Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-18
KNOX IS GRAT|F|ED
Pleased With Friendly Recep-
tons in Latin Republics.
RETURNS TO THE: CAPITAL
Declines to Discuss Probable Effect
Of Visit, However.
PURPOSES OF HIS MISSION
Effort Made to Remove Misunder-
standing Due to Misrepresen-
tation of Uncle Sam.
RETURNS TO THE CAPITAL
PURPOSES OF HIS MISSION

Secretary Knox and party arrived in
| this city late yesterday afternoon on the
naval yacht Sylph, on which they made
the trip from Chesapeake bay. All the
members of the party were in good
health and spoke enthusiastically Of their
pleasant experiences in the various coun-
tries in Central and South America, in
cluded in their itinerary.
Secretary Knox issued a statement In
regard to his mission, in which he said:
THE purpose Of my mission, as was
indicated in my letter of instruction
from the President and by him publicly
stated, was through a friendly visit and
personal acquaintance with the officers
Caribbean republics to put our relations
to them upon a basis Of better under
standing.
Attitude Misrepresented.
1T is well known by those who have
given attention to conditions in some Of
the countries I have visited that misrep-
resenting the attitude and purposes Of
the United States toward them has, for
many years, been a feature of their do
mestic politics. and it is equally well
known that there has existed in the
United States a small coterie of directly
interested persons who have been en-
deavoring to block reform essential to
the progress of some of the weaker re-
publics which would break down political
abuses through which they were proflting
and Wretched despotism was being up
held.
THE operation of those two forces upon
social and political progress in the coun-
tries affected by them has been deadly
and the Misrepresentation of us to them
and of them to us were rapidly jeopardiz-
ing friendly and normal International re-
lations by crystallizing misunderstanding
into prejudice.
What effect my visit may have i'm
permanently improving our relations with
and conditions in the countries l have
visited is largely matter of conjecture
and prefer at this time to make no pre-
dictions.
Every facility was furnished in each
country visited for meeting, under the
most delightful auspices, the officials of
the government and all classes OF the
people,
Friendliness Is Manifest.
"It was most gratifying to observe the
genuine friendliness toward and interest
in the people Of the United States in all
the countries 1 visited and the warmth
of its manifestation. when the real pur-
pose of my mission was appreciated. In
uO COuutTy W0S Jul ItCcptlOL Ouo VI mere
formal courtesy.
''In view of the repeated and emphatic
announcements of the Monroe Doctrine at
all periods in our history and by all
shades of domestic political opinion and
the emphasis which seems to have been
given to that doctrine by the extreme
care the Senate recently took to prevent
the possibility of any phase OF its asser-
ho;n ssh kNl ~~I%f<
am more than ever convinced of the
weaker republics to help themselves to
avoid specific conditions where we might
be embarrassed by its assertion
First Speech in Panama.
Mr.. Knox left Palm Beach on board
the U. S. S. Washington on February o.
He made his first set speech in Panama.
That speech was the keynote OF the adj
dresses which he delivered in all of the
other countries of Central America.
In Panama Mr.. Knox declared that the
United States Graves neither sovereignty
nor territory in Latin America; that 1t
desires more peace, prosperity and Sc
curity in the national lives of its sister
republics; that the early completion of
the Panama canal will cement the inter-
ests Of the United States and Latin
America and bring them into closer rela-
lions Of friendship, and that it. will be
under these new conditions that the Mon