Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-02
THE GOOD WILL ELEMENT.

~ NE Of the few men who thor
oughly understand pan-Amer-
lean affairs In this country,
~ DR.. Leo s. Rowe, director gen.
eral of the Pan-American
Union, pointed out the other day in
one Of his weekly lectures on inter-
American problems, at Georgetown
University, the outstanding conse-
ouences resulting from the tremendous
increase of American investments in
the Spanish-American republics during
the last decade.
Paramount among these was, in his
opinion, the improvement which that
increase has brought about in the per-
sonnet of the American concerns work
ing in the Latin countries. Their In
veStments having been augmented so
considerably and their business acttv-
tiles so much extended, these companies
have found 1t necessary to provide
themselves with competent, honest and
intelligent managers for their agencies.
They can no longer rely upon the serv-
ices Of few adventures or fortune
seekers burdened with few scruples, as
were too many of the managers Of early
DAYS. Their large investments demand
that these firms have an honest and
well trained personnel, able not only to
manage their interests properly, but also
to hold the public confidence OF the
people In whose territory they are doing
business.
This, as DR.. Rowe remarked, is the
most important result brought about by
the increase of American investments.
Because these highly trained business
men will naturally be very much more
careful to gain the good will Of the
natives and undoubtedly will be more
successful at 1t than was the old-ttme
"go-getter," who cared little or nothing
about the ways and means for 1ncreas-
ing his profits The new type of COM
mercial leader fully understands the
important role that public confidence
plays. He realizes that the great prob
lem of foreign investments in any coun-
try Is the winning Of the peoples good
will, and that in the particular case OF
inter- American relations this problem
has not only economic but political
significance as well. Aware OF this, he
will endeavor, therefore, not to NEEDLE
in the domestic affairs of the country
in which the company is operating He
will promote the betterment of labor
and living conditions in general for the
native workers. He will respect national
laws and local authorities. And he will
do, in a word, everything that may help
in winning and keeping the sympathies
of the native population.
Thus he will be accomplishing much,
not only from the point OF view Of his
company'S commercial interest, but
also from that higher standpoint of
better international relations between
the peoples of Saxon and of Latin
America.
Unfortunately there still are, it seems,
some old-timers left down on the other
side OF the Rio Grande. A cable from
Caracas reports today that certain
American oil concerns in Venezuela are
opposing the project Of the Venezuelan
government TO establish a practical
school to train native young men In
drilling oil wells. This opposition has
already provoked sharp criticism from
the local press, and If continued. will,
no doubt, inJure the investors stand
ing among the Venezuelan people.
1t Is a pity that these oil directors
in Venezuela cannot attend one of DR..
Rowes lectures and learn the value of
the goodwill element. suggest a
correspondence course for them.
Eschewing Politics.
In a year which has so far seen army
leaders take over the reins Of govern
ments in four South American repub-
lies, the latest attitude of the Colombian
Army stands out entirely by itself. Ac-
cording to newspaper reports, in the
week In which the Irigoyen administra-
ton was overthrown in Argentina by
a revolutionary junta, led by elements
OF the army and navy, the officers of
the Colombian Army presented a Joint
petition to Congress asking that they
and their men be denied the voting
privilege. They gave as their reason,
the dispatches added, their unwilling
ness to have any part in debating the
policies of government.
Later cable reports from Bogota an
nounce that the Colombian Congress
has granted their request. The Colon