Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-03
FOREIGN RELATIONS GIVE
HOOVER 3 MAJOR TASKS
Ang lo.American Differences. Repara.
tions and South American Com
petition Are Problems.

! take first mortgage on Germany and
in return furnish the huge sums required
to liquidate the allied debts? One alter
native is the reduction or cancellation
of the allied debts, but that is contrary
to.all his past record. Will he insist that
Europe settle the question without re-
sort 70 the American market? In tlf9t
case there may be the slow r.rapid
formation of some European combina-
ton to face American competition.
Tariff Question Enters.
Here the question of tariff obviously
enters. Europe Insists that if the debts
are to be paid Europe must be per-
mitted 10 sell goods in the American
markets. But Mr.. Hoover is committed
to the preservation of the tariff
schedules. Confronted by the refusal of
the United States to open its markets. to
reduce its debts claims or to finance the
commercialization of reparations, will
Europe be driven or led to undertake
the creation of some common economic
front and to incidental reprisals against
the United States in their own markets?
AS to South America, there the prob
lem Is both political and economic.
Better political relations with South
America depend upon two things-the
removal of the present suspicion that
the Monroe doctrine has become limi-
tation upon the sovereignty of South
American countries. and the clear evil
dence that such operations as those in
Nicaragua and Haiti cover no political
or colonizing design.
AS to the economic phase, We have
now to face in every South American
market the most intensive form of
European competition. And at the same
time we have to face the deliberate at
tempt of our economic rivals to ex-
plot the existing suspicion of our
motives and methods What Dwight
Morrow has at least begun to achieve
in Mexico, Mr.. Hoover has to find men
to achieve from the Canal to the
Straits. And he starts knowing, as few
of his fellow-countrymen have taken
the trouble to discover, that today the
United States is disliked and distrusted
beyond all other nations in Latin
America.
In becoming. as we certainly have,
the most powerful state on the planet,
We have unmistakably exposed our
selves to all the customary steps by
which people. in all past history, have
the power and influence Of a country
grown too large to be restrained by any
single power.
Foreign Trade Success Seen.
AS MIR. Hoover comes determined In
advance to push American foreign
trade to new levels. to gain fresh foreign
markets, success in this policy must
mean further loss to Europe. To take
naval supremacy from Britain and
economic and financial supremacy from
Europe as whole is patiently to invite,
indeed to insure, counter activities
throughout Europe and to meet Euro
pean opposition all over the world
What Americans pay far too little
attention to is the conception of their
own country, which has been taking
form during and since the war. At home
Europe cuts very little more figure than
1t did before 1914. Most OF us live our
lives, attend to our business, shape our
existence with practically no conscious
ness OF Europe. But by contrast from
Moscow to Dublin, the American
shadow lies heavy upon Europe. No in
ternational conference meets without
having its attention divided between
the matter in hand and the American
attitude toward the pending issue.
There is hardly a budget framed by cny
European Parliament which does not
contain a considerable appropriation to
meet an American obligation.
Mr.. Hoover Is going to have to deal
with United States visibly and yieor-
ously pressing outward. But he is lust
as patiently face to face in Europe with
the growing sense of the permanent
challenge of the American phenomenon.
Europe increasingly obsessed by the
sense Of a common peril arising from
the disproportionate growth of the
United States in recent years.
For 10 years Europe and the United
States have talked ceaselessly about co.
operation. but In that time we have or
ganized the most extensive competition
modern Europe has ever known. Mr
Hoover comes at moment when the
spirit OF economic imperialism, the de-
examinations to conquer new world
markets is at its apex and he is. him
self. in the eyes Of his countrymen and
OF Europeans alike, the incarnation Of
cotemporary America, as Theodore
Roosevelt was Of the America of 1900
This fact, perhaps, justifies the conclu-
sion that the new President marks a
new era.
tCopyrieht. 1922