The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1931-08-20
UNCLE SAM AND LATIN
AMERICA

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Throughout Latin-America the one
big obstacle to chronic fevolution has
been the belief that the United States
intended, in order I'd protect the Mon
roe Doctrine, to keep. order in this
hemisphere. Today the danger of dis
order is greater than ever, because of
the known fact, as published in the
official communist press, that Soviet
Russia has centers Of revolutionary in
trique in every Latin-American coun-
try, and that the chief purpose of this
activity is to array" the rest of the
western hemisphere against the Unit
ed States. President Machado, of
Cuba, stated only what is an estab-
lished truth when he declared in a ra-
dio address month ago that back of
the attempted uprising, the dynamit-
ings and the attempted assassinations
in Cuba was the worldwide conspira-
cy centering in Moscow. 1t is not sur
prising to learn that the Honduras up
rising was a communicated affair."
The situation constitutes a strong adj
ditional reason for American firmness
and vigilance at this time, in order
that we may avoid more serious trou-
BILE.
Theodore Roosevelt declared that
the United States had vital interest
in protecting all nations which COM
manded or affected the approaches to
the Panama Canal. This especially
means Nicaragua, for there the I'm
tied States is now conducting a sur
vey, with view to building, under
treaty, second isthmian canal.
Those who demand that the United
States abandon all effort to save
Latin-America from being plunged
into the horrors of armed revolution
and exploitation by military adven-
lures, speak in no spirit of friendship
to Latin-America or the United States.
For the masses of the people in these
countries are the chief victims of the
irresponsible military adventures
who live on loot and pillage, and who
seek to rule only in order that they
may enrich themselves and satisfy
their lust for power.
1t is customary for anti-Americans
in the United States to inveigh against
American capital invested in Latin
America. But foreign capital affords
the only hope of that development in
most Of these countries which offers
the prospect Of orderly civilization or
a decent standard of living for the
masses. Some of this hostility to the
United States is bought and paid for
by European industrial powers which
seek to destroy American commercial
relations with Latin-America. It is
a significant fact that one American
national organization with a high
sounding name implying peace and
piety, has printed pamphlets in Span
ish which make inflammatory attacks
on the United States and had these cir
culated in Mexico, Central America
and South America in an effort to fan
the flames of hatred of the United
States.
1t is unfortunately true that the
masses of Latin-Americans have been
trained first by Spain, and then by
their own leaders, to respect only one
argument, and that is force. Any fail
IRE by the United States to take a
firm stand and back it up, in behalf
Of the doctrine that the, person and
legitimately acquired property of Am
orleans must be respected, will invite
serious consequences, because it will
be taken to mean that we are afraid
to protect American life and proper
ty. Yielding to the pressure of those
who would permit the taking of Amer
ican lives and the seizure and destruc-
ton of American investments, will
only hasten the time when the United
States, for its own safety, will be COM
PEELED to take drastic naval and mill
tary measures on large scale. Incl
dentally it would seriously affect
American prosperity since we cannot
permit the confscation of large mining,
agriculture and industrial investments
without destroying returns from Am
erican enterprises operating there,
and American trade which keeps hun
dreds of thousands of Americans busy
in a commerce which profits Latin
America more than it does US.
The Republican Commercial Print