Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-20
BY CORINNE FRAZIER.

i dress and printed at the top of the
program, is found the keynote OF
the fourth national conference on the
cause and cure of war, which closed
in Washington Thursday night.
There is hope that when the utter
folly of war as an instrument for the
Just and, above all, economic settlement
of disputes has been made clear to the
world at large, a new spirit will spring
up said Sir ESme.
Upon this note of hope the confer
ence opened its sessions with banquet
.on the evening of January IA, at
(which optimistic predictions OF a day
swhen this new Spirit'-the spirit OF
speace-shall dominate international re-
slations, were expressed by distinguished
speakers; and with plea to the peoples
of the world to employ practical COM
mon sense in devising workable sys-
ITEM of settling international differences
(which would replace war, the confer
sence closed. There was little OF theory
and much of cold, hard fact in the
concluding address of Mrs. Carrie Chap
man Gait, chairman of the conference
Resisting temptation to generallZe or
theorize on some great plan for I'M
mediately eliminating the poSSlbliitieS
of war, Mrs. Gait confined herself to
one concrete "thorn in the side of the
cause of peace and to suggesting what
ito her seemed a practical means OF
curing this particular war-breeder.
Mrs. Gait advocated more intelli-
gent Interpretation and authorization
of the Monroe Doctrine, or falling this,
its discard las a policy whose work
has been completed"
1.-THE Monroe Doctrine. underlined and
unauthorized, is an obstacle to peace
= I'LL AG,e
pointing out the hazineSS of its Ian
puaee and the lack of understanding
of its terms even among its strongest
advocates here in the United States.
1.-THE psychology produced in the
Western Hemisphere by the Monroe
Doctrine as it is accepted unQueStion-
ably stirs i'll instead of good WILL" she
declared. I'm visit to Latin. America
] was astounded at the character and
extent of the resentment expressed
toward the Monroe Doctrine. Every
boy in Latin America learns its mean
ing and significance in the schools, but
certainly what is taught there is not
what is taught our own boys. The boys
on these two continents grow up and
take their places in the administration
of their respective governments and
each comes to his duty with precon-
ceived, fixed, but opposing ideas of the
Monroe Doctrine, condition calculated
to create misunderstanding.
Cautiously, although threat of the
doctrine was aimed at European ma
lions and was pronounced in the inter-
est and protection of Latin American
colonies, yet Europe appears undis-
turbed by it now, while Latin America
Is much perturbed. Here Is a mystery
oVtAff
treaties among the nations of these two
continents viii prevent actual war, but
the emotional frame of mind which
creates war is latent in many OF the
Latin countries and the source of their
discomfort is what many believe the
Monroe Doctrine to be.
"Our own statesmen have usually
agreed that the Monroe Doctrine is
merely a policy of self-defense, but
Latin American statesmen pronounce
its application a policy Of military Of
tense.
1.-THE Monroe Doctrine has been in
eerpreted by our own orators to include
every dream of international idealiSm;
every altruistic, neighborly purpose:
every noble aspiration for the worlds
welfare, and these are the impressions
left in the minds of many North Amer
leans. But the policies which the world
links with the Monroe Doctrine are
those In defense of commerce, big busi-
ness, economic explorations and finan-
cial overlordship.
"It is this aspect Of our relations to
Latin countries which has so filled
their citizens with dread of unhappy
possibilities. North and South agree
fairly well upon two points-(D That
the definition and authority of the
Monroe Doctrine are obscure; (2) that
Its power is dependent upon the
strength and skill of the Army and
Navy. The controversies involved in
these two agreements are sufficient to
keep trouble brewing for long time to
come
"At this time, when the nations are
attempting to find way to live together
elnicably it is obviously important that
all questions which have a disturbing
influence upon good relations should be
talked through to general understand
ing. The citizens of our own country, as
well as those Of the entire Western
world, are entitled to know what the
doctrine is, where 1t came from, what
Il meant when it came and where it is
now leading. To this end entreat the
committee on the cause and cure Of
war to read, study, reflect, discuss,
debate and push investigation of the
Monroe Doctrine hard and far. A con-
siderable library of new literature on
the subject, by no means in agreement,
invites your attention"
Mrs. Gait was reelected chairman Of
tne national committee on the cause
and cure of war by the assembled dele
gates, representing 10 women'S organi-
v.,sTI 1. ,s-Aa lit 11xgk
year by three vice chairmen-MiSS Ruth
Morgan, Miss Henrietta Roelofs and
Mrs. D. e. Waid, all of New York. Two
secretaries also were elected. Miss
josephine Schain of New York was
elected corresponding secretary and Mrs.
Ben Hooper of Wisconsin recording
secretary. Mrs. Edgerton Parsons of
New York was chosen treasurer.
Formerly there had been but one secre-
tary and no vice chairmen.
TWO things of significance stand out
in a consideration of the recent
mediation of the Pan-Anerican Con-
ference in the Bolivian-Paraguayan
dispute, according to Drew Pearson,
foreign editor of the United States
Daily, who addressed the Womans
National Democratic Club on this ques-
ton at the weekly forum luncheon
Monday afternoon.
I'm the first place." said Mr.. Pearson,
"this is the first instance in which the
PRn-American Union has tackled a
really live political issue, Heretofore
the policy has been one of hands off
wherever possible if political issue was
involved. Economic and cultural ques-
tons have been the chief concern OF
the conferences in the past. 1t was
lust by chance that the Pan-American
Conference was in session and in a
position to act quickly and effectively
TO check hostilities until arbitration
could be arranged between the two ma
tons involved.
Second, the very coincidence OF thi'