Evening star., 1921-02-13


Federation OF Labor recent
ly returned from the pan
American labor conference
In Mexico brought back with them re-
ports of criticism leveled at the
United States for its intervention in
the internal affairs of various repub-
ics or Central and South America.
"h'ch shed "a new light on how such
action has been viewed bx certain
c,asses In those countries. Incident
any, this criticism has set new task
hof iedoefS IN the pan-American labor
lhovemeht-that of dispelling what
appeaFs 10 De an absolutely wrong
impression of the motives for this
country's Intervention in Latin Ame,j-
can affairs
Deiegates to the conference. mar
tlcuiarly those from Haiti, Santo Do
mfngo, Colombia and Nicaragua made
known their belief that interyen,ion
by the United States was inspired hy
What they termed the "moneyed in
terests. who brought it about for
their financial gain. They based their
beiief on the fact that Intervention
by the United States government
usually has been accompanied by ex-
tensive, exploitations backed by
American capital. These Investments.
they complained. took a great deal in
wealth out of the country, and
brought little in. all under the pro-
lection of the United States govern
ment.
This mistaken idea of America s
purpose in sending troops to certain
central American republics, aided
somewhat by insidious propaganda.
ha ~, L e.,
Intervention. was denied by Ameri-
cans who attended the conference in
Mexico and by those who were IA
miliar with this countrys real mo-
tive in taking a hand temporarily in
the government of some of the youth
full republics.
1t will be one of the aims of the mem
bers Of the American Federation of La
Dor In the future to impress on the
minds Of their co-workers in Latin
America the fact that this country has
no Interior purpose in intervention. AS
matter Of fact. as has been shown.
the labor element has been helped in
every case where the United States
has intervened. for in the general
shake-up following reorganization of
government, the labor party for the
first time has won its voice in man
agement Of the republics Internal af-
fairs.
Senior Santiago 1glesias, Porto
Rican senator and the representa-
tive Of the American Federation of
Labor in Porto Rico and Cuba. who
is temporarily in Washington. gives
an interesting resume of the labor
movements status in Latin America.
Organization Of labor unionism in
Argentina and Uruguay has been
successful, he states. and the same
Is true in Chile. where a national
fn1A ~
has been formed. Such an organiza-
ton is under way in Peru, and Bra
Ellis organized labor, at present a
number of separate groups. contem-
plates a national federation in the
near future. Because of the foreign
larly in Argentina and Uruguay, la
Dor has inclined to the radical or
ganization.
In Paraguay. Colombia, Huador
Costa Rica, Nicaragua. Guatemala
and Venezuela the labor moveme mt
is in its Infancy. according to senior
Ig1estAss 1.-THE labor element has lit
tie power and practically no voice
in the government.
The American Federation of Labor
ing the new labor parties of South
America with the need for conserva-
tism as against radicalism in their
future programs. Senor Iglesias de-
clares, and this Will be one OF Its
aims in the formation of the Pan
American Federation Of Labor.
Latin American affairs will be par
ticularly in the limelight at the COM
ing convention of the Southern Com
mercial Congress here March 1. and
3. The banquet on the night of
March will be a Latin-American
affair entirely. and members of the
diplomatic corps from the southern
continent : will deliver the main
speeches of the evening.
A former German citizen and Of
ficer in the German army has been
placed at, the head of the Bolivian
army. Gen. Kundt has been made
chief of staff of the Bolivian army.
and before accepting the appoint
ment became a Bolivian citizen. as
the law Of that country requires.
Gen. Kundt served in the Bolivian
army before the world war. but at