the church in Florida. It is New Year Day. At eleven o'clock the hierarch will throw into the Bayou a golden cross. The deep water divers will be gathered from far and near. To the lucky man who finds the cross at the bottom and brings it to the priest, goes the blessing of the prelate and a hat full of silver. If it be a young lad, the reward may be a four year scholarship.

Then follow preparations for the next sponge cruise. The captain of each boat stocks up with provisions for a three months' period. Gasoline is pumped into the tanks, for each craft has a motor. The crew is shipped, and this crew includes one or two divers with all the paraphernalia for deep sea work down to 125 feet. The crew usually shares in the profits of the trip, the catch being divided upon an arranged percentage.

Off goes the boat, with lateen sail bellied full on favoring wind, to wander hundreds of miles, and not to return until the catch fills the

boat. It is not clean or safe business. Gulf storms are at times energetic. The live sponge looks, attached to a rock at the bottom, like a great blob of liver, raw liver. When the diver has identified it, and cut it from its support, the sponge is hauled on board and thrown on the decks, there to be killed. When the animal is thoroughly defunct the flesh is allowed to putrify, and then the animal part is washed away. What is left is the sponge of commerce. It can well be imagined that these processes are not especially conducive to the comfort of sensitive nostrils. The odors of iodine are said by the fishermen to be wholesome. But even so- It is said that energetic and curious tourists who have shipped on these voyages in order to see the whole process, have been heard to declare: "Never again!"

When the ship, laden with sponges, now reasonably clean and dry, ties up at the wharf at Tarpon Springs, there comes the process into which the Sponge Exchange enters

Greek Feast Day, which is the 19th of January-the boats engaged in the sponge fishing are drawn up at the wharf on the Enclote

River, one of the best and safest anchorages on the West Coast.

as the important feature. The Exchange building is of brick, one story in height, and much resembles a prison. The exterior is blank on three sides, but on the fourth are two entrances. Inside is a great court, paved with concrete, and upon this open through barred and padlocked doors perhaps fifty cells. Each ship captain has assigned to him, temporarily, one of these great cells. In it he stores his catch of sponge. Twice each week the Exchange holds its auctions-Tuesdays and Fridays. Those who elect to sell on any given day spread out their offering, neatly tied in bunches, graded as to size and quality, on the clean concrete paving. Around these heaps the crowds of buyers gather. They examine the offerings critically. Representatives of all the great drug houses of the world are here, perhaps some speculators also.

The auctioneer approaches a pile. "What am I offered for these?" Each purchaser who wishes to bid writes his sum on a slip of paper,

folds it, hands the slip to the auctioneer. Not a word is spoken. When the slips are all in they are unfolded. The highest bid wins. The buyer then settles on the spot with certified check or cash. His cartmen appear, the sponges are loaded and carted away. All actual sales, no futures or margins, just genuine business. The sponge fleet here numbers about two hundred vessels, varying in tonnage all small boats, compared with even coastwise freighters, but far more picturesque. In fact, it seems doubtful whether in the waters of America there is so picturesque a fleet. The caravels of Columbus were no more curious. The curling bows and sterns, the highly colored hulls, the brightly tinted sails!

The Grecian sailor ashore is a friendly creature, and is law abiding. The majority of the sailors are naturalized, and patriotic in the extreme. As the sponge fleet's contribution to the Red Cross each boat gave a bunch of sponges.

P

AN-AMERICA needs ships; Pan-Amer

icanism needs ships. Pan-America and Pan-Americanism today have a mighty significance. The practical interpretation of that significance is dependent upon ships. PanAmerica stands for All-America, Pan-Americanism means the co-operation of all the American countries for their common good. America, therefore, needs ships to make this co-operation effective and permanent.

All

Right at this moment and again after the war, ships can do more to develop Pan-Ameri

John Barrett, Director-General Pan-American Union.

can solidarity and Pan-American unity than all appeals to sentiment and common interest. Let there be abundant shipping to carry from the United States down to Central and South America what they want and must have for their well-being and progress and then there

need be no worry about international jealousies. Let there be sufficient vessels to bring up from Central and South America to the United States what they want to sell to this country and what this country needs, and then there need be little or no apprehension about differences of language and race. Let there be ample cargo and passenger space to care for Pan-America trade and travel alike, and then we will see more accomplished for common sympathy and common action among all the American Republics than can be achieved by all the speeches made and books written about Pan-Americanism in the past century.

If Mr. Hurley can bring about this splendid result of his administration of ship construction, he will some day be hailed as even a greater Pan-American than Blaine, Root or Henry Clay. Speaking, therefore, from my standpoint as one who for 17 years has been engaged officially and privately in promoting Pan-American commerce, Pan American friendship and Pan-American solidarity, I wish him God speed, not only in meeting the tremendous demands of the war, but in meeting present and future conditions of Pan-American intercourse.

As emphasizing the importance of my humble contentions let us consider a few remarkable facts about Pan-American trade not generally appreciated. We are all familiar with the vast commerce of the United States with all the world. But most of us, however, are not posted as to the foreign commerce of our 20 (twenty) sister American Republics and the extraordinary part that the United States is now playing in that commerce. may surprise you, but it is true, that today the United States is buying and selling with Latin America to the extent of over one-half of its total purchases and sales. Last year the 20 (twenty) other American Republics, reaching

It