The sun., 1919-05-05

|
as an alliance or at least as an associa-
ton of nations In the second place. the
| A. b. G. countries are not more especially
| friendly among themselves than any
other bordering nations, and, certainly
are not more so than two other adJoin-
| ing countries-Ecuador and Colombia,
| only countries In this hemisphere, and
perhaps in the world, that have con-
| cluded and carried out a final boundary
| treaty, and yet have thereby strengthened
their friendship, instead of weakening II,
as frequently happens after an award
which generally leaves one of the parties
| displeased, IL not both
I'm the less developed countries the
executive changes often and 1t Is diff
cult to carry out treaties"
1t Is not my intention to discuss the
| conduct OF other countries Concerning
Ecuador-whom you place among the
least developed challenge you to cite
| a single case in which II has not kept
a treaty. In democratic governments
treaties are not the work OF one man.
nor perhaps OF one party. but of the
nation. and as bilateral covenants OF
more or less permanent character. they
cannot be subject to the changes of
executive. 1t is not the weak peoples
but the strong that view treaties as
scraps of paper. Work peoples are not
permitted to violate treaties.
Page 25l.--You divide the Latin
American countries in three groups.
agreeable to Importance In the first
group you place "the small. weak states
of Central America, the island of Hayti
| and the mountain country OF western
| South America, with a few others such
as Paraguay; and you add that"None
of these have the population or the
character TO grow into vigorous coun-
tries, which might fairly claim to be
| members of the family of nations Ct
The mountain country you refer TO
| Is Ecuador. but I cannot gather which
are the others that with Paraguay,
should appear in the group. since there
can be none Of those you have classified
| in the others.
Monroe Doctrine Intervenes.
Neither can I understand in what
! political cotegory you wish to place at
least six American republics that have
zealously preserved their independence
for more than century. II. according
to you. they cannot fairly claim to be
members OF the family of nations, to
what. then, can they fairly claim? In
order that these peoples cease to belong
| to 1.-THE family OF nations, II will be nee
| esSary to abolish them, and this Is an
absurdity For should they unite with
! neighborlng countries. they would form
! with these new political bodies. within
! which, II not as a whole. at least as a
part, they would remain always an
integral part of the family of nations
| and should they be turned into colonies.
| We know that colonies are to-day ac-
| knowledged as international persons.
and some of them even figure in the dis
cussion of the League OF Nations. But
| who would be the colonzer? No Euro
pean people. because the Monroe Doc
trne opposes it; not the United States.
because the international tendency OF
/ this country is more and more not to
found its greatness on violence and
plumber. which excludes even the posi-
| bility of war of conquest against those
countries and TO such kind OF war
would be equivalent can affirm this
especially In relation to uador--any
! attempt against their independence.
How, then, could these peoples cease to
| form part of the family of nations?
On page 259 l read the following;
. THE alien creditor who lives in Europe
or the United States Is treated often
with much the same offhand denial of
his right: for instance. the government
/ of Ecuador has positively guaranteed
with its entire customs house receipts
pal Of certain railroad bonds. The bonds
are now three years in default. the
price has run down from "a to 35 and
| the bondholders are wh!stling for their
money"
Never. so far, has occurred the in
stance OF weak country defrauding the
citizens OF powerful nations. The poorest
country in South America = has been
and is more dependable debtor than
the largest number of purely CONNER
cial companies and institutions in any
part of the world. The creditors who
have at their backs the strong nations
are paid sooner or later and sometimes
with compound interest. Undoubtedly
every guarantor is obliged to pay. but
this Is a secondary obligation: before
the guarantor comes the practical debtor,
who in the case of Ecuador Is an Ameri-
can railway company.
Facts About Railway Dispute.
The differences between the Govern