of consumption of liquors on naval vessels of the Republic and in army units and buildings. Besides governmental regulation and the assistance furnished by temperance societies, effective work against alcoholism is performed by many of the great mining and commercial companies, such as the Guggenheim and Grace companies, which not only enforce temperance among their employees, but also provide churches, schools, community centers, motion picture theaters, and the like for the purpose of turning the attention of their workmen from the craving for liquor. With practical and vital topics like the above, it can readily be seen that the International Conference of American States is not apt to lose itself in purely theoretical and aimless discussion. Nor will the results of the meeting end with the meeting itself. The resolutions taken will in due course, and wherever possible, be made law by action of the different governments, and subjects not definitely dispatched now will be treated in later conferences. Nobody can read the proceedings and available documents of the various Pan-American Conferences without coming to have a high respect and admiration for the important work accomplished by them. It is to be regretted that the press of this country devotes so little space to these meetings, for to follow their deliberations is in itself an education in subjects in which the average citizen of the United States needs most to be educated. NEWS AND NOTES ARGENTINA Under the auspices of the American Academy of History, the first national history congress was opened in Buenos Aires, representatives of libraries, government delegates, and other interested persons being present. Following the joint agreement between the governments of Argentina and Chile relative to the management of the Transandean Railway, resolutions have been adopted in both countries for the electrification of the line. An expert from the Department of Agriculture of the United States has been engaged to reorganize and perfect the statistical sections of the corresponding department of the Argentine government. BOLIVIA The Standard Oil Company has signed a contract covering petroleum concessions on approximately one million hectares in three Bolivian provinces. The contract is to run for a term of fifty-five years during which the concessionaires agree to renounce all rights of diplomatic intervention in case of disputes. A critical situation in politics has resulted from the lack of harmony between the Executive and certain factions in the legislature. Minorities in both houses have determined to launch an agressive policy against the President; and a recent incident in the campaign was the action of a group of the opposition in memorializing the President to resign. BRAZIL Dr. Primitivo Moacyr has been placed in charge of the task of coördinating and publishing the documents of Congress. All subjects found in the congressional annals are being carefully arranged so that easy access to any topic may be had, fifty-five volumes having been published prior to the end of 1922. The executive department of government has been authorized to undertake the construction of not to exceed 500 houses to be occupied by public officials and laborers employed by the Federal government. Although many tribes of wild Indians inhabiting the Amazon region have not been enumerated, latest figures indicate the population of Brazil as exceeding 30,000,000 inhabitants. This places Brazil ahead of Spain, and preceded only by France and Italy, as the most populous Latin country. CENTRAL AMERICA On August 20, 1922, the Presidents of Nicaragua, Honduras, and Salvador entered into an agreement relative to the extension of the treaty of peace and friendship signed in Washington on December 20, 1907, by the five Central American republics. As a result of this meeting, a conference of the five republics was held in Washington beginning December 4, 1922. A proposition for a Central American Union was voted down by the conference, although a future conference to be called in January, 1926, was provided for. Negotiations for a general treaty of amity and for an international court of arbitration were soon under way, and on January 12, the drafting of this treaty was begun. Just prior to the adjournment of the conference on February 7, 1923, the following conventions, in addition to the treaty of amity, were signed: For free trade, for the establishment of a Central American court, for the institution of international commissions of inquiry, for uniform workmen's protective laws, for uniformity in the liberal professions, for electoral legislation, for agricultural experiment, for exchange of students, for extradition, and for permanent Central American commissions. The first of these the one relative to free trade-was not signed by Costa Rica; with this exception the conventions were signed by representa tives of the republics, Guatamala, Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. CHILE Preliminary reports of the census of 1920 show the total population at that time to have been 3,734,723, almost equally divided between men and women. Santiago with a population of 507,296 was the largest city of Chile. A government commission is preparing a report on changes deemed advisable in the mining laws. The protocol signed at Washington between Peru and Chile on July 22, 1922, designating the President of the United States as arbitrator of the Tacna-Arica dispute, after having been ratified by the Chamber of Deputies, met with considerable opposition in the Chilean senate. Although the Senate succeeded in over-throwing the Ministry because of its conduct of the Tacna-Arica negotiations, the Chamber on November 30 accepted the protocol by twothirds majority and thus succeeded in over-riding the Senate reservations. Although the three-month period within which ratification should have taken place had elapsed before the final ratification, Peru agreed to overlook the delay. The ratification has been accepted and the matter is now definitely in the hands of the President of the United States as arbitrator. COLOMBIA A railroad congress to discuss plans for a country-wide railroad system is to be called by the Society of Colombian Engineers. Bills drafted by this society are to be presented to Congress in order that there may be a systematic development of railways. A North American financial expert has been placed in charge of reorganization of the public treasury and, to a certain extent, in control of the expenditures of a loan of $80,000,000 negotiated with American bankers. The first installment of $5,000,000 to apply on the $25,000,000 payment to be made to Colombia by the United States has been paid. COSTA RICA By decree of May 20, 1922, an office of control of expenditures of government funds was established. The chief of the office is to be appointed by Congress; he will coöperate with the Ministry of the Treasury especially in regard to the budget and will also have oversight of all government employees. CUBA Recent data indicate the population of the island to be 2,889,004. Havana with a population of 363,506 is by far the largest city, although the urban population is 1,290,855 or 44.7% of the total population. November elections, national, state, and provincial, resulted in a land-slide for the Liberal Party. As a result of the efforts of woman suffragists, a national woman's congress is being organized to obtain equal social and political rights for women. GUATAMALA In its review of the economic situation of the republic, a commission appointed by the government has recommended stabilizing the national currency, minting nickle and copper coins to replace paper money of small denominations, making an official budget, developing national production, establishing banks of issue, and establishing agricultural schools. HAITI All former secretaries of foreign affairs, delegates to international conferences, diplomats, and others versed in in |