Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-10
LATIN AMERICAN
REDS EUROPEANS
Hoover Trip Strikes Blow at
Agitation Aimed at US.
Business.
BY REX COLLIER.

STAFF Correspondent of The Star on the
Hoover South American Good Will Trip.
1t cannot be denied that Latin Ameri-
ca has become the stamping ground OF
far-fung organization of agitators OF
communistic tendencies, whose principal
objective at the present time appears to
be the stirring up OF anti-North Ameri-
can prejudice among the peoples OF
Central and South America.
Uncle Sans supervisory activities III
turbulent Nicaragua have supplied these
agitators with ammunition for their
under cover shipping. The United States
has been painted in the role of an I'M
perialistic colossus of the north, lust
full for territorial ACKNOWLEDGMENT. with
the Interior purpose of dominating the
entire western world.
Evidences of this campaign OF propa-
ganda popped up here and there during
President-elect Hoover's good will trip
to Latin America. despite careful pre-
cautions taken by the duly constituted
authorities. In fact, the extent OF the
organized effort to discredit the United
States became apparent even before the
Hoover party embarked on its cruise.
Reference is had to the disturbance at
the station in Hoover's own home town.
Palo Alto, when half dozen young men
and women displayed anti-Ameriean
placards as the Hoover special train was
about to leave for San Pedro.
Demonstrations Attempted.
Similar demonstrations were at
tempted with sad results for the particle
pants in several OF the Latin American
countries visited by Mr. Hoover. IT the
purpose of these activities was to I'M
press the President-elect in first-hand
nav. that purpose met with utter failure,
for it is doubtful If he saw any OF the
sporadic outbreaks, so quickly were they
OWNED and squelched by the police and
military officials.
The unfortunate part of these incl
dents was that there was possibility
the disturbances might be quite errone-
ously attributed to unfriendliness on the
part of the Latin Americans themselves.
1t cannot be too strongly emphasized
that the whole anti-American move
ment in Central and South America APP
pears to be the work not of nationals OF
Latin America but of nondescript in
vaders from Europe. This fact is at
tested to not only by the highest offi-
Gals of the nations thus invaded, but
by business men, educators and the men
on the street.
The truth of the matter appears to
be that South America regards all &C.
tivities of the agitators as unworthy OF
serious notice. The agitation has be-
come so commonplace since the World
War that nobody pays much attention
to it any more. Communists are al
lowed to hold their meetings and stage
their parades without police interior
ence so long as they do not throw bombs
or incite rioting.
Trade Rivalry Hinted.
There is a more sinister phase to the
activities than appears on the surface,
however. It is reported that the agi-
tators are being used as tools by certain
European trade rivals of the United
States with a view to stemming or de-
stroying competition. To what extent,
If at all, this is true Is not easily ascer-
tainable, but the report reached the
ears of members of the goodwill party
from several reliable sources. ---~-'
In Costa Rica, for example, rumor
has it that the agitators receive moral
support, II not actual financial. aid. from
certain foreign fruit companies who
are resentful over the lucrative business |
built up there by the United Fruit Co. |
The American company, 1t is true, |
seems to have cornered much Of the ba- |
hama crop of that little Central Ameri-
can republic The United Fruit Co. is
accused by the anti-American interests
of seeking a strangle hold on Costa
RIGA SO as to bleed the republic of its
resources with a greedy vengeance that
shuts out competition and leaves the
native growers at the mercy" Of
American fortune seekers.
It is in Argentina, however, that the
agitators have taken root most firmly.
Prior to the visit of the Hoover party
to that prosperous nation there had
been widespread impression that the
Argentine people themselves were the
agitators; that they were very anti
American in sentiment. There is no
gainsaying the fact that members of
the goodwill mission looked forward
to the Argentine phase Of the trip with
real anxiety. This anxiety in no way
was lessened by news of the discovery
of reported plot to bomb the Hoover
special train and of the arrest and
Incarceration of more than a hundred
alleged conspirators.
Radicals Advice Fails.
The situation in Argentina turned
out to be far different from that en-
visoned by some of the correspondents.
In no country was the party greeted
more enthusiastically, and the welcome
left no doubt as to the sincerity un-
derlying the "vivas." 1t was learned,
furthermore. that the greeting at Men
doza was deliberate rebuke to the