Evening star., 1923-08-26
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4HClMEN5 AND AFFAIRS
BY ROBERT T. SMALL

The short, sharp criticisms Of
American policy in Latin America
uttered by DIR. Estanislao S. Zeballos,
the United States, have recalled to
Washington the fact that the estah-
lishment of better relations and bet
ter understandings with the republics
| to the south was to have been one of
President Harding's foremost policies.
That the crush OF other matters and
the exigencies of politics forced him
TO give less consideration to this
policy than he intended. probably was
office.
Prior TO his inauguration Nr. Hard
Ing announced that he would seek the
very best men possible for diplomatic
service In South and Central America
lie said he thought that In the past
too much attention had been paid to
! the posts In Europe and too little to
this side of the water. Mr. Harding
| bemoaned the fact that the best men
I OF the country. seeking diplomatic
posts, or available" for diplomatic
| posts. to be a little more polite. al
| ways expressed a desire FOR the
! courts Of Europe. whereas there was
work, and big work, to be done for
the country in South America
| ana yet. after he was in Office. Mr.
Harding yielded very largely to the
same influences which had guided his
predecessors. The men regarded most
| highly he sent to Europe. George
Harvey went to the court Of St
| James, Myron Herrick went TO Paris
! Kichard Washburn Child to Rome,
Henry Fletcher 10 Brussels. and so
| he ttra ~ 20
good men for South America, contin-
| ued some in ONCE from the Wilson
communication. but 1t was apparent
| throughout that ne had found him
SELF able to give only secondary at
\ tention TO a policy which he believed
at the outset would get the very first
| consideration.
| And now DR. Zebailos SAYS the
| United States is growing more and
more unpopular in our sister repub-
| He seeks to be constructive one,
He advocates closer cultural rela-
I tions. the exchange of professors and
students In the universities, inter-
national exhibitions of art and other
! similar forms of intellectual inter-
I course. Above all he makes a plea
| along the line that Mr. Harding had
| In mlnd-the more careful selection
OF the official personnel sent to
4 Latin countries.
x X
! Once more the wiseacres of Wash
lington are arising to paraphrase the
lold familiar adage and say:
20 that mine enemy would write q
letter"
Senator Hiram Johnson was IN Eu.
Irope recently. He spent nearly five
| months over there" And he wouldn't
talk on foreign soil. He wouldn',
tsay word to any one OF the legion
lof would-be interviewers. He saw
the sphinx and resolved to do like
wise.
But-and here's the rub-he wrote
La letter. He wrote il to his gooG
friend McClatchey Of Sacramento
lwhere he used 70 live when he wa.
igovernor OF the sovereign state OF
california. He poured out his hear
TO McClatchey. He had not been abl.
Ito say anything In Europe. Also h,
lhad refrained from writing a book
land giving his enemies that chanc,
at him. but he wrote the letter. H.
wrote with full brain and a FIRE,
lhand. IN some way or other the let
ter has fallen into unfriendly hands
1.-The senator says II was stolen Ii
!any event II was waited back I.
washington, where the hard-boilet
politicians. are heartless enough I,