Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-01
ST|MSON POLICY"
SPEECH AWAITED
Secretary Expected to Re-
define U. S. Attitude To-
ward Latin America.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Latin America Is about to dance into
the limelight of national discussion.
On Friday evening, February g. at a
oInner of the Council on Fureign Re-
lations in New York, Henry L. Slim
son, Secretary of State, will reveal the
United States policy toward Latin
America. in light of revolutionary
events of the past year.
In the Senate at Washington, prob
ably before Col Stimson's address,
Senator Hiram johnson, Republican
Progressive of California, plans to open
up the whole question CT Latin Ameri-
can affairs. He will approach them
from the standpoint of recent devel-
opmentS in Nicaragua including the
killing of United States Marines. After
the late ambushing episode Senator
Johnson called upon the State De-
partment for an eiabor ate collection of
data relating to Americana icaraguan
relations since our earliest Intervention
in the banana republics affairs.
Stimson Views Awaited.
In Latin American quarters at Wash
ington interest in Secretary Stimson's
something bordering on excitement.
President Hoovers foreign minister
himself attaches such importance to
the procurement that he has ar
ranged to have it given Nationwide
circulation over the network of the
Columbia Broadcasting System. Ex-
pectaticn is current that Secretary
Stimson will make some brand-new
and far-reaching statement of policy
toward the 20 sister republics of the
Americas, which may take immediate
rank as the "Stimson doctrine"
The premier" of the administration
has been under pretty severe fire from
different directions since the epidemic
of Latin revolutions set in in South
America, and then spread north until
1t infected two Central American re-
publi-s, Guatemala and Panama.
The charge against which the head
of the State Department will probably
defend himself is the accusation that
he has Systematically backed the
wrong horse In turbulent Latin re-
publics The indictment is leveled
especially in connection with our action
in sustaining the ousted Brazilian
regime of President Washington Luis
and placing an embargo on shipment
Of American arms to the revolutlonists.
who thereupon carried the day at Rio
de Janeiro.
,c.hc- %:EOIts Cited.
Soon after the Brazilian event, Guate-
mala had a revolution. We recognized
one President, cniy to have him upset
by a ccunter-revolution, and then
found it necessary to accord recognition
TO his successor, who took office few
hours later. In Peru, too, the Leguia
government, which, was overthrown by
revolution, owed its collapse largely to
the belief of Leguia's enemies that he
was too much under the influence of
the United States, and of American
capitalists operating with Washington's
blessings.
Washington has about come to the
conclusion that revolution among Latin
American republics is thing which the
United States and the rest of the world
have got to lock upon as more or less
chronic. The LatinS seem to have
come to the conclusion that they can
make short cut to changes In gov
eminent by firing a few shots and set
ting up a new regime in quick order.
They appear to believe that, on the
whole. as effective results are achieved
by this system as would be obtained in
a constitutional election. They even
are inclined TO think that. in actual
b'oodshed the cost is not much greater
than it would be in a campaign ending
at the polls
The dilemma confronting Uncle Sam
Is what should be our fixed policy to-
ward Latin American governments
which come into of1lce by the bullet
rather than by the ballot. In the past
the United States has somewhat wiggled
and wabb.ed on this score. Our earliest
policy was laid down by Thomas JET
ferson, first as Secretary Of State and
later as President. With Yorktown
fresh in mind, jefferson frankly favored
revolution. On a famous occasion b"
wrote: IT hold that little revoiuti q
now and then is a coed thing and is
necessary in the political world as
storms in the physical. 1t is a medi-
cine necessary for the sound health OF
government.
Wilson Policy Stated.
President Woodrow Wilson established
the doctrine of constitutional legiti-
macy" with respect to our recognition
of Latin governments that obtained
power through revolution. He contend
ed that until such governments had
regularized themselves through popular
elections or other expressions of national
approval they were not entitled to rec
ignition in Washington. During the
past eight or nine months of upheaval
in South and Central America, the
United States has abandoned the VIII
son doctrine and accorded recognition
10 the respective new governments OF
La Paz, Lima, Buenos Aires, Rio de
Janeiro. Guatemala City and Panama
City as soon as they were in genuine
control Our only requirement was that
these revolutionary governments should
be demonstrably able to maintain law
and order. command public support and
willing to recognize their foreign obli-
cations. No question was raised by
Washington as to the constitutional
legitimacy" based on elections.
Whether the United Stats has now
gone definitely over to the policy of
promptly recognizing de facto Latin
governments and thus converting them
into de jure CegalizedD governments Is
the issue on which Secretary StimSon
undoubtedly is about to throw official
light. His elucidation of our attitude
will give him plenty of opportunity TO
discuss the matter of American inter-
yention in Latin American countries,
such as we have repeatedly undertaken
in San Domingo, Haiti, Mexico and
Nicaragua.
Special Rights Held.
Our right to intervene in Cuba and
Panama Is of a special character and
granted by treaties with those countries
Secretary Stimson can hardly fail, too,
in any exhaustive review of Pan Aneri-
can relations to deal with Washington's
viewpoint about the billions of dollars
of North American capital invested all
over Latin America. To put the ques-
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