Honorable José María Moncada, also were delegates. Dr. Juan Stefanich, Foreign Minister of Paraguay, was present at the closing session and addressed the Conference. Dr. Leo S. Rowe, Director General of the Pan American Union, was ex-officio a member of the Conference, and Dr. William Manger, Counselor of the Union, also attended. In accordance with article IV of the Regulations of the Conference (appendix 5, p. 57), the order of precedence of the delegations was determined by lot at the first session of the Conference, as follows: Argentina, Paraguay, Honduras, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Peru, El Salvador, Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Panama, United States of America, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Haiti, and Cuba. AGENDA The agenda, as formulated, was based on the suggestions submitted by the several governments members of the Pan American Union. The definitive agenda was approved by the Governing Board of the Union on July 22, 1936. In approving it the Governing Board adopted the following resolution: The Governing Board of the Pan American Union, having examined the Report of the Committee and the Project of Program and Regulations of the InterAmerican Conference for the Maintenance of Peace, RESOLVES: To approve these documents and to recommend to the Inter-American Conference for the Maintenance of Peace that, in harmony with the report of the Committee, preferential consideration be given to the questions relating to the organization of peace and that the Conference determine which of the other topics, whether of an economic, commercial or cultural character, are sufficiently ripe or merit a sufficiently general consensus of approval to make advisable their consideration; as well as those which should be referred to special conferences or to the Eighth International Conference of American States. One of the first acts of the Conference was the ratification of this resolution recommending that the committees give preferential consideration to questions relating to the organization of peace (resolution I, appendix 27, p. 209). The following is the definitive agenda as approved by the Governing Board: PROGRAM OF THE INTER-AMERICAN CONFERENCE FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF PEACE I ORGANIZATION OF PEACE 1. Methods for the prevention and pacific settlement of inter-American disputes. (a) Consideration of possible causes of controversy and of measures for their peaceful solution, excepting questions already settled by treaties. (b) Coordination and perfecting of existing international instruments for the maintenance of peace, and desirability of incorporating them in one instrument. (c) Consideration of additional measures for the maintenance of peace and the pacific settlement of inter-American controversies. (d) Measures intended to secure the prompt ratification of treaties and conventions for the maintenance of peace. (e) Generalization of the inter-American juridical system for the mainte nance of peace. (f) Creation of an Inter-American Court of Justice. 2. Consideration of other measures tending toward closer association of the American Republics and of measures of cooperation with other international entities. II NEUTRALITY 3. Consideration of rules regarding the rights and duties of neutrals and belligerents. III LIMITATION OF ARMAMENTS 4. Necessity of limiting the organization and armaments of national defense, so as only to guarantee internal security of the States and their defense against foreign aggression. IV JURIDICAL PROBLEMS 5. Consideration of methods for the future codification of International Law. 6. Formulation of principles with respect to the elimination of force and of diplomatic intervention in cases of pecuniary claims and other private actions. 7. Unification of the international American principle and of national legislation with respect to the problems of nationality. V ECONOMIC PROBLEMS 8. Measures to promote closer economic relations among the American Republics. (a) Tariff truces and customs agreements. (b) Agreement on sanitary regulations affecting the interchange of animal and vegetable products. (c) Equality of opportunity in international trade. (d) Financial cooperation. International aspects of the problems of immigration. (f) Promotion of travel. (g) Other measures. 9. Improvement of communication facilities. (a) Maritime communications. (b) The Pan American Highway. (c) Other measures. VI INTELLECTUAL COOPERATION 10. Measures to promote closer intellectual and cultural relations between the American Republics, and the development of the spirit of moral disarmament. REGULATIONS The Regulations for the Conference were likewise formulated and adopted by the Governing Board of the Pan American Union and were based upon the Regulations of the Seventh International Conference of American States, which met in Montevideo, Uruguay, December 3-26, 1933. These are printed as appendix 5 of this report (p. 57). ORGANIZATION OF THE CONFERENCE The Conference was organized in accordance with the Regulations adopted by the Governing Board of the Pan American Union on July 22, 1936 (see preceding paragraph). In addition to the two committees for which provision is made in article 8 of the Regulations, viz, Committee on Initiatives and Committee on Credentials, the following committees were designated, on which each delegation was entitled to be represented by one or more of their members: Committee I: Organization of Peace; Committee II: Neutrality; Committee III: Limitation of Armaments; Committee IV: Juridical Problems; Committee V: Economic Problems; Committee VI: Intellectual Cooperation; Coordination Committee. The names of the various delegates serving on the respective committees are printed as appendix 6 of this report (p. 63). The Committee on Initiatives, also established in accordance with the Regulations, was composed of the chairmen of the