Evening star., 1933-09-17

Mexico to the White House
and Informed them the in
tentions Of the United States in the
Cuban emergency. he established one
more precedent. He established a pre-
cedent which in time may eliminate
much of the misunderstanding and ap-
prehensions characteristic OF inter-
American relations since the turn OF
the century.
In abandoning traditional paternalism
toward the countries south OF the Rio
Grande-which had prevailed from
Clevelands North American fiat" and
Theodore Roosevelt's policy OF the big
stick" through Wilson's enforced con-
stitutionalism to Coolidge's big brother"
attitude-the President made an inno-
vation which has no counterpart in the
annals of the Latin American policy OF
the United States.
It is true that the success Of the move
was for moment imperiled by the lack
of tact shown in discriminating among
the southern republics. But the fault
was partly, and quickly, amended by
circularizing all the Latin American
Presidents that they would be kept In
| formed of developments in Cuba and
| the role which the United States might
| be forced to play in them.
On only two occasions before has the
United States invited the cooperation
of Latin American governments In con-
fronting American problems, but the
| circumstances in those cases, and the
extent Of the cooperation sought, were
quite different.
Conference of 1907.
In 1907, following series OF domestic
disturbances and external complications
| in Central America, the Government OF
the United States invited the Mexican
government to join it in persuading the
| five Central American states to send
| delegates to Washington to discuss their
differences and prepare the way for
| ultimate union" in federated republic.
Mexico agreed, and, at the suggestion
of Presidents Theodore Roosevelt ana
| Porfrio DiaZ, the Central American
| conferences met at Washington and
| succeeded in signing several conven-
tions for the promotion Of internal peace
and the regulation Of their foreign al
| fairs. which. incidentally. neither the
"high contracting parties" nor the ma
tions which sponsored them have nveo
up to. ,,- o,,o,ed
the mediation of Argentina, Brazil ana
|
regime in Mexico. which, being uncon-
stitutional and favorable to British OIL
| interests. he had decided was not the
proper government for the Mexicans
and should be overthrown "by all neces-
| sary means" Representatives OF the
United States Mexico, and the three
| countries which had offered their gooo
Offices met at Niagara, but failed to
accomplish anything because OF the
adamant insistence of President Will
[ sons delegates that any settlement
| should be based on Huerta's with
drawal. To such an extent did the con-
ditions suggested involve an interven-
| ton in Mexican domestic affairs. tnat
even Huerta's opponents. the Constltu-
tionalists of CarranZa. whom President
Wilson was supporting, resented it, and
declared that they would not accept as
a gift anything the mediators could give
them at the expense of Mexican SOW
! ereignty.
| Never before last weeks spectacular
move, however, had Washington gone SC
far as to communicate to the heads Of
| all the Latin American governments its
| intentions with regard to an aspect OF
| its foreign policy which heretofore had
been zealously guarded as the exclusive
concern of the United States.
! Surprise From United States.
| Latin Americans were, probably. sur
prised to learn that the United States
| Government had promised to keep them
| fully aware Of its attitude in the pres
ent emergency and had informed the
| Chief Executive of each Latin American
republic of its reluctance to intervene
in the domestic affairs Of Cuba. Tc
the close observer, or to any one. al
that, familiar with the spirit and tempo
of the present administration, this dis
taste for Intervention is obvious. The
efforts of the President and the State
Department to avoid armed interven-
tion during the previous disorders In
Cuba and to confine even diplomatic
interference to the minimum compat-
ible with treaty rights and obligations
| are too well known here to admit OF
any Doubling Thomases But In Latin
/ America, where these things are not
known In detail, and where the memory
of past interventions has left deep re-