REPORT OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL- 137 



sponsibility as members of the human race in presence of the greatest 

 European catastrophe, that by its renewed horrors makes us ponder 

 whether the boast of progress and civilization is not simply a veneer of 

 the unconquered savage. 



The astronomers who, invading the limitless space, are patiently trying 

 to penetrate the mysteries of creation, tell us that in the perpetual evolu- 

 tion of the myriads of stars there is a constant and regular process by 

 which shapeless nebulae evolve in perhaps millions of years into a compact 

 body, like our planetary system, and that all those wonderful and marvel- 

 ous transformations take place as orderly and regularly as day follows 

 night. When man as a free agent chooses to submit himself to the moral 

 laws that are as permanent and unchangeable as all natural laws, the 

 result is peace and harmony. In the social and political evolution of the 

 nations, democracy is the supreme expression of justice and right, the 

 fundamental bases for peace and happiness. 



The New World has discarded all the artificial and degrading impo- 

 sitions originated in times when the self-respect and the rights of man 

 were crushed under the doctrine of the divine right of kings and the crea- 

 tion of nobility, supported by might and the spoliation of the many for the 

 benefit of the few. America has reestablished mankind to the fullness 

 of its rights. 



It is my profound conviction that our progress and social advance 

 under the great principles of justice, equal rights, and duties for all is pro- 

 moting the future peace of the world. Civilization and progress are com- 

 plex facts and the result of coordinate efforts for the welfare of mankind 

 inspired in rightfulness and sympathy. We live in a time when the truth 

 that the advance of the human race represents the sum total of the 

 well-being of one and every nation is better understood. The whole trend 

 of our civilization, the constant mastery of the great elements of nature, 

 the increasing output of manufacturing, the almost obliteration of time 

 and space by the use of steam and electricity is telling us that no nation 

 can grow and develop only within itself; that the universal exchange 

 of thoughts, of the products of industry, and the expansion of capital are 

 as necessary to the world's progress as food for the human body. 



Gentlemen, this congress marks an epoch in the relations of our Repub- 

 lics. It met in a historic moment. By its contributi6ns to the store of 

 knowledge it has earned the respect of the men of science and by its 

 recognizing the great principle of Pan Americanism has taken the most 

 forward step toward the solidarity of America. The President in his 

 message to Congress has masterfully expounded the meaning of that great 

 doctrine, which excludes no man, threatens no country, but is the cul- 