various delegations and presided over by the President of the Conference. This Committee functioned as a steering committee and considered in the first instance any new topics which were presented for consideration at the Conference. SECRETARIAT The Secretariat of the Conference was organized by the Argentine Government, with the Honorable Felipe A. Espil as Secretary General. Mr. Espil, Ambassador of Argentina at Washington, was chosen in accordance with article 6 of the Regulations. INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENTIAL BROADCAST The presidents of the American republics, on November 6, 7, and 10, took part in the most extensive international broadcast ever attempted in the Western Hemisphere. The presidents, speaking directly from their respective capital cities, delivered short messages calling attention to the importance of the Inter-American Conference for the Maintenance of Peace. President Roosevelt, on November 7, took part in this broadcast and extended a word of greeting to the United States Delegation which had sailed from New York on that day for the Conference. VISIT OF PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT * President Roosevelt accepted an invitation from the Government of Argentina to visit that country and participate in the opening session of the Conference on December 1. The President left Washington on November 17, embarking the following day on the U.S.S. Indianapolis at Charleston, South Carolina. He arrived in Rio de Janeiro on November 27, where he spent the day ashore as the guest of the President and Government of Brazil. President Roosevelt addressed a special joint session of Congress in the afternoon, and in the evening a banquet was given in his honor by President Getulio Vargas. On November 30, 1936, the Indianapolis arrived at Buenos Aires where, on the next day, the President addressed the opening session of the Inter-American Conference for the Maintenance of Peace. A copy of this address appears as appendix 8 of this report (p. 77). On December 2, 1936, President Roosevelt again boarded the Indianapolis and departed for Montevideo, Uruguay, where on the following day he was the official guest of the Republic of Uruguay. An official luncheon was given in his honor by President Gabriel Terra. Late in the afternoon the Indianapolis weighed anchor for return to the United States. On December 15 President Roosevelt landed at Charleston, South Carolina, four weeks to a day after he had left. This was the second time a President of the United States had traveled abroad to attend the opening of an inter-American conference.† PLENARY SESSIONS OF THE CONFERENCE The inaugural session of the Conference met in the Legislative Palace on December 1, 1936, when the assembly was addressed by President Agustín P. Justo, of Argentina, and President Franklin D. * An account of President Roosevelt's trip appears in the Bulletin of the Pan American Union (Washington, D.C., January 1937). † President Coolidge attended the opening session of the Sixth International Conference of American States at Habana, Cuba, January 16, 1928. Roosevelt. These two addresses appear as appendixes 7 and 8 of this report (pp. 73 and 77). The first plenary session of the Conference was held on December 4, 1936, under the presidency of Dr. Carlos Saavedra Lamas, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Argentina, who had been designated by the President of Argentina to act as temporary chairman. Dr. Saavedra Lamas was elected permanent President of the Conference, and, following his address of welcome, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, Dr. José Espalter, replied for the delegations. This was in accordance with the established custom of having the chief of the delegation of the country which had been the host of the preceding conference reply on behalf of the delegates to the address of welcome. The first plenary session recessed until December 5, when Secretary Hull addressed the Conference and outlined this Government's program for the maintenance of peace on the basis of the "Eight Pillars of Peace" (appendix 9, p. 82).* These "Eight Pillars of Peace" are summarized as follows: 1. Peoples must be educated for peace. Each nation must make itself safe for peace. 2. Frequent conferences between representatives of nations, and intercourse between their peoples, are essential. 3. The consummation of the five well-known peace agreements will provide adequate peace machinery. 4. In the event of war in this hemisphere, there should be a common policy of neutrality. 5. The nations should adopt commercial policies to bring each that prosperity upon which enduring peace is founded. 6. Practical international cooperation is essential to restore many indispensable relationships between nations and prevent the demoralization with which national character and conduct are threatened. 7. International law should be reestablished, revitalized, and strengthened. Armies and navies are no permanent substitute for its great principles. 8. Faithful observance of undertakings between nations is the foundation of international order, and rests upon moral law, the highest of all law. The second plenary session met on December 16 and recessed to meet again on December 19. The third and final plenary session took place on December 21. The Conference recessed to receive a petition bearing over a million names, gathered in fifty countries, which was presented by a delegation of women representing the People's Mandate to End War. The representatives from the United States traveled to Buenos Aires to participate in the presentation, and the petition was formally presented by Mrs. Musser, Delegate of the United States. The Con * In this connection see declaration XXVII (appendix 53, p. 227) in which the Conference adopted most of these points as fundamental principles governing the relations between the American republics. 137099-37-2 |