Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-09-08
j. s. MUST LEARN
ATTITUDE Of s. A.
+ TOWARDS LEAGUE
Absence of Some Countries
From Session Discussed
Some Expected to Stay,
Others Likely to Withdraw
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Ueased Wire Service to The J0urnal.)
DOWNRIGHT 1921

Copyright 1921
81 WASHINGTON, Sept. 7.-Irrespec-
tive of whether the absence of sever
al Latin-American states from the
meeting of the assembly of the
League of Nations at Geneva, Swift
erland. this week was a concerted
move, the incident has served to ac-
centuate the fact that the United
States government must sooner or
later make plain to it's neighbors be-
low the Rio Grande whether Wash
ington looks with active disfavor or
passive favor on the continued par
tioipation in the league of the other
republics of the Americas.
The Central and South American
countries Joined the league on the ex-
pectation that the United States
would, of course. be member. They
now find the Washington government
not only absolutely divorced from the
league but say through its official
spokesman, Ambassador George Har-
vey, that the United States will not
deal directly or indirectly with the
league. To those nations of Central
and South America which imagine
that they must follow the United
States on European policy, this is a
plain hint to abstain.
AS for other nations like Brazil
and Chile, which have followed a
more or less Independent foreign poll
cy. it will take something more than
a vague hint to bring about their
withdrawal from the league. Brazil,
for example, is a member of the
council of the league and by the
unanimous consent runle can block
any procedure inimical to this hem
!sphere. Indeed, some observers have
suspected that the Harding admin
fstration might not be aVerse to the
presence of Brazil in the council, be-
friend the United States has on this
hemisphere. and the intimacy be-
tween Rio de Janeiro and Washing |
ton is such that the United States |
would never suffer by reason of Bra
Zirs membership in the league. /
There is another, and perhaps more
vital aspect to the whole business of |
Latin-American membership in the |
League of Nations, which means |
sooner or later considerable embar- |
rassment for the United States.
Latin-American countries are by no
policy for them to pursue toward |
Europe. The Monroe doctrine. which |
was originally announced as a means
of protecting small states in this
hemisphere from European agrees !
sion, has been variously interpreted |
by Democratic and Republican adj
ministration in Washington all the
way from absolute non-interference
in the domestic affairs of neighbor
ing countries to the welding of the
big stick and the sending of armed
forces of the United States for police
purposes. This uncertainty Of inter-
probation has been the single thorn
in the side of better relations be-
tween Latin-America ana the Unit
ed States and just when it appeared
that the United States was erasing
previous impressions of alleged i'm
perialism, the Republican party alb
solutely refused to allow the Mon
the scope of the League Of Nations.
To Latin-America this meant con-
firmation of it's fear that the United
States wanted to be free at any time
to WELD the big stick. To the Re-
publicans it meant simply a free
hand in this hemisphere and non
by Europe in our central
and south American affairs.
But even with the United States
outside of the League Of Nations, the
opportunity still remains for any
Latin-American state to appeal to the
league as against the United States
and invoke for instance, the Jurisdic-
ton sof the world court. This would,
Of course, be irritating to the Unit
ed States and would complica tie mat
ters- very much. The Harding ad- I
had not been in power
twenty-four hours Whene Panama and
Costa Rica were talking of submit
ting their dispute to the League of
Nations and it is a fact that Secre-I
-ary Hughes acted promptly so as to
warn the league it had better keep
lands off.
Although there is every profession
IF respect toward the league as ar
body, the attitude of
he United States must eventually be
defined as one of active hostility or
passive Indifference. The latter has ,
,een the apparent attitude until the
news came that Latin-American
states were ignoring the meeting Of
he assembly of the league. 1t is s
lenied here that the United States ,
.oerced any Latin-American men,
,ers either directly or indirectly to
lbstain from participation in the
however, while the diplomacy OF |
will have to keep busy
reventing Latin-American states from
rawing too close TO Europe through
he league, these same Latin-Ameri-
"a states. 81 t6s Judgment Of diplo-
mats here, would be foolish to with
raw from an organization which af-
ords the only refuge from the eff
ects of an extreme Interpretation OF F
he Monroe doctrine. Some Latin h
tates may pull out of the league blu
t is doubtful if Chile and Brazil or
Peru will do likewise. g
Five of Indicted It