REPORT Olf THE SECRETARY GENERAL. 53 



rights. And so, while I pray and hope for peace, I want preparation to 

 resist unjust interference with the affairs of my Republic, and I hope that 

 out of this Pan American Congress there shall come a new idea, if it be 

 new to any of you, and a new ideal of the Monroe doctrine; and that idea 

 and that ideal shall be that while this Republic will not permit this 

 Western Continent to be made a place of exploitation by any of the 

 powers of Europe, this Republic itself will not make an exploitation of 

 any part of it. Let it be understood that the Republics of the western 

 world are not enemies; they are friends, brethren-, neighbors; and what 

 touches you to your injury touches us to ours. 



I am glad that this idea of this Scientific Congress came from the south 

 of us. We needed this lesson. For a long while we have imagined that 

 nobody could teach a citizen of the United States anything. We knew 

 it all. We were as wise as I was the day when I was admitted to the 

 practice of the law; for then there was no question of constitutional or 

 international law that I could not have settled by my own "ipse dixit." 

 But the years have gone, and the years, instead of teaching me wisdom, 

 have taught me that I know but little; and so we needed this lesson, and 

 we have taken it, I think, to our hearts; and we have realized that the 

 great thing for the future upon the Western Continent is not one people 

 who know it all, but many people who believe in all and are willing to 

 consult with all. 



Now, I am only a politically instructed scientist, and my knowledge 

 of science comes with my holding of office; but I may be permitted to 

 observe that there are a very great many things which it seems to me 

 may be profitably undertaken and brought to a successful conclusion by 

 this Pan American plan. May I speak for just a moment of the question 

 of education? I do not speak with authority, nor with any certainty, 

 but I am beginning to believe this to be one of the ways of making a 

 people absolutely loyal to the flag. I wish that I could even speak 

 English; I would be content to do that, if I could speak it with purity. 

 But I should like also to be able to talk Spanish and Portuguese and French. 

 Alas, I have none of these, save such as I obtained in a college education; 

 and a college education in teaching a language, I have found, only 

 enables a man to read the menu card. Many of us are in doubt about 

 sending our young people to foreign countries to learn the language of 

 that nation. Might it not be well in the countries to the south of us to 

 set up great English educational institutions, where those of your people 

 who desire to learn English might learn it ? Might it not be a great favor 

 to this country if there were a great Spanish or French or Portuguese 

 institution of learning where our people really could learn something 

 about your languages? 



