Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-18
Our Policy at Havana.

When Mr.. Hughes promptly seconded
the motion Yesterday of Ambassador
Pueyrredon chief of the Argentine dele
cation at Havana, for open committee
meetings and p!enary sessions during
the conference he gave further indica-
ton Of the attitude which will gov
e-n the actions of our representatives
IN relation to the criticism Of the United
States so widely advertised as smolder-
ing beneath the surface Of the gather
Ing. In press dispatches of few days
ago Mr.. Hughes and Ambassador Fetch
er were represented as saying that
they would Go nothing to oppose the
admission Of certain controversial oues-
lions 10 the conference. should this be
the desire of the other conferees. The
statement was regarded as important
because of insinuations that because
the United States fears criticism it will
resort to technical and literal interpre-
tation of the rules of the conference
and Use its prestige and power TO pre-
vent open discussion of subjects not
properly on the agenda. thus blocking
criticism and saving its hide.
This IS an unfair Interpretation of the
motives OF the United States at Havana
Objection TO the discussion of contro-
versial political questions has not been
confined to the United States. Nor has
1t been based on fear of attack. but
upon the generally acknowledged fact
that polemical discourse entangles the
conference IN maze that prevents con-
structive action On important questions
upon which there is no difference of
opinion. If the majority Of the conferees
feel. however. that at Havana the con-
ference should depart from its tradi-
tional course and enter new fields TO
give disgruntled parties an opportunity
20 rid their chests of real or imag-
tined grievances, there will be no objec-
ton from the United States.
II might be a good thing II the Mic
araguan question were TO be brought
into the open. Already President Cool
idge is being attacked for his failure TO
touch upon it directly in his speech.
Sections Of the European and Latin
American press. together with infiuen-
tial papers in this country. accuse him
OF side-stepp!ng the real issue" and
resorting to platitudes in an effort TO
escape 1t. OF course this criticism could
have been anticipated 1t would have
come no matter what the President
said. And IL he had chosen TO discuss
the Nicaraguan question ne might have
been guilty Of ef!rontery in bringing UP
an alien subject which has no direct
bearing upon the Havana conference.
The Nicaraguan policy Of the United
&s>sa slas no place On the conference
agenda. which was adopted while the
Intervention Of this country in Nicara-
qua was even then real issue" 1t
Goes not concern the Sixth Inter-
national Conference Of American States
But, II Haiti, Argentina. the Dominican
Republic. Mexico. Paraguay and San
Salvador feel that il does. the United
States stands 10 lose nothing, but may
gain, by having them bring it up. An
open discussion would at least serve To
clear a charged atmosphere. And 1t
might be the means OF determining
once and for all whether the called
imperiaiistic tendencies Of this 1Iation
are depriying OUR friends the Latin
Americans Of as much sleep as some Of
them say It hss.