REPORT OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL. 65 



ties and individuals, takes pleasure in expressing its wishes that this 

 congress, destined as it is to tighten the bonds of Pan American solidarity 

 among the nations of our continent, shall achieve success. 



Never more than at the present moment, while Europe is in the throes 

 of the great conflict of nations, has America been confronted by a more 

 vital necessity to stand together, with a view to uniformity in ideas^ 

 aspirations, and tendencies, as well in politico-economic as in purely 

 intellectual spheres. This congress is to concern itself with only the 

 second of these fields of thought. The program prepared is so vast and 

 comprehensive that it may be said that in the many themes submitted 

 for our deliberation, every problem that confronts the human mind is 

 to be found. 



In view of the composition of the congress, there will undoubtedly be 

 presented for us to consider innumerable papers which, notv-'ithstanding 

 our desire to do so, we shall probably not have time fully to discuss and 

 digest. Perhaps it may become necessary for us to content ourselves 

 with a concise exposition of the context of each and await its publication 

 in full in the proceedings of the congress for an opportunity to take due 

 account of its consummate importance. But in any event, this oppor- 

 tunity of meeting and conferring with so many representatives of all the 

 American countries will aid in the solution of not a few of the questions 

 and will serve to make more binding the intellectual union of America, 

 which until now has been somewhat loose and which has been of rather 

 negligible force in certain sections. 



The Argentine delegation has felt that it ought to strive to make the 

 present congress bear more tangible and permanent fruit, yet without 

 prejudice to the series of isolated papers that may be presented at its 

 several sessions. To this end it has placed itself in accord with the 

 Chilean and Brazilian delegations in order to formulate certain pro- 

 posals of a general character and common utility, and has submitted them 

 previously for the consideration of other delegations in order to secure a 

 true realization of Pan American work, since this should be based on the 

 absolute international equality of all continental nations, both great 

 and small. The international consciences of all are to-day awakened 

 and are impressed with the duty of coordinating in an effort to solve the 

 general problems from a point of view peculiarly American. The political 

 aspect being happily eliminated from the deliberations of this congress, 

 the intellectual alone remains; and in this, conceivably, no stumbling 

 block can present itself. 



