Evening star., 1928-12-02
HOOVER TO LEARN ALL
LATIN AMERICAN ISSUES
All Have Bearing on Future Cordial
Relations With the United
States.

wears ago nave IlO 1OICG Vi Sbdliul1jS uO
the present time Day by day this
opinion has been gaining such popular
ity that several months ago when Sena-
tor Shipstead proposed to conduct an
investigation of the internal affairs of
Cuba. the press and the people so re-
sented this meddling that they success
, fully urged President Machado to take
up the matter officially with the White
House requesting the notification of
this amendment. It may be very well
said that the greatest political ideal of
Cuba at the present time is to secure
the abolition of the PLAT Amendment"
Islands Economic Problem.
However. far more important prob
lem facing Cuba is the economic one,
for its consequences are real and more
Immediately felt This problem has been
the result of the constant increase of
the customs tariff in the United States.
North America is Cuba's principal
buyer. The great maiority of the Cuban
products. especially its main two indus
tries sugar and tobacco upon which
depend its very economical life. are eX-
ported to the United States. 1t is
claimed that because the Washington
Government faithfully follows its pro-
tectioniStic policy of high tariffs the
exorbitant duties to which the Cuban
commodities are subjected must natur-
ally have disastrous effects in the
economic prosperity of the neighbor
island. The protests of Cuba against
the high tariffs imposed by the United
States upon its tobacco and cane sugar
in order to protect American producers
of tobacco and beet sugar are very
energetic and general in scope. AS a
Af "a vic c
voiced that because Of the United States
high tariffs on Cuban commodities SINH
lar reriSals should be taken against
North American products, which un-
doubtedly would be highly prejudicial to
both countries, for Cuba imports many
millions of dollars worth of Uncle
Sam products and sells to him at the
same time practically all its tobacco
and sugar. Thus the problem seriously
affects the commercial relations of
these two peoples, and no way of So
luton seems to be at hand.
Venezuela and Colombia.
Let us see now what other problems
Mr.. Hoover will encounter on his visit
farther to the south.
In Venezuela and Colombia the peren-
NAL controversy is over petroleum. In
are being operated by American cor
porations are the subject of constant
discussions with the representatives of
the White House. However, there. seems
to exist quite a difference in the atti-
tudeS of these two republics toward the
United States. In the former. for in
stance, the dictatorial regime which has
been in power for the past 20 years is
more reserved in its assertions and i'm
pedes that such discussions might reach
alarming proportions, for it has great
interest in maintaining the best of rela-
tions with the Washington Govern
ment. On the other hand, in Colombia
the oil controversy between the govern
ment and the American corporations
has been made the subject of passionate
and heated disputes by the nation at
large, in which the public opinion has
forced the government to lead a cam
paign against foreign interests. This
is repetition. in a smaller scale, OF
what tranSpired in Mexico, where the
naturalization of the oil reserves and
the conf1scation of the property of for
eign corporations we're decreed in the
event that they should refuse to abide
by the oil laws in effect or adopt
rebellious attitude. Because OF the
fabulous investments made by American
corporations in the operation of oil
fields in Colombia and Venezuela that
tendency for the naturalization of the
natural resources which is rapidly grow
ing throughout Central America greatly
endangers the relations of the United
States with those republics.
Tacna AFRICA Controversy.
Upon his arrival in Peru, the Presi-
dent-elect will again hear of the IA
nous Tacna and africa controversy,
which has been the principal and eter-
nal problem facing the three republics
involved, and which today also po-
litically affects the relations of the
United States, for it was no other than
Uncle Sam who was called upon to act
as arbiter in the dispute in question.
Both Chile and Peru look forward to
the United States with eagerness, for
1t is the latter country who in the end
will an1icably settle this long pending
territorial controversy.
In 1928 Peru and Chile signed pro-
tocol on arbitration, whereby they COM
promised to accept the decision of the
President of the United States on this
dispute as final. When President Cool
| idge ordered that a plebiscite be carried
out, which attitude was upheld by Chile,
| the manifestations of praise and appre-
citation toward the United States were
| indeed extraordinary in Chile, while
| in Peru this same attitude was being
greatly criticized
Shortly after, when the United States
representative, Gen. LaSSlter, pro-
nounced the carrying out of the plebis-
cite as impracticable, due mainly to
malpractice on the part of Chilean
elements, the feeling in Peru toward
Uncle Sam was most friendly, while
Chile, on the other hand, was vigorously
protesting against this decision. This
| is a further proof of the passionate
| sentiments which exist in both coun-
| tries respecting this great controversy,
which originated from the war of 1879.
| The recent renewal of relations and
| the mutual indications of friendship
between these two republics, in reality
amounts to no more than mere dip
lomatic courtesies.
What Bolivia Desires.
And, should Mr. Hoover visit Bolivia,
the "portless," which is the other party
involved in the Tacna and africa con-
troversy. he will have the opportunity
to hear the great acclamation of a ma
ton who will unanimously bring to his
attention the fact that it also partic-
1pdUeu III IIlS wal VI 1913 dllu CIld1 III
that war it lost all it's ports and most
Of its resources; that it has no access
to the sea, and that it is the one which
really needs the territory of Tacna and
africa, because of geographical. political
and economic reasons. Should this vital
problem be brought up again for settle
ment, it must be borne in mind that in
its solution depends the international
prestige of the United States.
I However, it will be in the Argentine
Republic where the President-elect will
find the greatest number Of problems
deserving of the closest study. For
Buenos Aires, it may be said, is the po-
litical center of South America and it
will be there where Mr.. Hoover will
more extensively learn of the views of