Nueva York es huraña y fría en una primera impresión, desconcierta y atemoriza a quien no sepa caminar por ella, tomar su ritmo y auscultar sus inquietudes vertiginosas. Así iremos descubriendo encantos que no sospechábamos, iremos comprendiendo al hombre de la calle, al chófer de taxi y a su majestad el ascensorista, nos deleitaremos en sus museos de todas clases, respiraremos a pleno pulmón en el Central Park con sus 320 hectáreas en el corazón de Manhattan y en la noche Broadway y Times Square nos abrirán las puertas de sus mil atracciones pare entretener nuestra frivolidad con notas de jazz, ritmo de bohemia y quebranto de nuestros bolsillos. Hacia el norte, en los barrios residenciales, hasta donde llegamos por magníficas avenidas y parkways que se cruzan y subdividen sin molestarse por medio de rampas y

Trozos de Las Ciudades de los Estados Unidos, vistas por el arquitecto Jorge A. Bonino, en Rotaruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay, abril 5 y mayo 5 de 1946.

puentes, encontramos los más variados jardines, con flores y árboles, tan bien cuidados y dispuestos que nos hacen pensar en que esas gentes que no tuvieron más remedio que crear esa ciudad de oficinas y talleres, de ascensores y subterráneos, saben también encontrar el equilibrio de la naturaleza, ese remanso necesario dentro del torbellino y que se traduce en esperar con ansias el week-end para poder empuñar una manguera y dar vida a unas flores, con la misma actividad y seriedad con que el lunes siguiente dirigirán su oficina. . . .

Washington es arquitectónica y urbanísticamente una ciudad lograda, tiene su planeamiento organizado con sus avenidas y diagonales, a la manera francesa, de su creador el arquitecto francés L'Enfant, con un sentido de monumentalidad en sus grandes ejes y espacios. Hay grandiosidad en la concepción de sus edificios públicos de estilo clásico, ubicados estratégicamente y relacionados entre sí por

jardines y espacios verdes. En este sentido es digno de señalar el claro concepto de la importancia del verde en la ciudad que tuvo su proyectista. Además del arbolado de las calles y avenidas, la sucesión de parques que bordean el Potomac, el relleno de quebradas y la desecación de zonas pantanosas convertidas ambas en magníficos espacios verdes utilizables hacen que Washington sea la ciudad más hermosa de los Estados Unidos en todas las épocas del año. . .

Finalmente mencionaré los cientos de › ciudades pequeñas comparativamente hablando, que llamo ciudad tipo, que siendo muy iguales entre sí tienen un sabor y un

colorido a veces más agradable y siempre más humano que las grandes. Es en estas ciudades-pueblo donde encontramos lo fundamental y básico de la expresión de la vida y el espíritu de los Estados Unidos. Es en sus alrededores donde nuestros ojos captan con más precisión las costumbres y el sentimiento de ese pueblo, donde la sencillez de las gentes se vuelca en calles, avenidas y paseos siempre limpios y arbolados, y en donde los cercos de vecindad han sido abolidos formando en conjunto un solo jardín como muestra real de que hay un solo concepto de la vida dentro de la comunidad, y del respeto en su máxima expresión.

THE Governing Board of the Pan American Union met in regular session on December 4, 1946. The order of business before the Board included the following

matters:

Ninth International Conference of
American States

At the proposal of the Chairman, Dr. Antonio Rocha, Representative of Colombia, the Board fixed the time for the meeting of the Ninth International Conference of American States in Bogotá as December 1947.

Inter-American Conference on the
Conservation of Renewable
Natural Resources

The report submitted by the Special Committee on the Program of the InterAmerican Conference on the Conservation of Renewable Natural Resources was approved by the Board. The program is found on page 96.

Inter-American Council of Jurists proposed

The Committee on the Organization of the Inter-American System presented to the Board a project on the establishment of an Inter-American Council of Jurists. The project forms part of the general plan for the reorganization of the Inter-American System as contemplated by Resolution IX

104

of the Inter-American Conference on Problems of War and Peace. The Governing Board approved the Committee's recommendation that the project first be submitted to the consideration of the governments and then to the Ninth International Conference of American States.

According to the project, the proposed Inter-American Council of Jurists will, when established, devote itself to the codification of public and private international law and to the unification, as far as possible, of the civil and commercial legislation of the different American countries. It will supersede all existing inter-American agencies now functioning in the field of codification or unification.

Election of a Director General

On December 18, 1946, the Governing Board met in special session to consider the report of the Committee on the Organization of the Inter-American System relative to the election of a Director General of the Pan American Union, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Dr. L. S. Rowe on December 5, 1946.

The Committee presented its conclusions, recommending that the election take place at the meeting of the Governing Board on February 12, 1947.1

1 The Board decided at its meeting on January 9 to postpone the election to the March meeting, and to reconsider in February the bases for election.

General Fiscal Office for Costa Rica

To centralize control over the handling of all the nation's funds, the Costa Rican Congress has set up a bureau created to exercise the financial powers conferred upon Congress by Article 82, Section 11, of the Constitution of 1944. The new body will be subject to no executive or judicial restraint, and will have free access to the books and files of all Government offices. Its director and assistant director are elected by Congress for a single term of 6 years, and are responsible only to Congress.

Duties of this new office were enumerated in La Gaceta of September 26, 1946. No payment can be made from the National Treasury without approval by the Fiscal Office. This approval it is bound to withhold in all cases involving the infraction of any law, and in cases where the order has been drawn against the wrong appropriation, or against an appropriation lacking in funds. Without the approval

of the Fiscal Office the President cannot call for an internal loan, except one authorized by vote of Congress. Such approval is also necessary for budgets of welfare and social insurance offices whose revenues are kept separate from other Government revenues.

Each year the Fiscal Office is to present to the opening session of Congress a full report on the budget and the year's finances. The Treasury will be furnished with a detailed annual report on the budget. The Treasury will also receive monthly statements showing the condition of the national debt and the balance on hand in each of the budget accounts. Once a month the heads of executive,

legislative, and judicial offices will be notified of the balance on hand in their respective funds, and of the maximum amount which can be expended during the month to come.

Tariff Commission in Panama

A permanent body, to be known as the Tariff Commission, made up of three members to be appointed by the Executive for a period of 6 years was created as part of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury in Panama by Law No. 25 of August 30, 1946.

This commission must study the financial and economic effects of the existing customs laws on agricultural production and on industrial and commercial development, taking into account the cost of living of the low-income group; the classification of articles in the tariff; and international trade and its effects on the national economy through the operation of commercial treaties, tariff laws, export bounties, and transportation charges. The Commission is also required to give information, make recommendations, prepare bills and in general orient national action on tariff matters; and furthermore must review and decide appeals from decisions made by customs officials. It will draft a new tariff act and other legislation.

Trade agreement between Colombia and Venezuela

Colombia and Venezuela have granted each other customs concessions which are expected to simplify commercial transactions along their common frontier. The agreement was concluded at Caracas Octo