Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-11

ICES that we have none but friendly feel
ings for them; but down there the conserT
alive newspapers and politicians are az
ways trying to convince the people that
Uncle Sam will gobble them up II they
don't watch out Furthermore no disuh-
guished American has ever visited any OF
those countries, and the lack or steamship
communication has prevented freedom or
intercourse. Many Of their best ciuzens
come here, but ours never go down there:
Secretary Roots visit would be recognized
as an epoch in our international relation
ships.
1t is not so important for him to go to
Brazil because there is a closer and more
friendly understanding between that country
and America. The Braziians are quite as
thorough in their acceptance of the Mon
roe doctrine as the United States, and at
one time voted TO erect statue OF Presi-
dent Monroe in their capital. Mr.. Nabuco,
the eminent ambassador from Brazil IN
Washington. in a recent interview, assert
ed his belief that sin the twentieth CEN
fury Monroe will compete with WASHINGTON
in popularity with my countrymen. Inc
reason is this: Washington represents the
ideas of Independence and political liberty
combined from which sprung, one after
another all the nations of the new world;
and Monroe represents the barrier that
makes the separate existence, even of the
smallest of those national bodies, unassail-
able"
Pan-American Conferences.
which the conferences of American ma
tons have been called have been accom-
plished and exist in tangible form, never
tiieless their effect is beneficial to the en-
tire continent. They produce q better
feeling all round, not only with the United
States but among all the countries. We
are only one of many. More would have
been accomplished since the first confer
ence IN Washington in 1889 If the United
States government had a fixed foreign or
commercial policy, which we have never
vet possessed. We have set a very poor
example to the other nations by our In
difference to the recommendations OF these
conferences, which, If adopted, might have
promoted~commerclala as well as diplomatic
relations.
eign policy-at least toward our nearest
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF the changes OF
administration or political major1tles In
Congress. There should be no politics In
our Monroe doctrine, for example. Our re-
lations with Mexico, Central and South
America should not be dragged into our
home political contests. Both democrats
and republicans accept the Monroe doc
trine; both claim to have the same kindly
feelings toward sister republics; but
the first thing that was done by the demo-
Gratis upon taking charge of the govern
ment in 1885 and 1893 was to revoke, up
set and reverse all that the republicans
had done to encourage better feeling.
Mr.. Cleveland had scarcely been seated in
the White House, Mr. Bayard had scarcely
been sworn In as Secretary of State, be-
fore he cabled the South American COM
mission TO quit and come home. That
commission had been sent out by President
Arthur to invite the other American re-
publics to join in the conference which
was finally held and to confer as to the
subjects to be discussed at the meeting.
1t also initiated reciprocity treaties with
nearly every one of the South American
| countries. Yet Mr.. Bayard strangled the
whole scheme as soon as he could get his
hands on it, and did not even reply to IN
| uuiries from other nations to what HAD
| become OF the work of the Arthur COM
| mission 1t required resolution of in
| quiry from Congress to get the report OF
! the commission out of the pigeon-holes of
| the State Department, and a republican
| Congress refused TO ratify the reciprocity
| treaties that had been made with Mexico.
| Cuba and San Domingo by Gen. Grant
and John W. Foster. The second Cleve-
land administration treated the same
movement in the same way, for 1t had
/ been revived under the Harrison admins
| tration and the conference had been held
| and had made its recommendations Every
| thing that the conference had recounted
| and that Mr. Blaine and Mr.. Foster had
| done was Immediately revoked and re-
versed.
Now we have started out again. and the
| administration is showing a great deal of
| interest. as we'll as friendly feeling, but
| the indifference of Congress still remains.
| We sent delegates to the recent Pam
American conference at Mexico, aed
twenty-three different recommendations
were made by that body for the action of
| the governments represented. The United
| States has ratified only two of them--one
| for 'the exchange of scientific and other
| publications. and convention for the
/ other act of the conference has been tg-
nored, and am quite sure that no MEM
1 Der of the foreign affairs committee of
| either house OF Congress could tell, on