Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-12-03
The Pan.Amerioan Conference.

The Pan-American Conference. -.
Today at Montevideo, the capital of
Uruguay. the seventh Pan-American
Conference will begin its sessions. The
United States is represented by a dele
cation appropriately headed by Secre-
tary OF State Cordell Hull.
This conclave of Pan-Americanism
is held at a time when the western
hemisphere is still in the grip of depres-
sion, so that commercial and financial
questions will bulk conspicuously in
the considerations at Montevideo The
prospect for agreement on these subjects
was dimmed by President Roosevelts
announcement on November that in
view of this country's emergency pol
icies, the United States could not enter
upon immediate discussion of currency
sterilization, tariffs and the like. Their
exclusion seriously limits the possibility
Of success at Montevideo But en- route
to Uruguay Secretary Hull stated that
suitable trade arrangements can and
should be worked out" whereby the
United States would exchange its sur
plus of such articles as -four, automo-
biles, machinery and numerous other
manufactures for most Of the surplus
commodities Of Latin American coun-
tries" BY bringing to bear mutually
sincere purposes and intelligent cooper
ation," Secretary Hull voiced the belief
that a sturdy inter-American trade
structure for the future could be
erected.
Unless economic craftsmanship is
capable Of evolving such arrangements
by separate treaty negotiations among
given countries, Pan-Americanism Is
doomed to remain good deal Of pious
aspiration North, Central and South
America are economically sorely in need
of one another. While the total foreign
trade of the United States declined SO
per cent between 1929 and 1882, its
South American trade declined 81 per
cent A large proportion Of the total
amount invested by United States citi-
sens in Latin America is in partial or
complete default.
While we are already importing more
tom the other Americas than we export
to them, and while about two-thirds of
Latin Americas exports to us are on the
free list, it is essential to increase the
how of goods between North, Central
and South America. We have more
wealth and population than all the
other twenty republics combined. Gen
crosby in trade policy would be be-
coming gesture on the part of this
country.
The United States has made COM
mendable contribution toward purely
political success at Montevideo by avoid
ing armed Intervention in Cuba. Pres
ident Roosevelt has intimated that
sooner or later negotiations with Cuba
for revision of the Platt amendment
may be feasible. Since the present ad-
rninistration took office at Washington,
the policy Of intervention in the other
American States has been virtually
scrapped in favor Of the good neigh
Dor" program.
There remains the omnipresent ques-
ton of the Monroe Doctrine. 1t is not
on the agenda at Montevideo, but it Is
conspicuously in the minds of all dele
gates at a Pan-American Conference.
The Monroe doctrine is the keystone in
the arch of the United States foreign
policy. Public sentiment favors its re-
tention as such But there could be
little objection to modifying the So
called "unilateral nature" of the doc
trine so as to assert the common in
terest Of all the American peoples in 1t.
The League of Nations asserts an ac-
tive interest in the preservation Of peace
in the western Hemisphere. 1t has
taken a hand in ending the late Para
guayan-Bolivian and Peruviancolonn-
Uruguayan government, the League Is
sending a representative to the Monte
video conference. It wants a finger in
the pie OF any arrangements set up for
the organization Of peace" in the west
ern world.
There is nothing inherently pernicious
in such a prospect, but if the Americas
are to keep themselves free from Euro
pean entanglements, it behooves them
to knit ever closer the ties which bind
them as a regional group. In such a
process the influence of the United
States is logically paramount. That
nothing will be left undone to that end
by our delegation at Montevideo is the
hope of the American people. Our be-
lief in the efficacy and Importance OF
p,o Ar,oricop ,,y,ion lie deem abiding