Evening star., 1928-02-21
U. S. Conception of Pan.
Americanism Seen Ap.
proved by Latins.
RULE OF Intervention
STANDS UNCONDEMNED
Hughes Paid Tribute for His Logic
and Courtesy-Conference Fails
to Declare Duties.
BY WILLIAM HARD.

HAVANA, February 21.-Today is the
strongest day internationally In the
whole history of the American repub-
lies. That is the best opinion here re-
garding the outcome of the sixth in
ternational conference Of American
states.
The fundamental features Of that out
come will be here stated as viewed not
only by the American delegation, but by
the overwhelming bulk Of Latin Ameri-
can sentiment here.
The first act is the successful asser-
ton of the doctrine that American
ism shall continue and that it shall con-
tinue without becoming superstate to
impose Its will upon member states in
political or economic matters. The
American delegation came here to up
hold that doctrine. It came here to say
that the Pan-American Union should be
an organ for cooperating IN matters
in which cooperation was possible. and
not jury for coercing any American
country in any political or economic
dispute in which 1t might be involved
with another.
False Theory Rocked.
For years 1t had been loosely MAIN
tanned that this conception Of the
nature and destiny Of the Pan-Ameri-
can Union was popular at Washington.
but unpopular and hated in all the
other capital of the pan-American
world. For years 1t had been said that
the Latins in the pan-American world
wanted to erect the union into an
agency for controlling the political and
economic international energies and
policies Of the United States in the
Western Hemisphere.
The refusal Of the United States to
accept any such enlargement of the
powers of the union was said to be
engendering resentment and resistance
against 1t throughout the remainder
of the Pan-American area.
That contention now Is virtually de-
stroyed. BY IL to 6 this conference
has declined to empower the union to
tell the United States what to do
politically in Nicaragua. BY 20 to
1t declined to empower 1t TO tell
the United States what TO do In the
economic field in its relations with
Argentina.
Our domestic critics of the policies of
our Government toward Latin America
have continuously threatened us with
peril and menace from the Caribbean.
from Central America and from South
America. unless we submitted ourselves
in political and economic matters to
what they called "the collective judg-
ment Of the American conscience" That
threat now Is exploded with detona-
ton OF which the roars will last for
decades. The Latins, freely choosing In
a frQa rcnforenra ha,o uf 1osf cr>nrff-
ically declared to the world that they
seek no road through the Pan American
Union to any political or economic
international chaining Of the so-called
colossus Of the north"
Union TO Continue.
The union continues and 1t continues
with new specific Latin American
baptism OF the American conception OF
its function and future. That Is the
first fact. There Is only one other
Everything else Is detail. The first fact
delivers us from all cicad OF any Latin
American desire TO SIT L. collective judg-
ment upon our actions. The second
fact delivers us for long time to come
from all terror OF the sound Of that
supposedly discriminating word. Inter
vention"
This conference. by 20 to |. has de-
cided that you cannot condemn those
wrongful acts or those wrongful fail
urcs to act which provoke and invite
the Intervention" Of one country In the
affairs Of another.
When DR.. Guerrero OF Salvador at
tempted In the plenary session last Sat
urday to condemn intervention" In
and OF itself. he was unable really to
rally one additional vote TO hts side
This was intellectually the direct re.
suit OF the long. laborio,is work In In
ternational law OF our delegate. DR.
James Brown Scott. In 1916. DR.. Scott
wrote q declaration OF the rights and
duties" OF nations. lie did not confine
himself to their rights--~such as their
right to be free of Intervention, He
went on TO state and to demand from
them their duties~~s,ich as the duty of
maintaining civilized state OF things
which would not deserve intervention
Mr.. Hughes grasped this formula Vic-
tor Maurtua OF Peru hurled 1t at tho
conference with an Irresistible force Of
logic and OF eloquence and Of satire.
Denies sInternationaiism.
"You." said he 10 DR.. Guerrero, "say
That you are seeking intcrnationalism
You say that with your doctrine against
all Intervention at all times and IN all
circumstances you are seeking c0ilec-
tive justice. You are not You are
seeking limitiess sovereignty and ire
sponsible nationaliam and the right to
i've uncorrected In the jungle"
Maurtna. "A Latin, could say to 0uer-
rero what Mr. Hughes could not. MIR
Hughes grabped and held alott the
standard of the proposition that unless
and until the duties of states should be
defined. II was illogical. IL was wicked 10
declare their rights. because they could
not be In the enjoyment of rights unless
they were already In the performance oi
duties
This conference did not declare their
duties To that technical extent II was
n failure. That technical failure, how.
ever. ts nothing relatively 10 u certain
great practical success. The great
practical success Is that when II found
Itself unable 10 define the duties Of
states, II refused by q virtually unani-
nous accord 10 define their rights. and
1t therefore declined To pass a sentence
OF bare 0utiaWry upon intervention"
Our North American conception of
pan rAmericanism stands approved. Our
North American practice Of "interven-
tion" In circumstances thought To lus~
tify II stands uncnndemned,
Those are the two great fruits that
Mr.. Hughes has plucked for ua from
the th0fnv tree of this conferences Lat