Evening star., 1927-11-06

puDllc opinion and studying conditions
which he has written for The star and
The second Article viii ifiwSeInl 5e pnbl shed Mon
day IN The Evening Star.
BY DIR. MAX JORDAN.
A LII the South American coun-
~ tries are looking forward with
~ intense interest to the sixth
4 4 Pan-American Conference in
Havana, in the general ex-
pectation of manifesting their unan-
imous opposition to any further inter-
ference by the United States in the
affairs Of her neighbor republics in
Central America.
Mexico is in the lead. proposing the
transfer of the headquarters of the
Pan-American Union from Washing.
ton to Latin American capital, to
show by such a step the intense ap-
prehension felt by all the peoples
south Of the Rio Grande concerning
the growing political and economic in
f1uence of the United States through
out the Western Hemisphere.
This was the striking picture that
presented itself to me during trip of
several months made to the most
important centers of South America.
Expressions obtained from leaders
Of two of the most energetic govern.
ments Of the southern continent go
far to prove that this picture Is not
overdrawn, and Is by no means based
on experience Of superficial nature.
The Presidents of Chile and Argen.
tina gave me an opportunity to put
before them the paramount question
regarding the attitude of their coun-
tries toward the United States, and
both stated their viewpoints, not only
for their own governments, but for
the whole of South America.
I visited the western coast first. ]
saw President Augusta B. Leguia of
Peru, who refrained, however, from
commenting on the Havana confer
ence. Then 1 went to Santiago, the
beautiful capital Of that progressive.
spirited country Of Chile, and there
it was that Col. Carlos Ibanez del
Campo, elected President five months
ago, received me in a special audience
in the historic palace of the Moneda.
Foreign Minister at 20.
Before this / had met Don Conrado
Rios Gallardo, who attained such a
brilliant position as an editorial
writer for La Nacion of Santiago
that President Ibanez intrusted tU
him the ministry of foreign affairs.
He probably Is the youngest minister
of foreign affairs in the world. He
is only 90. To him I had expressed
my strong desire to be introduced to
the President. and he Immediately
arranged the appointment.
It was late in the afternoon when
he led me to the Presidents Office,
an imposing state room sumptuously
furnished in the Spanish Colonial
style. and after the introduction 1t
took only a few minutes to become
sation with the chief executive ot
Chile.
President Ibanez has sometimes
been called the "Mussolini of South
America" have met Mussolini sew
eral times. And I also have met the
dictator of Spain, Gen. Primo de
Rivera. But President Ibanez pre-
sents quite another appearance.
might say he is more human and
less self-conscious. He has a KIND
of natural behavior which inspires
both sympathy and respect. AS 9
soldier he does not seem to relish the
formal ways of Old World diplomacy
He answers all questions briefly ant
in most concise way. and shows
strong determination TO, stick to the
opinion he has decided to be right.
Recently. when he ordered severa
political leaders of the opposition de
ported, they appealed to the Supreme
Court. The chief justice ordered q
stay. But the immediate consequence
was that President IbaneZ had the
chief Justice himself arrested. de-
claring this would be the Pr sidents
way of dealing with any juuge who
should refuse to mete out justice.
AS I had come from the United
States it was only natural our con-
versation should concentrate on Pan
America. The opinions the President
expressed I wrote out in Spanish
After the meeting I submitted these
notes to the foreign minister. wh'
approved them.
Sympathy for Nicaragua.
"Chile and the United States" Presi
dent Ibanez said, have always culti
waited and always will maintain the
most cordial relations. But our gov
ernment believes these must be baset
on feeling of absolute reciprocity ant
mutual respect for each others SOW
ereignty."
1 asked whether the Chilean Gov
ernment thought recent events in Cen
trail America justified any apprehen
sion. - Y
1.-The Government of Chile" the
President answered, "is observing
with great attention the political de
velopments agitating Central America
1t believes all the Latin American del
egates to the Pan,Anlerican Confer
enee will make visible their sympa
thies for Nicaragua and will proclaim
elect freely its mandatories."
The President here mentioned infor
nation that had come to him recently
and publication of which Is likely to
cause wide discussion in the capitals
of North, Central and South America.
It related to the shift of the Pan.