Evening star., 1932-12-18
LATIN AMERICANS HOPE
FOR NEW TARIFF DEAL"
Likewise Expect Policy of Non-Interven-
ton Under Roosevelt's Demo.
cratic Regime.

ate" It adds: 1.-THE Roosevelt pro.
posal for the reduction Of tariffs means
practical formula to solve vital prob
lem, assuring international cooperation
and, indirectly, will afford livelihood to
unemployed millions"
Sees End of Tariff War.
The Jornal do Brazil also expresses
confidence that tariff notifications will
| be made to facilitate commercial
| treaties, thus stopping the worlds
tariff war which has resulted from the
present administrations exaggerated
protectionism."
Ell Mercurio of Santiago, El Co
mercia of Lima. El Telegrafo Of
Guayaquil. El Diario Of La Paz, El
TEMPO Of Bogota, Ell Dia Of Mon
teNdeo, and other leading Latin Ameri-
can journals express similar opinions
as to impending changes in the GUS
toms tariffs of the United States. They
all recall the sharp protests of Latin
American statesmen and writer's whcl
the HaWley-Smoot rates were passed
by Congress; and the prediction Of
great damage to the normal flow of
r-American trade which they point
ed out at the time.
They stress, then the pledge of "recip-
rocal tariff arrangements" contained
i'll the Democratic platform and the
promises of an early revision of the
tariff made by the Democratic candi-
date during his electoral campaign, and
hope that the new DEAL" in matters
economic. will be extended to the South
ern neighbors of Uncle Sam.
Politically speaking. the Latin Ameri-
cans may not have had so much rea-
son to welcome a change in the gov
eminent of the United States, because
1t was under the present adminiStra.
ton that the new Latin American pol
icy OF the State Observation-Disclosures
greater respect for the sovereignty Of
the Southern republics-came into ex-
lstence.
Hoover -Stimson Attitude.
However, as have repeatedly said in
these columns, the Hoover-S -Stimson at
titude toward Latin America had not
received sufficient publicity. 1t was
scarcely known by public opinion on the
other side of the Rio Grande. At any
rate. it was not known we'll enough to
offset the memory of the Latin Ameri-
can record OF previous Republican ad-
ministrations which had treated the
small republics Of the Caribbean zone
rather roughly.
41iC AAdIilC VI lIlC party
was still associated in the mind of the
average Latin American with Theodore
Roosevelts big-stick policy. with Sec
retary KnOXS dollar diplomacy, with
Calvin Coolidge's theory of unlimited
protection, with the seizure of the
Panama Canal, with the forcible COL
lection of debts, with armed interven-
tions. In a word, with all the errors
and misunderstanding which have
given rise to the legend of Yankee i'm
perialism.
Four years of the Hoover-S -Stimson
policy OF non-intervention had hardly
begun to correct the resentment left
over by other administrations Besides,
the Republican platform itself had
neglected to emphasize the changes
inaugurated in the Latin American pol
icy of the United States under Secre-
tary Stimson.
The Democratic platform, on the
other hand, explicitly condemned 'in-
reference in the affairs of other ma
tions" and advocated "co-operation with
the nations of the Western Hemisphere
to maintain the spirit of the Monroe
Doctrine"
This latter declaration impressed the
Latin Americans most. for 1t amounted
to recognition of the Latin view Of
VAC XAOA44OC 0ONtlAlC.
common policy Of self-defense instead
o. a unilateral, aggressive weapon in
the hands of the strongest member. For
the first time the Latin Americans were
promised that they would be allowed to
cooperate in the maintenance OF what
was once considered the exclusive priv.
lege of Uncle Sam.
Stressing these promises, and the bit
ter criticism of the Republican i'm
M 70 rnc'
ago by the previous Democratic candi-
date, Alfred E. Smith-which are still
remembered in the Southern continent
Latin American editorialists are re-
joicing at the Democratic victory of
November 8.
Mexico Refrains.
Only Mexican newspapers, which can
not forget the difficulties that arose be-
tween the United States and Mexico
under President Wilson, refrain from
enthusiasm. Excelsior, the most i'm
portant Mexican daily, states:
AT other times not so far back a
Democratic President interfered in
Mexican internal affairs, constituting
himself an arbiter for a nation that
never had sought his counsel, much
less the employment of armed forces to
solve MeXlco's internal troubles. The
experience to which We allude, equally
as unfortunate as unjust, should be a
guide to Mr.. Roosevelt in his relations
with Latin American countries, and
especially Mexico, by reason of her near
ness to the United States
The truth, it seems to me, is that the
foreign policy of he United States is
not changed by individuals. nor even by
political parties. 1t is rather Influenced
by changes in public opinion and by
the force of circumstances. This, which
is not true of the majority of the Latin
republics, accounts for the fact that in
SO far as their Latin American policies
are concerned, Woodrow Wilson had
more in common with Theodore Roose-
velt and Calvin Coolidge than Herbert
Hoover.
Copyright, 1922