Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-06
EUROPE SEES GAIN
IN j. S. PRESTIGE
Hoover Trip to South Amer
lea Called Stride Toward
Commercial Supremacy.
BY LELAND STOWE.

BY Radio to The Star.
PARIS, January 5.-When the battle
ship Utah anchors once more at an
American port few days from now,
Europe will be taking account, no less
seriously than the United States, OF
what President-elect Hoover's South
American tour may eventually mean.
The Old World, especially France and
Germany. has long realized the impor-
lance of trade and political relations
with South America.
Nevertheless, with these relations
threatened anew by the Colossus OF the
North" the future significance OF the
South American republics has grown
apace. Therefore, European cnancel-
leries are now taking stock OF just wnat
Mr.. Hoover has and has not accom-
plished below Nicaragua. To site an
example. two impressions OF MT
Hoover's tour stand out in the french
FIRST. there is considerable skeptic1sm,
with the exception of Brazil. over Ine
amount of really spontaneous enthuSl-
asm that the next President OF the
United States stirred in the various
South American capitals. Second, tneIe
is the general admission that concrete
developments of Mr.. Hoovers TOUR III
terms of closer commercial rapproche-
ment of the two American continents Is
likely to prove much more imporCali,C
to the immediate detriment OF EUROPE
trade with South America ana Euro-
pean sphere of influence there.
Battle for Trade.
Ever since the World War France
has been waging luSty battle WIN
Germany for trade and polltlcaI pres
tiee in South America. france was
doomed to play second fiddle 10 tie
United States increasing activity SouCll
of the Rio Grande, but that, LOT Ihe
moment. had been taken for granted.
Now that France and Germany ooCn
find probabilities Of mucn VasVer
american trade and financial oi!en-
sive in South America, they are hkely
To consider themselves much In the
same boat. France needs her annual
1O. 0O0. 900 900 francs trade with South
America. and doubtless Germany reefs
the same way about her own traoe'
Accordingly, any large Jump IN Amerl-
can imports on the Southern Continent
would have decided repercusslonS on
foreign trade figures in these TWO EURO
pean countries. ~
The French already have gone 10
great expense to establish FarlS-
Buenos Aires air mail route wnlcn ~
is contemplated in few years Snoulo
be equipped to carry much frelgnt pc
sides mail Likewise, GeamanyS All
ambitions have long been focused on
a commercial link with South America
Air Line Prospects.
OF course, the organization OF Two
vast all-American air lines will be an
other blow dealt by the United States
to European aspirations across the
South Atlantic. Thus. Mr.. Hoover
return and what he may recommend
and do in South American affairs have
a very real interest for the Old World
The further expansion of American
interests there cannot fail to arouse
certain amout of European envy and ar
equal amount of concern. Here they
call it American dollar diplomacy
but Europe knows from experience that
whatever it is called, it has the reputa-
ton of working and getting somewhere
Behind the development OF all-Amerl-
can relationships in trade and other
wise, there is always present here the
fear that America some day may be-
come virtually independent Of Europe
To Europeans this Is not pleasant
thought, because they believe 1t will
mean the widening of the breach be-
tween the Old and the New World. AS
Mr.. Hoover comes home Europe finds
one consolation at any rate. Most
Europeans are convinced that however
much American commercial and flnan-
ctal power may grow in South America
the United States will not be any more
popular because of 1t.
Downright, 1920