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Pan-American Conference

an assemblage of delegates from all the governments of South and Central America, convened at Washington in 1889-1890, at the instance of James G. Blaine, then Secretary of State. The conference had 100 PAN-AMERICAN CONGRESS of international comity and commerce among the races of the American continent. The sittings were protracted for nearly six months, the delegates meantime visiting every city of importance in the United States. The conference possessed no legislative or executive functions, its duties being purely advisory. The definite recommendations included a coinage of uniform weight and fineness, a common method of legalization of documents, the metrical decimal system, and a uniform system of weights and measures, regulation of the fees of consular agents, and certain conveniences of method in customs administration. Other important propositions were unanimously adopted, such as a great N. and S. trunk railway; government subsidies for steamship lines connecting the American countries represented; uniform protection for literary and art property, trade marks, and patents; uniform quarantine regulations; a uniform extradition treaty; and a great international bank.

The second conference, in response to an invitation issued during the previous year by the Mexican Government, met in the City of Mexico, Oct. 22, 1901. A third conference was held at Rio de Janeiro in 1906, and a fourth at Buenos Aires in 1910. There were delegates from 19 states.