Bolivar's Idea

Americans, this is Orson Welles. A year ago I stood before this same CBS microphone in the same studio and said goodbye to you for the mercury. It was out there well. It is important for the people of this hemisphere to get better acquainted and the mercury has been given a job of helping out with the introduction of South America a year ago.

Since then we've made motion pictures in Brazil and Mexico Visited all the American Republic gathering material and writing the script to the broadcast Now it's time to say goodbye again We're going on with a job The mercury is still working for the coordinators inter-American affairs Movies and plays and later we hope more radio

It's gonna go on trying to help out with the introduction We want you to shake hands with Mr. and Mrs. America. There's music, sports and jokes. All the mediums we can work in, all the languages we know, are obediently yours in the service of a big idea called Pan-Americanism.

Big idea and also a big word. I wish it would. It ought to be just as easy to say Pan-Americanism as it is to understand it. My own contact with Pan-Americanism began with a delicately filigree souvenir spoon from a Pan-American exposition, clearly labeled sterling silver.

At the inquisitive age of seven, I found this tiny spoon among my grandmother's jealously guarded treasures in the old glass of the living room, along with a dance program which Seriously enough did not have my grandfather's name in it and the description for an asthma remedy Also, no, you met Bing in my things again

Even as a child I recognized the merit of diversion the method of defense So I promptly asked What does Pan American is a mean grandma? Well as I've been able to figure out some engraved map in the bowl of the spoon the narrow strip of central America must be the handle to some fantastic two-headed frying pan.