able examples of rectitude, unselfishness, wisdom, and true republicanism; and therefore, in the name of the Republic of Panama, of which I have the honor to be President, I send to-day to the people of the United States, through the Governing Board of the Pan American Union, a message of cordial sympathy with the universal tribute which the free nations of the earth are rendering to the illustrious memory of the Liberator of the United States.

The public life of George Washington, so fertile in its immediate results, was fertile also in the consequences it had in Hispanic America. The energy and will with which he carried forward the great enterprise of bringing a new and great nation into being, his love of democracy and liberty, his unbounded faith in the future of the New World, were lessons followed in the struggles for the independence and firm. establishment of our nations which began on the Río de la Plata in

1810.

Like a powerful beacon his memory illumined the path which the fathers of the Hispanic American nations followed. And this light has never failed; to-day as yesterday it shines supreme in the skies of American democracy.

with the rejoicing of the American Government and people, and pay the homage of their admiration to the hero and patriot who ordained in the United States the freest of all democracies and bequeathed to the world the unsurpassed example of his political integrity.

The Republic of Uruguay, where independence and democracy are revered by the people, joins in the homage which is being rendered to the memory of Washington on this second centenary of his birth. Washington's uprightness in the exercise of the highest public offices, the orientation of his Government in the direction of peace and respect for other nations, and the recognition of his virtues by his fellow citizens make of the first President of the United States a figure venerated throughout America, but particularly in Uruguay, where his memory and example are this year being honored.

I am happy to take part in the homage which the Pan American Union is to-day rendering to the memory of Washington.

Washington it was who made the principle of the sovereignty of the people prevail for the good of the country, and who loved peace founded on justice and mutual respect.

Inspired with the same ideas, Bolívar strove to bring about the union of the nations of this continent, and Venezuela, modeling its

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policy on the counsels of the Liberator, renews once again on this occasion its sincere good wishes for the brotherhood of the Republics of America and for universal peace.

J. V. GÓMEZ.

After the last message had been read, a wreath was deposited on behalf of all the speakers by His Excellency Dr. Adrián Recinos, Minister of Guatemala.

Because of the departure of Secretary of State Stimson for Europe, the response for the Government of the United States was made by the Assistant Secretary of State, Hon. Francis White, who said: GENTLEMEN OF THE GOVERNING BOARD:

I wish to assure you how deeply the Government and people of the United States appreciate the tribute which your respective nations are paying to the memory of Washington. Here at this sacred shrine which was the scene of his activities for so many years, the assembling of the representatives of the Republics of America to do him honor possesses a special significance.

It was a most gracious act on your part to devote the 1932 celebration of Pan American Day to the founder of this Republic. The ideals for which he struggled have so much in common with those of the founders of the other Republics of America that I feel that we are to-day paying tribute to that great company of patriots to whom we owe the existence of the free nations of this Continent. Although we can never hope to repay the debt which we owe to them, we can show our devotion to the ideals for which they struggled by constantly emphasizing and fostering the common interests of the American Republics and developing in every possible way the spirit of cooperation and mutual helpfulness which happily exists between them.

I desire again to express to you and through you to the Chiefs of State here represented the deep and heartfelt gratitude of the Government and people of the United States for this generous tribute.

THE GOVERNING BOARD HONORS

THE MEMORY OF WASHINGTON

"EBRUARY 22, 1932, was observed with special ceremonies everywhere throughout the United States as the bicentennial of the birth of that hero whom the entire Nation delights to honor. In the Capital the Governing Board of the Pan American Union, composed of the representatives of the 20 Republics of Latin America. and the Secretary of State of the United States, met in special session to commemorate the day. The assemblage in the imposing Hall of the Americas of the Pan American Union was but a small part of those who shared in the ceremonies, broadcast over nation-wide chains throughout the United States and also sent by short wave to all the other countries of the American Continent. The Marine Band orchestra played a program of music as part of the exercises.

