The Cordova daily times., 1923-03-20
British Say Advantage in Their Pre-occupation
 With War Matters
HUGHES TO VISIT SHORTLY
Changes Plans to Include Rio De Janeiro After
 British Report

WAOE1lINI 1ON, MdICu ~. AhO United States has stolen march on Great Britain in Latin America.
 While the London Government has been intensely occupied with prob lefs in the Near East and in the Ruhr, the Washington Administration steadily has been mending it's fences in the republics to the South, and today officials are laughing up their sleeves as reports pour in both from England and South America showing that Britain is just coming to a realization of the true state of affairs.
 This Government, however, is not resting on it's oars. The capacity of British statesmen to regain lost prestige for their country is appreci- ated too deeply for American off cials to believe the position of the United States can be maintained without a struggle. To a very con- siderable extent this explains the ac- tivity of the Harding Administration in arranging the various conferences of Latin-American delegates held in Washington recently; it explains the recent visit of Secretary of State Hughes to Rio de Janeiro; and it eX- plains, too, the Secretary's contem- plated trip to the Pan-American con- ference at Santiago, Chile, with way stops at Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.
 Hughes to Visit Rio
 The determination of Secretary Hughes to include Rio de Janeiro in his itinerary was almost an elev- enth-hour decision. While it is true the official invitation of the Brazl- ian President was received only few hours before announcement of the acceptance, it must be remem- bered that governmental invitations are seldom proffered until there is reasonable certainty of acceptance, and it was known that Hughes at first had felt his recent visit to the Rio de Janeiro Centennial was all that courtesy required for the pres ent, so far as Brazil was concerned.
 At any rate, the change in Hughes plans was practically co-incident with receipt here from London of the re- port made by Colonel H. w. G. Cole, of the Department of Overseas Trade, who headed the British Mission to the Brazilian Centenary.
 After dwelling on the success of the British Mission and the extreme ly favorable impression created by the presence in the harbor of the British dreadnoughts Hood and Re- pulse, Colonel Cole sounded an ear nest warning against penetration" by the United States.
 With regard to the British Section at the Exhibition" says the summary of Colonel Coles report, "notwith- standing the adverse exchange the actual business resulting had been a great deal more than was original 1y anticipated. The main point gained, however, was that the Mis- sion, together with the excellent im- pression created by the visit of the Hood and the Repulse, comprising the British naval contingent, had done a great deal to engender good feeling and to restore our prestige in Brazil,
 Britain "Preoccupied'
 "This important factor together with a genuine feeling of friendship toward the whole British Empire, which existed in the new Brazilian Government, constituted conditions most favorable for the development of our interests in that vast country There was every need for this, as owing to our pre-occupations during the war, the responsibility for advis- ing Brazil in naval matters had passed to the United States and, in regard to the army, to France.
 Similarly Colonel Cole pointed out, "there had been an intensive commercial penetration of Brazil by the United States during the war period. In his opinion, every possible step should be taken to protect our existing interests and to create new ones, not only in Brazil but through