Evening star., 1924-03-17
LAT|NS PLAN DRIVE
ON SOUTH AMERICA
Spain and Italy Want to Fed
crate Alliance, Leaving
United States in Cold.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.


While American public opinion is
absorbed in political scandals, certain
European powers are Matching deep
laid schemes to make their influence
paramount in South America. Spain
and Italy are leaders in the move
ment The purpose is to educate the
Latin American republics into reali-
cation that their natural allies are
not the United States, but the ancient
European nations from which the
South American republics originated.
1t is known to competent authorities
in Washington that the project was
earnestly discussed at Rome during
the Spanish kings recent visit to
Italy. Dictator Mussolini and King
Victor Emauel reached an under
standing with the the span,sh ainS a'fsa Alfonso,
whereby Italy and Spain will prac-
tically march shoulder to shoulder
on Latin American policy.
KinxJto Pay Visit.
One of the plans on which stress 10
laid is an early visit to South America
nv King Alfonso. The foreign MN
ister of Peru. Senior Alberto solomon,
nassed through New York last week
on route to Madrid, He has gone 70
invite and urge the King OF span ~.
come TO Peru this year on ths IooIh
anniversary of PERUVIAN lnu.p;h ph;ch
ence The particular date on Wnlcn
pernvians desire Alfonso's presence
is the centenary of the Dattle OF As
cncho-the Yorktown of PERU
which Tho country's three-year strus
gle for liberation from tne ;od SPlI falIs
yoke was achieved. ine Peiio"
tower the end OF 1874. cnain
wn,lId accept the hospitality OF ou,ei
latin republics. particularly Ars
tina. In 1914 Alfonso aunt erira ne
Sha vas tumultuously received. Hes
yiSit caused an amazing outpurst u
santimental loyalty to the land whlch
ranks as the mother country o., nus
Latin REPUBLICS; honnd nt,onsI M he more de-
n,onstrstiye than Infanta lsapei
evoked.
New Foreign Policy.
1-;rr Alfonso has wanted for sew
eral years to so to Soutn te -
Only the fragile fortunes OF ms W
asty interfered with the pIan. NOV
that Riyera's directorate Is nrniy IN
trenched. and Alfonso is put IN a
place he is content to occupy. Spain
IS begiuning to think OF foreiSn
Policy" An unblushing avowal OF tiie
program Spain ought to pursue has
i,een launched by Senor Vasquez DE
NeIla- an influential Madrid publicist
and former Jaimist leader. he de-
clares that Spain'S future does not lie
in Morocco, where she mas oeen
squandering blood and treasure, but
i'm South America He advocates the
crea tion of a United States OF south
America" to be federated with SPAN.
When such a union is accomplished,
an agreement would be demanded
from the United States or america,
guaranteeing the supremacy or the
Spanish race in South America.
Another straw showing how the
Spanish wind is blowing at Madrld is
a drive to bring about the pardon OF
100, 900 Spanish military refugees now
living in South America Instead of
refusing them the right to return TO
Spain, it is proposed to welcome them
as crusaders in the movement 70 re-
unite the Spain of Rivera and Alfonso
with the republics which wrested
their independence from the kinS
ancestors a century ago
One Of Spains incentives in seeking
a closer union with Latin America
is her alarm over the growing pres.
tige of France in South America. OF
ali Latin nations, the French WELD
dominant cultural influence there.
They maintain it even though the
number of French settled in south
America is insignificant compared TO
the Italians and Spanlaros VINO iten
in the larger and more thriving
countries like Argentina. The span,
ish want to re-establish their OLD
paramountcy for more or less senti-
mental reasons. Mussolini. the prac-
tical idealist. wants trade for naly;
Immense colonies of expatriateo
Italians live in Argentina and else:
where in South America. Mussoliai
is dispatching a big new ltaiian SNIP
fitted as a floating industrial e1poa
ton. to visit all South American ports.
He also seeks Spanish co-operation IN
forming a asIatin-American bloc, con-
sisting of Italy and Spain and the
south American republics.
Stress Blood Ties.
The idea which Mussolini and Al
fonso are intent upon exploiting is
that South Americas association win
the United States is artihcial' that
the connection with Latin Europe Is
real. with nations like Spain and
JtaIv.. il is argued, South America
has ties of blood and history. With
the United States, the European Lat
ins contend, Latin American has only
the relationship more or less imposed
upon it By a powerful neiShbor
Americans whose duty 1t rs 10
with some anxiety. because they con-
tain at least the seeds of diplomatic
unpleasantness, if not actual isola-
ton of the United States by both
Europe and South America. Inc
South American republics not only
feel themselves closer to Europe than
to the United States, but think they
are in danger only from the United
Inference was clearly drawn that he
was a candidate who would main
t,;, oa,ca Nor utaS there ANYTHING