Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-26
Hughes and His Triumph at Havana

this same bull into the conference. In
stead of trying to evade the beast, Mr.
Hughes was the first one to go up and
stroke 1t on the back. He made 1t very
plain that his country was not afraid of
it. and any time any of the delegates
wanted to bring 1t around. the Ameri-
cans would be glad to come out and
pay with it.
A few days later DR.. Pueyrredon, in
all sincerity, Embossed another danger
Gus animal in the form of proposal
that the Pan-Amcrican Union should
consider it as one OF its duties to work
for abolition of tariff barriers, quaran-
tine regulation and other trade restric-
tons between the Americas. And here
was bait at which the United States
strike. II Argentina was proposing to
bring up the tariff, there could be only
one conclusion: She hoped to precipi-
tate discussion of the American tariff
and quarantine regulations which affect
Argentine products. A man less blessed
with the wisdom which Mr.. Hughes has
accumulated might have rolled up his
sleeves and prepared to talk turkey to
Argentina. He might have reminded
Argentina that it is not the tariff which
keeps her beef out of the United States,
but the hoof and mouth disease. He
might have said that no quarantine reg
ulations of the United States are any
harder on Argentina than they are on
the rest of the world. He might have
resorted to generalities and pointed out
that Latin American tariffs are as nu-
merous and are higher than the tariffs
imposed by this country.
~ X "
But instead of STOPPING to contro-
versy with Argentina over the right
and the wrong of tariff and quaran-
tine regulations. Mr.. Hughes centered
his guns on the unacceptable fact that
the Pan-American Union owes its sue
cess to its non-political character; that
to invest it with authority to NEEDLE
with such domestic matters as revenue
raising tariffs and regulations would be
to spell its doom. So the hue and cry
that might have been raised through
out Latin America over the United
States tariff failed to develop. Instead,
there was continued chirping from Ar
gentina which grew weaker and finally
resulted in the resignation Of DR.. Pueyr-
redon. The United States found itself
in the majority as far as the tariff is
concerned. and without Mr. Hughes hav-
HiS 3Ooio A. AACSSSSaAy ~ AooS AAAo
voice.
When some Of the delegates became
excited over a proposal for multilateral
treaties allowing pursuit Of criminals
across the border. 1t was Mr.. Hughes
and GoZales Roa, the Mexican delegate.
who rose to exchange compliments on
the successful cooperation between the
United States and Mexico in their
police of the border between them. sug-
costing that this arrangement. rather
than a complicated multilateral treaty.
was the best way of approaching the
problem
Mexico's proposals for reorganization
of the Pam American Union might have
aroused resentment from an American.
For Mexico proposed that the post o.
chairman of the governing board be
allowed to rotate. from year to year.
among the members OF the board, and
that the pos: of director general be
changed every year. This was obvious
~ an attempt to remove the Pan
American Union from the insidious in
fluence OF the American Secretary OF
State. who has always been chairman
of the board and from the director
general, who has always been an Amer
lean citizen. But Mr. Hughes. good
naturedly recalled that as Secretary Of
State he had been chairman of the
governing board. and that he had never
found the position gave him any great
power or authority over the other men,
bers. And he further suggested that as
the director general occupies an ad-
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