New-York tribune., 1919-03-24
Plan Inquiry of
l.. S. Policy i'm
Latin America
Republicans in Congress
Seek Cause of Growing
Hostility to This Nation
Trouble i'm Costa Rica
Investigation of Intrigue
and State Departments
Attitude IL Demanded
New York Tribune
Wnshin1tOn Bnre0M

Washington Buredu
WASHINGTON, March 90 - Repub-
ican leaders propose to turn the in
vestigation scarchight during the com
ing extra session Of Congress on the
relations of the United States with
Latin America.
They want the public to understand
fully just what the American State
Department during the administra-
ton Of President Wilson has been do
ing in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Santo
Domingo. They want an investigation
of why the Central American court
set up by Elhu Root to bring the
petty quarpcls and revolutions in that
part of the world to an end was dis
continued year and a half ago.
They want to know if the decision
of that court against the United States
and in favor Of Salvador and Costa
Rica, when the court held that the
Nicaraguan treaty should not be con
summated. had anything to do with its
dscontinuance, virtually at the com
mand Of Secretary Of State Lansing
When the Senate reconvenes, Sen
ator George n. Moses of New, Hamp-
shire, will reintroduce his resolution
virtually declaring the sense of the
Senate to be that President Tinoco
Of Costa Rica should be recognized.
In the House Of Representatives Rep
resentativc Norman j. Gould, of New
York, plans to conduct the same sort
of fight that Mr.. Moses intends to
make in the upper house. Mr.. Gould
introduced resolution Just before
adjournment directing the House For
cign Affairs Committee to Investigate
/ the relations between the United
States and Costa Rica. This resolu-
tion he will reintroduce and press on
The reconvening of Congress.
II have taken this step" he ex-
planned in an extension Of remarks
| Just printed in the Congress sonal Rec
ord on permission obtained at the
time hc introduced his resolution, "be-
cause of information which recently
has come to me and which, if truth
full indicates the existence Of sit
uation in that republic and a dip
lomatic policy on the part of this
government which is so rcpugnant
TO our traditions and previous policies
rs to call for prompt explanation on
the part of the Department of State
and full and free discussion in Con-
gress.
Que to the unfortunate policy of
the State Department. as result of
which Americans seem to forfeit their
rights to the protection of their gov
ernmcnt when they venture into Latin
American countries in the pursuit.
of foreign trade and commerce, do
4 not now feel at liberty to give the
House the names of my various in
formants This much. however, | will
state on tho strength Of my own OBJ
| servhtions:
Tho political plague born in the
| state Department, reared in its re-
Gently acquired atmosphere of paternal
idealism and pride-stiAing information
hism which has wrecked peaceful
prosperous Mexico in The last eight
years. now seems to threaten not only
Costa Kiea but all Central America.
"Ariiclee IN Washington aud Now
York newspapers recently exposed n
serious condition Of unrest extending
virtually from the Rio Grande TO the
Panama Canal. 1t would appear that
thln condition Is merely tho natural
and inevitable result Of policy tow
ard Costa Rita strikingly similar ia
the policy which has, in my belief
been 80 terribly eyemplihed in the
case of Mexico
For more than eighteen months
President Tinoco of Costa Rica has
been refused recognition by this gov
crnment, The reasons which prompted
the refusal are not now known and
never have been known to the pub
lie. The results, however, are clear
enough. Costa Rca's credit has beer
injured, her government has been dis
credited, and her very institutions
threatened with the same kind of at.