Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-12

discovery of wells or the development
of plantations and studying foreign
legislation in n suspicious fashion in
order to solicit or demand "conces-
sions" The nature of this form OF
Intervention is not necessarily political:
it is often simply question of financial
pressure. But diplomatic action Is
latent, and therefore 1t is there.
i We remember on the eve of the great
war certain interventionS by Germans,
in which the German state did not ap-
pear. All one saw were flnancierS and
industrialists. Nevertheless, no one was
deceived The ultimate character OF
the action taken was political. Certain
actions of America in the Caribbean
zone are not basically different in ma
| ture.
| It could be asked specifically whether
the initiative which animates and mott
Yates such actions comes from the State
Department or from Wall Street. Per-
| haps this question remains of secondary
Importance II one only remembers that
at this point of her economic develop
ment America must be interested in
raw materials wherever they are to be
found. The consideration Of foreign
outlets is relatively new in the United
States, even though we can find certain
traces Of it toward the end of the nine
zenith century.
Blames Export Growth.
| As long as Americas main exports
consisted of raw materials she paid
little attention to the conquest of inter-
national markets When she began to
export manufactured articles her atti-
tude changed. During the decade Of
10000 Secretary of State Blaine fore
saw the problem of finding markets for
American products in the future. 1t
was largely due to his influence that
the reciprocity clause was introduced
into the Mckinley tariff. He. and Nc
Kinley with him, foresaw that the sale
of manufactured goods outside Of the
United States would increase. 1t was
| reprisalS in response to the protection
ism of the United States should not hit
whole category of products.
1t is curious that this policy OF eco
nomic expansion. which has brought
about whole series of tariffs (McKin-
ley. Dingley and Payne -Aldrich), re-
manned in certain way quiescent for
more than generation. Here and there
an industrial exporter appeared with
| foresight, but the organized forces re-
manned entirely subject to the tradi-
tional thesis Of the necessity of de-
Tending the home markets. 1t is only
| since the war that the Department of
Commerce, under the energetic impulse
of Mr.. Hoover, has taken definite ac-
ton to prepare the way for the opening
| OF foreign markets to American indus
try. This policy involves a systematic
study OF the foreign customer. the sup
port OF American commerce through
diplomatic channels, the attentive and
almost jealous surveillance of all tariff
barriers-and. notably. keen watchful-
ness for any discriminatory action of
any kind. The European policies to-
ward tariffs are the object of virtually
permanent inquiry by the Government
at washington. America had her own
delegates at the International Economic
Conference in Geneva in 1927. Ameri-
can commerce takes an active part in
the deliberations of the International
Chamber Of Commerce.
Finally, as a parallel manifestation of
this policy Of expansion must be noted
the current investments in foreign
countries, which became so extensive
after the war and continued up to 1929
From debtor country, which she was
In 1914. America has become the great
creditor country of today-her capital
has been spread over all the earth
| England understood very we'll during
the nineteenth century that the invest
ment of capital abroad created Gus
| toners.
| Stressed as Main Factor.
This phenomenon. which can be veri-
fled notably in South America. must be
considered one of the main factors back
Of economic expansion For who does
not easily understand that wherever an
| American has invested his money the
United States one day or another Is
! likely to intervene?
| The change in Americas policy as re-
CARDS world routes is even more strik-
| ing. Sooner or later those countries
which have important international
commerce feel the need of possessing
the equipment for world communica-
lions, a merchant marine, a navy to
secure the safety of the seas, interna-
tional canals cat least across the 18TH
muses. where their commerce passes)
naval bases for Oil and coal on the
lines served by their fleets, cable lines
and wireless stations, Always with air
ports for their planes With the ex-
ception Of the strictly modern things in
TINS program. 1t can be truly said that
all the powers which have raised them
selves to world influence have desired
this same program.
England felt such needs in the nine
tenth century. Germany at the begin
ming OF the twentieth attempted to
secure the same facilities, and perhaps
would have succeeded had it not been
Tor the World War, which completely
broke up the immense plans she had
entertained
The ideals of the United States at
TINS moment do not differ very greatly.
AS result OF the war the United States
mas been able to reconstruct her mer-
chant marine, which had fallen into
complete decadence. She is construct
Ing powerful Navy, for which she
claims at least parity with the British
fleet. The function of this NAVY will
be to defend the freedom of the seas.
which probably means that another
blockade would not be tolerated.
AS to the international canals, the
status OF the Panama Canal Is known.
IL Is not international, and is militariIv
controlled by the armed forces of the
United States. Soon perhaps this canal
may be duplicated by one Qess vulner-
aole, let us hope) at Nicaragua. When
IL comes to naval bases, the Govern
ment at Washington has assured itself
OF the possession of those it really needs.
not only in the Caribbean Sea but in
the Pacific. Its network Of cables grows
every day. as we'll as its wireless sta
lions. And the plans for airways Or
ganized and controlled by the United
States between North and Central and
south America are already magnif-
Gently realized. Thus there exists a
definite policy Of world communications.
Believes Times Right.
The London Times was not far wrong
when, at the time of the Washington
conference in 1921, it said: For the
first time in history the United States
feels the necessity of world policy-in
the plain meaning of this term. With
virtually no period of transition, she
has passed from the position of a sim
pie commercial power to a dominating
one which controls the finances of the
world. And now suddenly she realizes
to what extent this change must react
on her relafi0nshinS with tho reS+ IF