South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-08-04
TWO MER|CAS
MUST Be FRIENDS
Future of Whole Western
Hemisphere Depends on
Mutual Good will.
International News Service

International News Service
( WASHINGTON. Aug. 4.-The fu-
. ture of the whole western hemis-
phere depends upon the mainten-
4 ance of mutual good will and
friendship among the nations of the
1 two Americas, in the opinion Of
Senior Ignacio Calderon, minister OF
! Bolivia 10 the United States. This
conviction, he declares. has been &C
centuated by two great events, per
I haps the most momentous in the
history of the world, namely the
opening of the Panama canal and
the breaking out Of the European
war.
From whatever point of view
you consider H." said Minister Cald-
eron. the building of the Panama
canal is bound TO awaken admiration
and wonder. 1t shows the greatest
engineering and mechanical skill;
the ample financial resources of the
country that built it. and, finally.
the admirable humanitarian achieve
ment of sanitating a most unhealth-
full section OF country and turning it
into a pleasant and healthful place
Of residence.
Besides saving the lives of thou
sands Of men, the canal shortened
the distance between the remotest
lands and broke the barrier that lay
between the north and south Of the
American continent. II is the most
advanced step ever taken toward
quicker and cheaper communication.
increase of trade and travel and a
better understanding of their com
mon interests.
But no sooner was that highway
Of the world opened 10 traffic than
there broke out in Europe a war
that for utter disregard Of the funda-
mental principles of justice and
humanity is even more cruel than
the strifes that scourged mankind.
during the darkest period Of its his
tory, when might and the Will of the
war lords dominated.
Through the fash of thousands
of cannon spreading death and desc
lation, through the wanton destruc-
ton OF monuments and buildings
sacred with the double conservation
of art and religion, the absolute dis
regard Of rights and property and
all the horrors of a merciless war,
the American republics have felt as
a revelation in the midst of = hide
Gus nightmare that the worlds sal
walton was here in America. through
the influence of n democracy that
means peace and justice and one
that we must stand by and defend.
THE great doctrine of the equal
ity of nations, based on equality Of
men, excludes from America all the
false policies Of balance of power.
of continental equilibrium and other
fallacies. The popular will, the
sovereignty of the nations based on
the government of the people. for
the people and By it's own freely Sc
lected heads. requires no artificial
political combinations.
Democracy means equal rights
for men and nations, and all at
tempts TO create a group Of nations
superior to the rest and having the
privilege TO dictate or interfere with
them, is unacceptable. The freedom
of the people to organize themselves
according TO their own national as
pirations is the key TO international
peace. But that freedom implies
also the duty Of maintaining an or
derby and legal government for the
rights of all its citizens, as well as
the rights and interests of all for
eign residents