Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-04-26
HARDING FORESTALLS
LEAGUE IN CENTRAL
AMERICAN DISPUTE
BY ROBERT r. SMALL
Lease dWire Service to The Journal
'Onvripht 1921

(LeaSe dNlre Service to The Journal
Copyright, 1921
WASHINGTON. April 23-Presi-
dent Harding has undertaken to
win the Central and South Ameri-
can republics away from any
thought of superior allegiance to
the League of Nations and back to
their former reliance in the Mon
roe doctrine.
His declaration at the unwilling
of the Simon Bolivar statue in New
York few days ago that the
United States was ready to fight
for Monroeism if necessary was
but step in a series of carefully
calculated moves to foster the wan
ing friendship of the Latin-Ameri-
cans for their big brother of the
north.
1t is not generally known that
Secretary of State Hughes. in talk
ing up the Costa Rican-Panama dis
pute his first day in office, was fore
stalling action by the League of
Nations in q wholly American affair
iature war. The secretary general
of the League of Nations, Sir Eric
Drummond, on March 4, while Presi-
dent Harding was taking the oath
of office, cabled to the hostile gov
ernments, calling attention to their
III lllC IICdS u6 VI va
lions and requesting further infor-
nation regarding the dispute.
The prompt dispatch Of note
by Secretary Hughes turned the two
governments away from any fur
Their commitment to the league,
Eric that the United States had in
tervened and the league withdre W
with the interesting announcement
that 'in a Central American dis
pute the League Of Nations and the
Monroe doctrine looked to the same
statement by the Secretariat of the
league on its action in the dispute
has just reached Washington and
the details are of exceptional in
terest.
There has been much propa ganda
in the Latin-American republics,
attributable to sources unfriendly to
the United States, having for its
purpose the spreading of the idea
that with membership in the League
of Nations and the guaranteed pro-
lection of all the member states
therein, the smaller countries of the
western hemisphere were in a .po-
sition to declare themselves free
from any dependence upon the
United States Of the north. 1t is
useless to deny that many South
Americans always have resented the
air of paternalism with which they
are viewed by many North Amer1-
New York Speech
President Harding has been con-
scious of all this from the first, and
even prior to his inauguration, he
had good H III the to sister eTtXnts
republics. He announced among
other things that he would like to
pick the very best men available
for the South American diplomatlc
posts. 1t was rather expected that
he would make these APPOINTMENTS
before any other but Colonel George
Harvey was selected for the court
of st. James, and Myron T. Her
rick for Paris before time had been
given for further consideration OF
the southern ambassadorships and
ministerial appointments. 49,. +,o
Mr.. Harding believes that the
right men in South America and
Central America can do much to win
back the allegiance and friendship
of the Latins. In line with his gen.
eral policy he was quick to accept
as the guest of the Venezuelan mis-
sion and speak at the dedication of
the Bolivar statue. Mr.. Harding let
it be known at that time that while
he objected strenuously to Article
X of the covenant of the League OF
Nations which would guarantee all
nations against external aggression,
the United States was prepared to
fight for the Monroe doctrine eX-
tending the same guarantee to the
American republics. This militant
expression of the Monroe doctrine
was calculated to make the repub-
lies of this hemisphere realize thai
their well-beng after all is tied
up with the United States rather
than in their new membership in
the untried and apparently faulty
League of Nations:
Another step in Mr.. Harding's ct,
fort to counteract European and
League of Nations influence in
South and Central America was his
insistance that the Colombian trea-
ty be ratified, giving Colombia $780,
10000 for the taking of the Pan
anna canal zone. This was to con-
vince South America that the
some years, to be scrupulously just.
thinks Cancellation Easy
The president, it is said, believes
it will be an easy matter to get
the La tin-Americans away from the
idea that the League of Nations mas
superseded the Monroe doctrine. In
the first place it is only fair to say
that the small republics went into
the league with the firm belief that
the United States would carry ou'
the Wilson pledge TO JOIN. Ine posi-
ton of the governments of these
republics has been rather difficult,
but having Joined the league most
Of them had determined to live up
fully to their obligations.
The official statement from the
secretariat of the League of Ma
tions on the Costa Rican-Panama at
fair proves ra Their conclusiVely that
the league council and officials feel
they have a perfect right to inter-
vene in disputes between American
states that are members of the
league, and virtually all are. The
statement declares that the dispute
between Panama and Costa Rica
threatened Immediately to develop
from a small local frontier dispute
into broad issue Involving the
confused relationship between the
led States and the League OF
: ions" There were indications 1t
is 2dded that full blown hostili-
ticI We're on the point Of break
ing out between the TWO states,
which We're not onlv members of
the league but WHICH We're affect
ed first by the Monroe doctrine and
second and still more intimately by
the American attitude as regards
Central America"
But both states" the official an
nouncement continues, were bound
by a solemn. undertaking, to the eff