Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-16
teontinued rrom Third page J

sure. IL EuUptA lAlbo ttAG tOth6 VA 4bo
late colonial poverty.
In the frst 100 years Of its indie
pendenee (which came to close in
the second decade of the present GEN.
tury) Latin America passed through
new era of exploitation, the symbol OF
which was the saddlinS OF plantation
crops upon 1t and the setting up of a
vast capitallstic machinery for the pro-
duction of raw materials OF mine and
field and forest. Few realized the
depths Of its enslavement to raw ma
terials until the great drop In COM
modify prices OF 1880 Latin America
then emerged as relatively little better
of than during the Colonial era, its
economic place in the world but little
more secure than the status OF interior
Africa The world crisis left many OF
the countries of Latin America cropping,
because there was nothing in their eco
noriic system that had created opportu-
ity for recovery without the patronage
of the world for its goods or for its
government bonds And both we're at
the lowest ebb in their history.
Yet the world today is demanding
new markets. 1t demands, imperiously,
higher standards Of living that viii Gre
ate new and enlarged demands for what
II makes ana for what the raw mate
rails countries produce. The cry Is
deafening, but the need has been
~
viii be again before the new countries
of the world swing into full power. The
advanced nations of the world demand
vet Another thine-that is place in the
new countries for their surplus popu-
lations room where the emigrating
hordes can build little Englands, little
Osrnsnys-yes, and little Jspsns.
Building Hapha1ard.
Heretofore all our building OF the new
countries and new markets has been
liaphazard, almost without plain, pite-
utisly wasteful We have poured our
resources and our human power broad
cast over the world into mad schemes.
into hopeless projects into lands which
probably cannot for half thousand
years approach the ideal OF our needs
for soundly growing centers OF new
civilization lands and projects which
must for that long at least remain
nebul6us and barbaric. We have not
chosen as now we must choose, the
areas of the world which can flrst COM
mand our attention and should first be
given the opportunity. the resources. the
studied and steady support OF science,
capital ana immigrants that will de-
veiop it into the source Of the new eco
nuniic and Topographic strength which
the world must have.
Latin America occupies geographi-
cally the unuuestioned center and focus
of the development Of the future, 1t
occupies nearly fifth OF the area Of
the world that is subject to ultimate
development and yet it has, roughly,
only one-twentieth Of the worlds popu-
lation today. It's resources have been
sung in paens Of praise for all its
known history and fully half Of what
has been said Is sober truth; q tre-
mendous percentage Of reality for any
unknown region to command. The
II ETaet Tref
franc of the world through the door
yard of Latin America. the Caribbean
Sea. Buenos Aires the southernmost of
the great harbors of the world, is fourth
In activity and hipping--London, New
York and Hamburg alone surpass it.
Latin Americas foreign trade totals
about $1,000 100000 year, a healthy
sum. even compared with the trade Of
the world. which Is about s70,000000,-
600; but the exports are composed
largely of raw materials, and the bulk
of the imports represents not healthy
international trade, but poverty OF
those home industries which build up
the living standards and the buying
power of nations and continents.
Monroe Doctrine Effective.
The potentialitaes Of this area. even
with les present population, have only
begun to manifest themselves. What it
can and will DO 4 quarter century from
now, with greater population and q
more concentrated development OF its
resources. leaves the imagination utterly
untrammeled.
Latin America has been held back by
very definite factors else 1t might well
have broken its own chains. One of
these has been its freedom from coloni-
eation. due TO the absence OF European
and AsiAtic colonial exploitation. The
tFHrNNa T1rxrttsftln that ahtegnH IN
tefnational policy, has been nightly
effective The contrast OF what has
happened to Africa IN the last century,
and to Asia before and during that CEN
fury, with what has not happened TO
Latin America, Is proof enough OF It's
achievement of the protection from Eu-
rUpeAn partition and colonization
There Is no question that but for the
opposition OF the United States, great
and prosperous German colonies would
now occupy Southern Brazil. portions
ct least Of Chile and probably of Ar
Gentlna, while the coffee industry of
Central AmeTica ito a large extent
German In its management would long
since have given excuse for intervention
and the annexation Of these countries TO
Germany. Great BTitain's undeniable
interests In the Caribbean would have
brought her new eglonis and Arsen-
tine, the gem OF the constellation OF
Latin America, might considerably today
be English by nationality as well as by
3 notable admixture of English blood
And so on around the list. until Japan
itself looms In the picture: IL is no idle
talk that excepting for tbs unwritten but
probably not unspoken opinion Of Wash
ington, Japan might even now be more
strongly if1tTenehed than she is In the
population OF Peru, and in political DOM
ination elsewhere.
THE Monroe Doctrine" is the easiest
way Of expressing foreign policy OF the
United states that perhaps needs no
statement now. but certainly includes
Japan IN the prohibition against colo
MES in the American hemisphere The
fact that Latin America has been closed
20 colonization BY energetic peoples is
uTquestionabiy one great faetor-per-
hAfs the ereatest--in the continuing
state Of undeFelopment there But that
long delay js no indication that the
sintws Of expansion are or ever have
been absent.
Free Trade Handicap.
Another factor Of outstanding i'm
poTtance in the holding back of Latin
America has been that ancient English
fres trade doctrine who's, most lmDor-
tant corrollsry was the principle that
each country or colony should produce
the goods that 1t could best produce end
should exchange those goods fof the
goods that other countries could best
produce. Latin America has been
chained for the last century 20 that
theory, and today II is far from eiin-
mated from political n not from eco-
homie theory and practice The United
states, however. has carried with IN
creasinR momentum, 10 Latin America
in particular, the doctrine evolved 20 its
highest perfection I'm this eauntry-that
Ia hnE ma Tee