The record-union., 1899-09-17
EMBITTERING SOUTH AMERICA.

Mondays dispatches carried to us
from the City of Mexico announced
the purported discovery of a secret un-
derstanding between Bolivia and the
United States, by which the latter is
to take over the rubber producing reg
ion of the upper Amazon. It is added
that the recent visit of the President
of Buenos Ayres to the President of
Brazil was for the purpose of consult.
ing him upon measures to defend
against the Yankees
This is .veriest nonsense. They ought
to know better in Mexico and in South
America than TO suppose that any ar
rangement can be made to take over
annex (?)-any territory by the Unit
ed States without the consent Of Con-
gress, and that this country never has,
and never viii seek possessions in
South America It is more probable
that the taken over referred to
relates to commercial enterprise on the
part of our progressive business men.
Undoubtedly the enormous demand
for rubber has stirred them to extra
ordinary endeavors to command abun-
dant supply But that any South Amer
lean States need to coalesce for defense
against aggressive movements on the
part of the United States is ridiculous.
The uttered fear voiced by the dis
patch, is the result of some nightmare
which afflicted the unhappy distributor
of news"
But when it is added later on, tnat
European states are and long have
been doing their best to embitter
South American states against the
United States of North America, there
is near approach to truth Only the
other day the Record Union" pub
lished a paper in which, in considering
the thought of Washington's address,
it was thrown out that the danger OF
European aggression in South America
is by no means remote. The mono
graphist went to the extent of express
ing the fear that European states may
at an early day attempt the dismem-
berment Of the South American con-
tinent, on the ground that the Latin
states Of that part of the globe signally
fail in f-government, and have not
that stability as states. essential to the
preservation of the worlds peace.
OF course this appears at first glance
wild and fanciful idea, but beneath
it there may be, more of truth than
we are willing to confess. At least we
know that Europe has no admiration
for Pan-Ame1fcanism. Her influence
Will always be exerted against it. In
deed, it is quite natural that the COM
mercial spirit of Europe should be op>
posed TO any influence that draws the
North and South American States clos
er together in interest and commercial
unity Unquestionably the decision of
two of the South American States TO
have nothing to do with the approach
ing Pan-American Exposition at Buff
falo-purely commercial movement
was prompted and sustained by for
eign influences.
We may reasonably expect that the
Spanish Government and Spanish COM
mereial influences will be active in
exciting the Latin people to take at,
titudes hostile to us. The sympathy
Spain has from European States will
naturally lead some of them to join
with her in such work, while the
Jealousy of Germany. Austria and even
England and France of any advance
of North American commerce into
South American States. will make
them responsive to any movement to
embitter the latter against the United
States.
We must expect in all the South
American republics to be persistently
misrepresented and to be put before
their people as entertaining imperialis-
tic projects directed towards them. The
so-called anti-imperialistic organiza-
tions and campaign in our own coun,
try at this time, whose 1abors are
engineered against the retention of the
Philippines. will be cited to the South
Americans as proof positive that there