tourists and travelers visiting for the first time the other American continent than the one in which they dwell. The Union has influenced several steamship companies to improve their passenger service between North and South America, and caused others to organize and undertake excursions or special journeys to the principal countries, which have been well patronized and give promise of more popularity in the future. The Union in one of its international phases has helped some of its constituent governments to establish new subordinate divisions or bureaus of principal departments, and it has also acted as an agency to assist other governments in advertising and letting contracts for public improvements. STUDY OF SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE The Union has started in several universities and colleges and many secondary schools or academies the study of Spanish or Portuguese, and of Latin-American economic, industrial and political conditions, where previously those subjects have had little or no attention. The Union has provided newspapers all over the world with special bulletins or legitimate press notices covering the commercial progress, the development of resources, the starting of new enterprises, the building of new railroads, the growth of population, the making of new tariff, mining, land and immigration laws, with the result that the daily papers of the United States and Europe now give one hundred per cent. more attention to Latin America than they did a few years ago, and those of Latin America more prominence to the affairs of the United States. The Union as an international institution in no way duplicates or interferes with, any subordinate bureau or division of the United States or other of its constituent governments, and performs a class of work which only an international organization supported and controlled by a group of governments can perform, and, as such, it is entitled to the liberal and hearty support of every American government. ADDRESSES BEFORE COMMERCIAL ORGANIZATIONS The Union in the person of its Director General or of other members of its staff, has accepted numerous invitations from Chambers of Commerce, Boards of Trade, commercial organizations and clubs to deliver addresses before them on the development of trade relations between the United States and Latin America, and it has in this way reached in a practical manner a class of men whose influence counts in the development of interest in Latin-American affairs. The Union has sent, and is sending from time to time, special representatives not only to different parts of the United States, but throughout the Latin-American countries to collect the latest information about conditions of commerce, industry, and general progress, who, in turn, come back to the office in Washington to prepare reports on the countries visited and to answer the large correspondence that constantly demands attention. A PAN AMERICAN BANK The Union in making efforts along many lines to help Pan American trade has endeavored to awaken the bankers and capitalists of the United States to the importance of the establishment of an international or Pan American bank, with headquarters in New York and branches in the principal Latin-American cities. The plan has been received most favorably by the Latin-American countries, and the attitude of their governments is friendly, but, on account of some technical difficulties regarding a charter, certain large financial interests of New York have held back from carrying the idea into execution, and this has kept other groups of capitalists from undertaking it, although they are convinced of the wisdom of the general plan and may yet carry it into execution. THE COLUMBUS MEMORIAL LIBRARY A most useful subdivision of the Pan American Union is the Columbus Memorial Library. It is deserving of special interest and of the co-operation of all governments in making it the most comprehensive and useful collection of its kind in the world. The Second Pan American Conference, held in Mexico in the winter of 1901-2, gave it its present name as a memorial to the great Columbus, but its size is as yet hardly worthy of that name, mainly because there has been a lack of funds to purchase books, and a lack of help from the various governments in adding to the volumes upon its shelves. The total number of books and pamphlets in the library is about 20,000, but the fire-proof stack room provided in the new building has space for 175,000 volumes. Although it is made up largely of official publications of the different republics, works of history, description and travel relating to them, it is so far from being complete in these respects that a special effort will be made during the next few years to enlarge it along these lines. The acting librarian, in his last report, says: During the year just closed the library received, from all sources, 2,795 volumes and pamphlets, divided as follows: By gift and exchange (688 volumes and 663 pamphlets), 1,351; by purchase (122 volumes and 24 pamphlets), 146; periodicals bound during the year, 130; review books (from “Bulletin," 54 volumes and 3 pamphlets), 57; duplicates (424 volumes and 687 pamphlets), 1,111; total receipts, volumes and pamphlets, 2,795. Number of volumes and pamphlets on the shelves at last report, 17,043. Additions during present year: 810 volumes, 687 pamphlets, 130 bound periodicals, 57 review books. Total, 1,684. Total volumes and pamphlets now in the Library, 18,727.* These volumes and pamphlets have all been accessioned, catalogued, and classified. In addition we received 196 maps, making a total of 846 now on file, two atlases, making a total of 60 in the Library, 2,941 photographs from all parts of Latin America, 14 photographic albums, and 40,805 daily, weekly and monthly newspapers and magazines. *Since this report was submitted the total number of books and pamphlets has been increased to 20,000. |