Americas and contributed much to strengthening the Pan American movement. Your representatives on this Board have been unremitting in their efforts to further the purposes for which the Pan American Union was founded. We welcome you today, Mr. President, as the worthy representative of a great people and as a staunch supporter of the principles on which this Union of the American Republics rests. To this friendly greeting the President of Chile replied with a glowing expression of continental solidarity, saying: |