The Vice Chairman of the Board, His Excellency Dr. Orestes Ferrara, Ambassador of Cuba, made an eloquent address on behalf of his colleagues, paying homage to Washington in the following words:

The great principles which sum up the experiences of mankind do not suffice to show us the path of duty and the road to salvation in times of difficulty. On the other hand, the life of a man, converted into a symbol, may dominate our minds, guide our hearts, and elevate our spirits. A great man is the noblest work of God, for he is the incarnation of beauty and goodness, of honor and service, of that eternal virtue which illumines the straight and narrow way of thought and deed.

George Washington is one of the beacons placed at intervals along the highroad of history. For his country he serves as a guide in time of stress and a refuge in tranquil moments; a never-failing example of true goodness; a warning to turbulent youth; and a mute accusation of selfish interests. Thus it is always he who vivifies the moral principles of his fellow countrymen. The difficult and absorbing scene in which he played the leading rôle did not mar his personality. He was a redoubtable agitator because the times required it, yet he always preserved his serenity of spirit; he was an energetic revolutionary, imbued, however, with the ideal of order; he was a politician, but not an opportunist; a citizen of a new democracy, but not a martyr. His character was admired by his contemporaries and is venerated by posterity.

Washington is an example of perfect balance, of perfect harmony. He was equally great in peace and in war, in the little acts of daily life and in the principles which he followed with constancy and devotion.

The people of the United States, with legitimate pride, hold him their greatest glory. But although Washington gave himself only to the service of the thirteen Colonies of North America, his life is a heritage belonging to the whole world. Virtue claims him for her own and, regardless of frontiers, makes him a citizen of every corner of the globe.

The example of Washington, the chief leader in securing the independence of his country, was an inspiration to the free governments organized on the vast continent discovered by Spain. The American revolution was a notable step forward along the path of progressive ideas and because of this, as well as for geographical reasons, it had a far-reaching effect on the peoples to the south of the United States. All the institutions erected on the ruins of colonial rule were modeled on the constitution which their brethren of the north had previously written for themselves.

In the heroic struggle for independence throughout the wide lands of Latin America, many were the illustrious and glorious leaders who, with magnificent generosity, offered their strength and their intellect to the cause of liberty. To them the name of Washington was a shining symbol, and each son of a new republic who rendered the greatest service to the nascent democracy was figuratively called the "Washington" of his country.

The principle that no President should succeed himself for a third term, although not included in the Constitution of the United States by the signers of that document, was nevertheless established by Washington in his country by his own volition. Latin America, however, adopted this principle in its written constitutions, maintaining it notwithstanding crises and lapses. The precedent set by George Washington in refusing to bow to the will of the majority of his compatriots, who would have elected him to the Presidency for the third time, has for more than a century been the Latin American constitutional principle that is most cherished and respected by the masses.

The parting advice given to his fellow citizens in his Farewell Address, not to take part in European struggles and not to intervene in the controversies which geography and history might occasion in that noble and ancient continent, was a solemn warning heeded also by Latin America. The statesmen of the 20 republics which were successively established managed to keep themselves aloof from the confused fluctuations of European politics, thus preventing the balance of power in Europe, when disturbed, from being redressed as a result of conflict in America, according to the phrase and the desire of an eminent statesman of the last century.

Universal applause, without dissent and without reserve, is a worthy tribute to the admirable picture presented by the life of George Washington. The voice of his soul told him that only noble purposes and good deeds inspire and nourish unselfishness. His mental powers gave him, from his earliest years, a clear comprehension of the fact that in our mortal life the part reserved for each one of us is but small and fleeting, for from birth we live with others and for others. His penetrating intelligence, trained in the school of integrity, taught him that all men, even confirmed egoists, look outside themselves to study the great truths handed down from age to age and to strive eagerly in fathoming the secrets of that future which they themselves will not see. Washington in his maturity learned how to impose upon himself and his soldiers the supreme sacrifice in homage to an ideal.

His life was a hymn in praise of honor, uprightness, and patriotism. Therefore, on this day, the two hundredth anniversary of his birth, let us hail a man whose personality, at once martial and benevolent, is our inspiration in hours of sorrow as well as in hours of rejoicing.

The Chairman of the Board, Hon. Henry L. Stimson, Secretary of State, responded on behalf of the Government of the United States:

Permit me to express to you the deep appreciation of the Government of the United States for the fine tribute which you have to-day paid to the memory of