The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-07-31

cate the Impressions OF q L11etlme.
Industrial Unity of Two Continents
VIII he His Aim.
1t is difficult to overestimate the i'm.
portance Of Secretary Roots visit to
South America, says a Washington
special dispatch to the New York
Times. 1t may mean the opening of the
continent to development by the north
ern part Of the hemisphere. 1t is under
taken with the object Of removing the
hatred Of us which at present closes
South America to the United States as
place of investment.
The United States is detested in
South America, and Of late years this
hatred has been intensified by fear
From the time Of the South American
wars Of independence the United
States has protected the southern con-
tinent from political aggression, but
commercially and socially all South
Americas relations have been with
Europe.
We are practically unknown in South
America. We have no steamship con-
nection to speak Of Our trade does
not compare with that Of Europe
What citizens of the United States the
southern continent has had to judge
US by have been largely Of the adven-
turer type. Language, customs and
ideals have been different. and have
been barriers.
A dislike of us which dates back
| many years was increased by fear
when the Spanish-American war took
place, and the talk about Imperial
ism" spread over the world. 1t was
doubtless much increased, too, by the
Panama affair and subsequent talk by
President Roosevelt and others, which
was misunderstood. This increased
hatred. mixed with fear, has frightened
the bonds between South America and
Europe. Nothing has been undone
to give the South Americans as bad
an impression Of US as possible. AT
present the belief Is widespread
through South America that the north
ern republic covets territory there, and
that at any time we may swoop down
upon them. Ale,
South America Is a vast and fertile
continent, as rich as possible and ten
anted BY people with little mechan-
ical genius. 1t Is In every way a COM
plement to the United States. It il
practically undeveloped. What capital
goes there for investment Is European.
Secretary Blaine was twenty years
ahead OF the time. in the opinion of
Secretary Root. At the time Blaine
conceived his idea of the uses of South
America to the United States this coun-
try was still debtor nation, borrow
| ing money to- develop its own resources
and not able to Develop those OF other
nations. Now the United States has
ceasedsto be a 9dobter nation, and its
capital Is branching out in every direc-
ton. From his place in the state de-
partment Mr.. Root has an opportunity
to see the tentacles Of American cap
ital reaching into every land. When
they reach into South America the diff
ficulty is that they meet the competi-
ton Of European. capital and that the
general hatred. fear and detestation
of the UaiteA States put the United
States at,sstremAldous disadvantage.
The same klea which inspired Blaine
has capti!ated Root, though now cir
cumstances make the thing much more
practicable than in Blaine's time. Mr..
Root has long entertained the idea Of
doing what'he could at the first oppor-
tunity to aid in the throwing open Of
the southern continent to American de-
velopmeht.
When The pan-American conference
was held Eve years ago in Mexico the
one which, Root is about to attend
was prQviHdd, for. When the time ap-
preached jMf. Root conceived the idea
OF attending It in furtherance Of his
plan. AS soon as the announcement
was made Rtazirs neighbors, Uruguay
and Argentina, requested that he
would take. the chance to visit them.
The proposition struck Mr.. Root as
one that ought to be accepted, particu-
larly as the relations between Argen-
tina and Brazil are not cordial, and 1t
would not carry out bis idea II he were
to seem to show more courtesy to one
of the rivals than to the other He
accordingly accepted the invitation.
Then came other invitations, and it
struck the secretary that here was the
chance to carry out his purpose Of do
ing what he could to clear way the
cloud of Misrepresentation that obscures
the intentions of the United States
from her. southern neighbors. He there
fore planned a trip which will take in
all the southern countries which border
on either the Atlantic or the Pacific.
Mr.. Roots aim throughout will be to
make the rulers Of these lands under
stand how little they have comprehend
ed the spirit of friendliness Of the
United States toward them. He be-
lieves it will take personal contact to
do so.
1t is to do this that Mr.. Root is TAX
ing his journey. He will meet the pres
idents, the cabinets and the leading
public men of all the countries In
South America, and in his intercourse
with them he Reckons confidently on
being able to disabuse their minds Of
the ideas they have gained concerning
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