nt of Brazil
and to the people of Rio de Janeiro for the generous
hospitality with which our delegates, in common with the
others, were received, entertained, and facilitated in their
work.

Incidentally to the meeting of the conference, the Secretary
of State visited the city of Rio de Janeiro and was
cordially received by the conference, of which he was made
an honorary president. The announcement of his intention to
make this visit was followed by most courteous and urgent
invitations from nearly all the countries of South America
to visit them as the guest of their Governments. It was
deemed that by the acceptance of these invitations we might
appropriately express the real respect and friendship in
which we hold our sister republics of the southern
continent, and the Secretary, accordingly, visited Brazil,
Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Panama, and Colombia. He
refrained from visiting Paraguay, Bolivia, and Ecuador only
because the distance of their capitals from the seaboard
made it impracticable with the time at his disposal. He
carried with him a message of peace and friendship, and of
strong desire for good understanding and mutual helpfulness;
and he was everywhere received in the spirit of his message.
The members of government, the press, the learned
professions, the men of business, and the great masses of
the people united everywhere in emphatic response to his
friendly expressions and in doing honor to the country and
cause which he represented.

In many parts of South America there has been much
misunderstanding of the attitude and purposes of the United
States toward the other American republics. An idea had
become prevalent that our assertion of the Monroe Doctrine
implied, or carried with it, an assumption of superiority,
and of a right to exercise some kind of protectorate over
the countries to whose territory that doctrine applies.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. Yet that impression
continued to be a serious barrier to good understanding, to
friendly intercourse, to the introduction of American
capital and the extension of American trade. The impression
was so widespread that apparently it could not be reached by
any ordinary means.

It was part