Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-09
ENTRY is SIGNIFICANT.
Mexico's Acceptance Seen as Impor-
tant Event in u. S. Relations.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Entry OF Mexico into the League OF
Nations as announced from Geneva is
perhaps the most important and signif-
cant development in American af-
fairs since the United States failed TO
join the League.
One of the arguments made in the
Senate here was that the League did
not give sufficient recognition TO the
interests of the United States in this
hemisphere AS long. however. as the
nearest neighbor Mexico. declined to
become member and the relations Of
the United States and Mexico were un-
settled. there was no practical conflict
of interest between Geneva and Wash
ington.
Trouble Seems Distant.
There is. of course. nothing on the
horizon to indicate clash OF policy
may ever arise between the League and
the United States over Mexican affairs.
but it is significant that Mexico has re-
manned aloof this long and now accepts
membership Cuba is A member of the
League and so are most Latin American
countries. Every nov and then there
is a withdrawal from membership or an
application for admission. But. gen.
orally speaking. the Latin American
states have become persuaded that the
League NAV in some contingencies be
helpful to them. especially i'll the event
that some future administration in
Washington interprets the Monroe Doc
trne as bestowing by implication rights
of interference which the original pro-
nouncement never contemplated.
The authorities at Geneva have beer
very careful not to offend the United
States in handling questions arising out
OF Latin America. In one instance. the
dispute between Paraguay and Bolivia,
the intercession of the League came CO.
incident with the good ofices Of the
United States. In another instance. a
health mission was sent by the League
to Peru which caused more or less dis
may because this was regarded as the
special responsibility of the United
States.
U. S. Interest Increased.
The League covenant made 1t clear
that the operations Of the organization
were in no way to interfere with "re-
gional understandings like the Monroe
Doctrine" The late Senator Lodge AZ
gued that the language was ambiguous
because there are no other understand
ings like the Monroe Doctrine" But
it he's nev.r been doubted that zee
gional understandings" were outside the
jurisdiction of the League. hence the
tions may be regarded as something
which the League of Nations does not
in the slightest degree affect.
1t is conceivable that the closer
working arrangements between Latin
American states and the League may
some day be used as an argument for
the entry of the United States into
the Geneva organization. This is be-
GAUGE there are many questions which
the United States might not wish to
take up directly with any q the coun-
tries to the south. but or ich 1t would
like to be intimately informed.
BY sitting in the Council Of the
league and the Assembly the United
States would have voice. Thus If
some day a Latin American country
insisted that the League take up some
question in which the United States
claimed an interest the veto power
of member Of the Council would be
sufficient to bar such consideration.
There is at this time. however little
chance that the United States will
enter the League, especially when the
World Court protocol is still unrati-
fed by the American Government.
Copyright. 1891. by Consolidated Press)