Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-12

Mexico and Central America, and
farther south, another continent. This
territory has been colonized by another
race, the Latins, and, with the ex-
ception of Brazil by one Latin people,
the Spanish. In this enormous domain
the culture, the speech, the law, the
society and ideals were Spanish.
Yoke Unbound in Time.
"In due time they also threw off
the political yoke of the mother coun-
try. Theirs was the harder task, be-
cause the Spanish system, unlike the
English. had not schooled the colonies
in cooperation because no European
powers lent them aid as in the case of
the northern colonies and because they
also had to contend with the opposi-
ton of their church, which was more
firmly entrenched in the land as well
as in the loyal faith of the people,
than was the imperial power of Spain.
But in time they unbound that yoke,
and what had been a vast colonial
possession became a number Of repub-
lies, each self-governing.
You see, we Latin-Americans are a
different people, compounded of
heredity and environment. We are a
different people shaped by different
surroundings, conditions, climate.
Our 20 republics do not owe their
independence to any one but them
selves-with the possible exception of
Panama. If only few Of these re-
publics have kept step with the United
States in industrial development, the
tagging is due, in part, to the long
struggle against retrogressive eccleSi-
asticism and in part to climatic con-
ditions.
The tropical climate does not permit
man OF the educated classes to do
manual work in factory or on farm.
The Americans and other aliens IN the
tropics do not attempt it, though they
do in the temperate climate of the
United States. Only poems can work
10 hours a day under the broiling sun
of our lowlands, which comprise rs
per cent Of our lands, and live. No other
demand is made on their energy,
whereas much more is demanded as
the social and national contribution
OF the man Of higher intelligence and
culture.
Now about this Nicaraguan Canal
That interests me, for !
have gone into it from the Nicaraguan'S
viewpoint.
Gen. Augusta SANDING, the 'uncon-
quered' Nicaraguan contrary to gen.
eral opinion, is not at all opposed TO
the construction of the canal. What
he objects to, I know, is the way the
carried out. The United States,
through the Bryan -Chamorro treaty,
has acquired the right to build and
operate the canal without taxation for
s., 900 900. SANDING tells me only half
of that sum was actually paid to the
Diaz administration in Nicaragua. OF
that half, paid to politicians who are
now discredited, little, If any, seems to
have gone into the country's treasury.
SO, at least, says SANDING.
SANDING, who did his share of fight
ing to get rid of Adolfo Diaz simply
claims that the latter was bribed into
betraying his people, and that Nicara-
gua'S present President, Jose Maria
Moncada, is being bribed with equal
success to abide by bad bargain.
Wants Joint Stock Company.
"Sandino has told me several times
that what he wants for the canal is a
Joint stock company, half of the stock
to be bought by Latin American ma
tons and by Nicaragua in particular
and the other half to be owned by the
United States and other nations. The
SO 900, 900 already paid by the United
States would be applied to the full
purchase price Of the shares. This,
SANDING says. would give Nicaragua a
steady income with which to build rail-
roads, highways, sewers, power plants,
ETC.. without having to appeal to for
eign capital.
There has been a great deal said
about the backwardness of the Central
American republics and about the bene-
fetal results OF American economic and
armed interventionS.
After my recent trip to Central
America have come to the conclusion
that their backwardneSs has been fos-
tered by dollar diplomacy, and that
revolutions and troubles have been for
years stirred deliberately by this diplo
macy's agents in order to win conces-
sions from temporary puppet govern
ments.
1T is my belief that if Haiti. Santo
Domingo, Cuba, Nicaragua and the
rest of the Central American republics
had been left alone instead Of being
made to wallow In a state of artificially
fostered anarchy, they would have been
able to work out their own salvation
and follow in the footsteps Of Chile.
Argentina, Uruguay and others.
st can't. of course, deny that Amer
lean capital has created certain
amount of material progress in the
Caribbean and in the Central Amer
lean countries.
Creation of Latifundia' Hit.
But when one checks up the re-
suits one will find they have been
generally obtained at the expense of
the social and economical development
Of those unhappy countries.
The creation Of latifundia or cen.