w of the conventions.

Among the Hispanic nations of America only Mexico took part in the First
Conference at The Hague. Practically all of them were represented at the
second. The appearance of their delegates at these august assemblages
of the powers of earth was viewed for a while with mixed feelings. The
attitude of the Great Powers towards them resembled that of parents of
the old regime: children at the international table should be "seen and
not heard." As a matter of fact, the Hispanic Americans were both seen
and heard--especially the latter! They were able to show the Europeans
that, even if they did happen to come from relatively weak states, they
possessed a skillful intelligence, a breadth of knowledge, a capacity
for expression, and a consciousness of national character, which would
not allow them simply to play "Man Friday" to an international Crusoe.
The president of the second conference, indeed, confessed that they had
been a "revelation" to him.

Hence, as time went on, the progress and possibilities of the republics
of Hispanic America came to be appreciated more and more by the world at
large. Gradually people began to realize that the countries south of the
United States were not merely an indistinguishable block on the map,
to be referred to vaguely as "Central and South America" or as "Latin
America." The reading public at least knew that these countries were
quite different from one another, both in achievements and in prospects.

Yet the fact remains that, despite their active part in these American
and European conferences, the Hispanic countries of the New World
did not receive the recognition which they felt was their due. Their
national associates in the European gatherings were disinclined to admit
that the possession of independence and sovereignty entitled them to
equal representation on international council boards. To a greater or
less degree, therefore, they continued to stay in the borderland where
no one either affirmed or denied their individuality. To quote
the phrase of an Hispanic American, they stood "on the margin of
international life." How far they might pass beyond it into the full
privileges of recognition and association on equal terms, would depend
upon the readiness with which they could atone for the errors or
recover from the misfortunes of the past, and upon their power to attain
stability, prosperity, strength, and responsibility.

Certain of the Hispanic republi