The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-04-10
IN BLOCKING 4 NEW WORLD CAMPAIGN
OF EUROPEAN GOV
ERNMENTS FELT IN MEXICO
AND CENTRAL AMERICA.

SAeAAAS0AeAAhtAS SSAAOiAO1o al ClioCoS
oring to make futile the next Pan
American congress, which is to be at
tended by the American secretary of
state, Elihu Root. 1t is sharply appar-
ent, in fact, that the efforts Of those
who regard with apprehension closer
linking of the fortunes and the SYM
pathies of the American republics al
ready have been successful in their
efforts to make nugatory some of the
original objects of the coming con-
gress.
Lloyd Griscom, the newly appointed
ambassador Of the United States to
Brazil, who will leave for Rio Janeiro
in a few days, held conferences with
Secretary Root concerning the meeting
at Petropolis in July.
Within the last few days there have
been expressions from the representa-
tives of the Latin-American republics,
which make it appear that matters
of the greatest Importance to the re-
public in the north will be shut out of
the council chamber, and the plans of
procedure of the American secretary
of state and our minister to Brazil
have been made in vain.
European Influence.
MI.
Washington that the influence of Euro
pean governments has been making
itself felt in Mexico and Central and
South America. The European govern
ments do not desire closer relations be-
ern continents, and while keeping this
desire in the background, it is almost
unquestionably true that the foreign
diplomatic services have been used to
sow seeds of suspicion Of the motives
of the United States in the minds Of
the representatives of the Latin-Ameri-
can countries.
These countries, through their repre-
sentatives in Washington, have made
it known that it is not the wish Of their
governments that a discussion of the
question of compulsory arbitration be
undertaken at Petropolis. Curiously
enough the reason advanced for the
desire to omit arbitration from the
deliberations is that such a matter is
wholly international, in the sense that
it affects European as well as Ameri-
can governments, and that therefore 1t
is not proper that it should De discuss
ed by the republics of the two Ameri-
can continents alone.
Cuts of Discussion.
This refusal on the part of the
representatives of our sister republics,
to consider the question OF compul
sorry arbitration of troubles between
American states, points directly to Eu-
ropean interference with the program
first outlined for the Pan-American
congress. 1t cuts from the list one of
the problems which President Roose-
welt and Secretary Root hoped would
be solved for all time at Petropolis.
1t is the impression in Washington
that European diplomats, to make GER
vent full and sympathetic agreement
among the American republics, have
worked upon the prejudices and the
jealousies of the stronger southern re-
publics, telling their officers that this
arbitration would put the strong coun-
tries completely in the shadow and de-
prive them of any voice in the politics
of the world. The weaker countries
to the south were in favor of discuss
ing arbitration and finding a means
of making it compulsory. but Brazil,
Mexico, Chile and Argentina would
have none of it and at one stroke they
have succeeded in eliminating the ar
bitration provision from the program.
The Monroe Doctrine.
The Monroe doctrine, by it's signifi-
cant name at least, does not appear on
the list of subjects to be discussed at
Petropolis. 1t may not be taken up at
all, and if it be eliminated from the
field of debate the hand of European
diplomacy will have performed the
work of blotting it out.
1t is doubtful If Secretary Root
would have consented to go to Brazil
had he believed the conference would
not bring as one of its net results a
definite utterance on the proper en-
forcement of the doctrine of James
Monroe. 1t was the secretary's hope
and the presidents hope that the Pc
tropolis meeting would place the Mon