14 



THE CUBA 11 E V 1 K W 



The soft i)urt of the leaves of this tree being removed, the iiisi(h> texture may l)e spun in 

 tlie same manner as hemp or flax and ean be used for ('ordaf>;(>, fishing nets and for things reciuir- 

 ing strength and durability. The fibers obtained from llie leaves are of great length, very 

 strong and dm-able and seem well adapted for the nianafaeture of paper. 



The tree i)roduces also an abundance of seeds (fruits) which contain a good deal of nourish- 

 ing matter for stock. In Brazil an oil is obtained from the seeds, wliich is known as para 

 l)utter. It is highly esteemed in the tropics for domestic pur{)oscs. 



C. H. PEARSON. 



PAN-AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS 



Announcement has been made that the 

 preliminary arrangements are completed for 

 the largest and most comprehensive inter- 

 national conference which has ever been held 

 in the United States. From December 27, 

 1915 to January 8, 1916, or a period of two 

 weeks, there will meet in Washington, D. C, 

 the Second Pan-American Scientific Congress 

 in which all of the American Repul)iics will 

 participate and for which preparations have 

 been going on for nearly two years. 



According to the official reports from each 

 of the governments, each one of the twenty- 

 one American Republics will appoint delega- 

 tions composed of its leading educators, 

 economists, engineers, international lawyers, 

 and experts on mining, agricult ire, health, 

 transportation and finance. From present 

 indications, it is estimated that there will be 

 in attendance over one hundred and fifty of 

 the most representative men of Ceniral and 

 South America, or more than ha\e ever 

 participated in any other international con- 

 ference held in America. 



It will be signalized by an effort to pi-omote 

 closer relations among the American Repub- 

 lics along intellectual and educational lines 

 rather than on material and political lines. 

 In the same way that the regular Interna- 

 tional Conferences of the American Republics 

 have developed closer political ties, and the 

 recent Pan-American Financial Conference 

 hel])ed to promote better financial imder- 

 standing, so correspondingly this Congress 

 will bring the Americas more intimately 

 together upon a high plane of intellectual, 

 scientific, educational and social progress and 

 intercourse. 



This international gathering is called the 

 Second Pan-American Scientific Congress 

 l)ecause the First was held in Santiago, the 

 capital of Chile, in 1908. When it adjourned, 

 it unanimously agreed to hold the Second in 

 Washington. The United States Ciovernment 



has therefore appropriated fifty thousand 

 dollars for the expenses of the Conference, and 

 the President of the United States was author- 

 ized by Congress to invite all the other Amer- 

 ican Governments to participate. 



The President of the United States will 

 welcome the delegates at the inaugin-al session 

 which will be held on Monday, December 27. 

 The President of the Congress, in accordance 

 with international precedence which gives the 

 presidency to the leading representative of 

 the country where the previous conference 

 was held, will be his Excellency Eduardo 

 Suarez-Mujica, Ambassador of Chile, who 

 will also be the Chairman of the delegation 

 from that count rv. 



A CUBAN IN MEXICO 



Senor Fernandez Cabrera, a brilliant young 

 author and newspaper correspondent who was 

 sent to Mexico by the HeralAo (h Cuba to 

 write a series of articles on the revolution and 

 its leaders, has arranged to have these articles 

 published in book form with a highly appre- 

 ciative introduction by Conde Kostia of 

 Havana, with the tital "Mi Viaje a Mex- 

 ico: A Proposito De La Revolucion." 



The author landed at Progreso, stayed 

 many days in Vera Cruz, made the acquaint- 

 ance of all the Constitutionalist leaders, and 

 finally journeyed with Carranza and Obregon 

 toward the City of Mexico, at last making his 

 way alone through the Zapatista lines to the 

 Mexican capital. He found the city intimi- 

 dated, desolated, the streets almost deserted. 

 Here he interviewed various leaders of the 

 factions, including President Gutierrez, who 

 two days later fled to San Luis Potosi, carry- 

 ing with him "his gigantic humanity and 

 10,000,000 jiesos from the public treasury." 

 It was a dangerous interview, and Senor 

 Cabrera adds that the man's brutal eyes still 

 haunt him. His return journey to Vera Cruz 

 was full of adventures, and he relates them 

 with all the romantic gusto of vouth. 



