The Washington herald., 1920-01-25
What Europe,s Monement
7oward South America
Can Mean to americans

debilitate a country's national life.
Countless immigrants. moreover,
will leave their homeland, not from
sentimental choice, but from econo-
mic necessity. Newcomers arriving
in sufficient numbers could often in
fiuence and possibly sometimes out
influence the native and assimiIated
South Americans themselves.
There Is another danger in addi-
tion to the menace of mere numbers.
South America does not yet belong
to South America. The bulky con-
tinent Is remarkably undeveloped
from every point of view. Nothing
Is yet "set;" the mold is still soft
enough for the intriguing IMPRESS
of Europe's fingers.
Possible Irony of History.
A shift in the Old Worlds popu.
lation always ''hits" some body or
other. John Bull was the target,
when our forefathers moved. Is
history now stacking the cards
against Uncle Sam? There are OBJ
vious contingencies. in which Mex
leo would become one horn and
South America the other horn of a
great national dilemma.
For all these reasons. the second
Pan American financial conference
was Of more than passing interest to
foreign diplomats here. Embassy
representatives "just dropped in" at
the meetings and carried away sug-
gestive impressions and observations
in their mental copybooks. Indeed,
the recent gathering. in the larger
sense. was not a Pan American as
sembly at all. but a world congress
South Americas offer to send food
stuffs to Europe, IL the United States
would make South American loans,
could be a moose as we'll as a phil
anthropy.
Although the Old World generally
casts shadows. the American people
are almost always blind or color
blind to them. South America had
many interesting visitors during
the war and the round of Social
calls Is not yet ended. Business and
government delegations from dozen
and one European countries have paid
their respects. For instance, Admiral
Jellicoe had recent engagement in
South American waters. King Victor
OF Italy has also made an appoint
ment for early spring. He will stop
of at North America on his way to
South America.
Opposes "EuroDeani.ntion.,
Although a future South America
could have less say in the matter,
present-day South America has no
wish to be "Europeanized." The Pan
American financial conference made
this fact strikingly clear. The South
American republics all have an ex-
pressed hankering for "the Yankee
spirit of material efficiency"
Your East developed the Middle
West. and afterward your Middle
West developed your West Just so
could the United States develop South
America. Otherwise. Europe, some
how or other. must and eventually
will" This Is the message that the
Latin Republics have left behind
them.
The Pan American Union, under
whose auspices the Pan American
financial conference has just been
held here. has long been operating
toward the promotion of friendship
and confidence between the two
Americas. Hon. John Barrett, who
has been the unions director gen.
era1 since 1907. has been a personal
force, doing much toward vitalizing
this American family of nations"
The union has proven a moral and
educational. as well as an economic,
bond between the two continents,
and properly supported will continue
to oppose South Americas Euro
peanization."
On its material side there has been
an increase of trade from 100000
900 to $4,000. 900. 900 between North
and Latin America since the Pan
American Union entered upon a new
era, fifteen years ago. In 1913-19li,
the last fiscal year before the war,
Germany's trade with the twenty
countries of Latin America amount
ed approximately to s500.000. 900.
Great Britain's to s65OO00. 900 and
the United States to ss00,0O0. 900.