Evening star., 1932-12-11
1REVOLUTION" OF NOV. 8
WINS LATIN ADMIRATION
South American Resort to Bullets to
Change Governments Is Contrasted
With Our Weapon of the Ballot.

| the Jeffersonian principle Of recognition
OF revolutionary governments; the new
State Departments Interpretation of
the Monroe Doctrine; the various decla-
rations of President Hoover and Secre-
tary Stimson in favor of non-interfer-
ence with the domestic affairs of the
Caribbean countries; the appointment of
better diplomatic agents and the help
given to the establishment of aerial
communications with the Southern cap
itals, etc.
I had also mentioned, more than
once, that these changes, brought about
by the present administration. had not
been sufficiently stressed by writer's or
statesmen in this country. Therefore,
public opinion in Latin America did not
fully appreciate them; it was almost
unconscious of them. The unanir.ity
with which Latin American newspapers
greet the Democratic victory of Novem-
Der is testifying now to the truth of
that fact
OF course, the main reason for this
Endorsement of the Roosevelt election
in the other Americas, besides the little
publicity which the Hoover -Stimson
changes of policy have received, must
be looked for in the field Of economics.
After all, it Is only natural that in a
period of widespread economic crisis,
such as we are going through at pres
ent, economic factors should over
shadow political and theoretical consid-
erations.
The one great resentment of Latin
Americans against this and other Re-
publican administrations is the result of
the high protectionistic tariffs imposed
upon their exportable products. Their
exports being, almost in every case,
their major source of income, the high
rates of import duties passed upon them
by the United States Congress, under
Republican leadership, caused the Latin
American countries much harm. They
did not conceal their opposition at the
of them made diplomatic representa-
tions to the State Department when the
Smoot- -Hawley tariff went into effect.
Tariff Walls Assailed.
And the Latin American press, ever
since, has been outspoken in its cr1t1-
cism of the high tariff walls advocated
by Republican leaders. 1t has even gone
as far as blaming them for all the Ills
of the current depression. Is 1t
strange, then, that Latin Americans
should look with favor upon change
of administration which promises
change in tariffs?
The Democratic platform implicitly
condemned the high protective policy
now in practice and advocated re
ciprocal tariff arrangements" to revive
the flow of international trade. And
Mr.. Roosevelt in his campaign speeches
explicitly included promises OF tariff
revision in his program of government.
Is 1t strange that the Latin American
papers should welcome the advent to
power of party which may help them
In their serious economic plight?
AS for the political issues involved,
Latin Americans had no reason to be
dissatisfied with the Democratic VIC
tory. 1t is true that the Hoover-Stim-
son policy had marked quite a de-
parture from the rather imperialistic
policies of previous Republican admin
istrations, but they had heard very
little of such departure. On the other
hand, the Democratic platform indi-
rectly indorsed the principles put in
practice by Secretary StiInson when 1t
advocated: mo interference in the
internal affairs of other nations" and
Cooperation with the nations of the
Western Hemisphere to maintain the
spirit of the Monroe Doctrine"
1t was this last statement that meant
most for Latin Americans. This was
the first time that one of the ma of
parties committed itself to allow the
Latin American nations to cooperate
with the United States in the mainte-
nance of the Monroe Doctrine, hereto
fore the most unilateral, exclusive and
peculiar principle Of the foreign policy
of this country.
1t was the first time that a party
platform looked at the Monroe Doctrine
in the light of a truly continental, de-
fensive policy and not as an aggressive
weapon to justify the excesses of the
big brother"
Moreover, the Democratic platform
spoke not of the Monroe Dostrine itself,
which is, really, thing of the past,
distorted and disfigured by its corol-
laries and misuses, but of "the spirit
Of the Monroe Doctrine"-that is, the
fundamental noble thought underlying
that principle as set forth by President
Monroe in 1928.
Latin Americans expect now these
declarations in the Democratic plat
form to be carried out That explains
their enthusiasm for the Democratic
victory. The only reservation they
make is that President Wilson, the
great Democratic President, made SIM
liar promises And yet it was he who
got in trouble with Mexico, inaugu-
rated the policy of non-recognition,
sent Marines to Santo Domingo and
Haiti and added one more corollary to
the Monroe Doctrine.
(copyright 1922