Evening star., 1929-06-27
TARIFF BILL PER|LS
|. PAN-AMER|CAN|SM.
Argentina Ready to Lead
Latin Revolt Against U. S.
Economic Imperialism.
BIZ FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.
Little is heard publicly about it In
Washington, but Latin American quar-
ters here are rurnbling with the bitter
est Indignation over the proposed
increases In the tariff on imports from
Central and South America. The
4 niceties of diplomacy prevent the official
representatives of the Latin republics
from speaking out openly in meeting.
In private they are venting their feel
ings in unbridled language. What they
say can be summarized in the assertion,
commonly uttered wherever they fore
J gather nowadays, that Pan-American-
ism is doomed If the North American
economic imperialism" typified by the
Hawley bill-as they regard it's
enacted into law.
! Cuba and Argentina lead this chorus
of disapproval and resentment. If Cam
ada were a member of the Pan -Ameri-
can Union, her protesting voice un-
6oubtedly would be heard, too, for the
Dominion is hit as hard. and in sonic
respects harder, than the Latin Ameri-
can countries. Cubans discuss their
plight in terms of violent pessimism. AS
sugar accounts for S4.6 per cent of the
islands total exports they contend that
an increase in the American tariff from
the present rate of 1.76 cents to 2.40
cents a pound amounts to nothing
more or less than deathblow to Cuba S
economic life. The vast bulk of the
islands annual sugar crop of 100000
+, tons is sold to the United States. That
vital trade. the Cubans claim. will be
virtually destroyed by the tariff handi-
caps it Is now proposed to impose
upon 1t.
Disastrous Cuban Effect.
Argentina is not nearly so disas-
trously affected by the Haw1ey bill
schedules as Cuba is, yet the exports of
Araentinian faxseed, corn, wool and
other important products would be sub
jected to such increased tariffs at Amer
icarl customs houses that the American
trade in those commodities would be cut
to shreds. Il not wiped out. If there is
to be a foreign tariff war against the
United States, Is result of the pending
legislation in Washington, the Argen-
tirlians seem Aore than likely to become
its leaders. their press and public men
are already Ealing for retaliation and
reprisals against the Colossus of the
North Argentina is exhibiting passive
resentment, at the moment, by main
Her business here is conducted. and for
many months has been, by charge
d'affaires. Nations frequently register
displeasure with other governments by
reducing the rank of their diplomatic
Representation during o period OF
strained relations.
with Cuba and Argentina in all but
open economic warfare against the
United States every pam American au-
thority in Washington freely admits
that pan-Americans ideals are in an
extremely bad way.
"Good Win' Seen Vanished.
The good that President Hoover ac-
complished during his good viii tour"
Is fatty declared to have vanished, in
] consequence of Congress determination
to rear higher the protective tariff walls
that guard American coasts and bor-
ders. Even the knowledge, which is an
open secret, that Mr.. Hoover personally
deplores the rough treatment to which
foreign countries are subjected by the
Hawley bill has not served to stif1e Latin
American resentment of what is hap
pening. The peoples now viewing the
United States tariff making with
anxiety and anger recall that In his in
augural address, the President said that
Fortunately the New World is largely
1IGe IIUTlf tI1G fulItC1lDdIlCC6 Va YlCdA cAkA
distrust, which have so troubled the
Old World. We should keep it So
What Latin Americans in Washing
ton now are saying is that Congress
seems determined to sow the very seeds
of fear and distrlst," the absence of
, which President Hoover on March 4 so
eloquently stressed.
The Capital throughout the Summer,
as it already is, is likely to be the scene
of an unprecedentedIy fierce drive to
thwart the sugar tariff. It is being con-
Quoted by financial interests which are
Overwhelmingly American and undis-
gtlisedly selfish. Immensely valuable
business interests are frankly at stake
and their owners are bent on warding
of danger to them. But over and above
the clanaor Of the Cuban sugar barons."
who are really Wall Street men, there
is the vital national interest of the
Cuban people themselves, whose lives,
in a very literal sense, are dependent
on the continued prosperity of the
islands sugar industry. Cubans are
speaking Of the Hawley proposal as the
1929 edition of the British stamp tax"
which led the American Colonies into
revolution. Cuba cannot make war on
the United States, but their temper is
apparently not unlike 'the spirit Of '76.'
(Copyrisht, 1921
A.