Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-03-13
POLICY TOWARD
LATIN AMERICA
Formal Statement by President
Wilson Given Out after
Cabinet Meeting.
U. 5. HAS NOTHING TO SEEK
Honor of Administration Pledged
to Every Enterprise of Peace
and Amity Future May
Disclose.
U. 5. HAS NOTHING TO SEEK

Washington, March 11.-President Will
son to-day issued this formal statement
of his policy toward the Central and
South American republics:
In view of the questions which arc
naturally uppermost in the public mind
| Just now, the President issued the follow
| ing sta temcnt:
| "One of the chief objects of my admin
! istration Will be to cultivate the friend
ship and deserve the confidence OF our
sister republics of Central and South
| America, and to promote in every proper
ana honorable way the interests which
| are common to the peoples of the two
! continents. ! earnestly desire the most
| cordial understa nding and cooperation
| between the peoples and leaders of Amer
J lea and therefore deem it my duty to
make this brief statement
| Cooperation is possible only when
supported at every turn by the orderly
| processes Of just government based upon
| law not upon arbitrary or irregular force.
We hold, as am sure all thoughtful lead
| ers or republican government everywhere
| Hoid' mat just government rests always
| upon the consent of the governed, and
| mat there can be no freedom without or
| uer based upon law and upon the public
| conscience and approval.
| we shall look to make these prin-
| clpies the basis of mutual intercourse
| respect and helpfulness between our
SISTER republics and ourselves. We
snail lend our influence of every kind
! 10 the realization of these principles
III TACT and practice, knowing that dis
! oruer' personal intrigue and defiance
or constitutional rights weaken and
dlscredit government, and injure none
so much as the people who are unfor-
tunate enough to have their common
life and their common affairs so faint
ed and disturbed
No SYMPATHY WITH USCRPERS
| We can have no sympathy with
those who seek to seize the power OF
government to advance their own per-
sonal interest or ambition. We are
the friends of peace, but we know that
| there can be no lasting or stable peace
in such circumstances. AS friends,
therefore, we shall prefer those who
act in the interest of peace and honor,
who protect private rights and re-
| spect the restraints of constitutional
provision Mutual respect seems to
us the Indispensable foundation Of
friendship between States as between
individuals.
THE United states has nothing to
seek in Central and South America
except the lasting interests of the
peoples of the two continents, the Sc
| curity of governments intended for
the people and for no special group or
interest, and the development of per-
sonal and trade relationship between
the two continents which shall re-
dound to the profits and advantage of
both, and interfere with the rights
and liberties of neither,
From these principles may be read so
much Of the future policy OF this govern
ment it is necessary now to forecast
and in the spirit of these principles |
lmay. ! hope. be permitted with as much
confidence as earnestness to extend 10
the government Of all the republics OF
America the hand OF genuine disinterest-
ed friendship, and to pledge my own
honor and the honor of my colleagues to
5 every enterprise of peace and amity that
a fortunate future may disclose"
The President took the above statement
to the cabinet meeting to-day. He read
it to the cabinet, whic.. was in session
for two hours and issued it shortly after
? ward to the press
AIMED AT NO ONE COUNTRY
At the White House it was disclaimed
that the statement was aimed at any
particular country. 1t was declared that
it would he sent to the diplomatic rep
resentative of the United States in all
Central and South American countries
alike
While the Mexican situation was be-
coming more and more acute in the clos
A ing days of the last administration, re-
= ports were received at the department
= from It's various agencies in Central
= America that gave much concern to the
s officials, Indicating as they did the
= existence of general spirit OF unrest
and of embryonic revolutionary activity
= in many quarters.
= In Salvador the assassination Of
g President Araujo, believed to have
g been the preliminary movement in {
- revolution, startled the whole of Cen
: trail America. Charges were made tina
o this revolution had been fomentet
d from Guatemala, where there were
hints of trouble. Then came reports
o from New Orleans that a combinat 10:
|, was being effected between the Zelay
l.. aistas and disconnected elements il
: Honduras, looking to double revolu
tions, first in Honduras and later II
t Nicaragua.
: The general tenor of the official re
G ports was to the effect that the threat
t ened disorders had no foundation IL
n abuses of power on the part of thu
existing governments Of the republics