The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-01-08
HOOvER'S TOUR
OF VAST VALUE
IN FRIENDSHIP
Suspicion and Fear Held
Against U. S. Begin
to Fade.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP sIMMs

Foreign Editor, Scripps-H Howard News
papers
WASHINGTON, Jan. 8. With
his return TO the national capital,
Herbert Hoover's tour of Central
and South America becomes history.
The elect Travelled exactly
1921 miles from Washington back
to Washington. He twice crossed
the equator He visited ten coun-
tries and received the representa-
tives of an eleventh country aboard
the battleship Maryland. No
American of his station ever before
made such a significant gesture to-
ward our Latin neighborS, nor dne
quite so fraught with possibilities
for good.
That both the gesture and the
journey made tremendous i'm
preston upon the Pan-American
mind and heart there can be no
question.
Personalities mean great deal in
most foreign countries. This is par
ticularly true south of the Rio
Grande. AS result of personal
contacts With the men who hold the
destiny Of most of Central and
South America in their hands, the
next tenant of the White House has
become more than a mere name
down there.
BugabOO Is Laid
To those leaders Uncle Sam no
longer a sort of fearful, menacing
bugaboo. Instead, he has become
a kindly figure of distinctly friendly
mien, rather closely resembling, per-
haps, the man they met and talked
with, and liked, the next President
of the United States.
All this can not fail to mean much
to Pan-American relations in the
years to come. When difficulties
arise, as inevitably they will, settle
ment should be the easier because
the responsible officials in the coun-
tries concerned will not be dealing
with strangers, but with people they
know and, to large extent un-
derstand.
While Hoover's good will expedi-
ton is now a thing of the past, the
results of it likely will be only the
more apparent as time goes on. So
far as the President-elect is con-
cerned, his visits were intended as
beginning, not an end, He went
to see and hear and learn and he
did all three as only man of his
keen perception and worldwide
range of experience could do.
School on BattIeship
Since the Utah set sail from Rio
de Janeiro a little more than two
weeks ago, the floating fortress has
resembled a school room more than
a battleship. Daily much time was
spent in reviewing information
gathered during recent weeks Of
rapid travel, that no detail should
be lost in the rush, but rather that
everything learned should be
weighed and assimilated thoroughly.
Hoover would scarcely have been
Hoover had he not seen to that
I have the distinct impression
that Hoover already has in mind a
very definite program for the flu
ture development, in every way, Of
the tWenty-one republics of the
western world, a plan in which
each will do its bit to boost the
well-being and standards Of living
Of all, itself included.
I also believe that he viii not
take it out in planning, but that
right along with the important do
nestle problems which will claim his
after March 4, he will get
his plan going.
Old Fears Fade
All that I shall add here is that
am convinced that the Hoover
gesture starts us along a brand
new road leading to more COM
plete harmony than has existed be-
tween the republics of the western
world in years.
Old fears and old suspicious have
begun to fade. But only begun
that is the big thing to remember.
No one man and no one voyage such
as this could possibly allay such
ancient fears and suspicious for
ever. The best that any one could
10 was to start the ball rolling.
That Hoover has done, and done
we'll, as only those who acconpa-
MED him on his. tour fully can
realize.